Yes, this is the ninety-ninth blog. I can hardly believe I have lasted ninety-nine days or ninety-nine blogs, whichever came first. I think I actually did two a day in the first two days. All I can say is, I’ve enjoyed every single one. I’m planning something extra special for tomorrow’s 100th blog, but don’t ask me what, because I haven’t worked that far ahead yet. It has certainly been a fun ride, and don’t worry, I’m not planning on slowing down just because I hit a milestone. I think records are made to be broken. But I do think I deserve a cake or something. Don’t people usually get cake for reaching 100?
Speaking of long stretches…I had a long day at work today. I finally left the bank at a quarter to six, way past my normal banker’s hours on a Monday afternoon.
I realized as I was driving down the road that I hadn’t had a single drink of water, juice, milk or even soda, all day. I was so busy that I never had a chance. I barely left my office all day. I grabbed a bite to eat at the same time as running an errand at lunch and didn’t get a drink then. I hadn’t even notice all day that the last liquid that had passed my lips was when I brushed my teeth.
But the minute the realization dawned on me, I was thirsty—so thirsty that I would have cried if I hadn’t been so completely dehydrated. And I think dehydration might be bad for you. I know it was bad for me. I found myself feeling frantic. It was all I could do to navigate my car to the nearest drive-thru for a bottle of water, a diet soda, and a milk shake.
I’ve come to the conclusion that these kinds of days need to stop—days where I can’t find a minute to sip from a bottle of water, or a fountain. And I can’t blame it on the blog. I don’t write until after I get home, and by then I am propped up in bed with my laptop and my ice water—and most evenings, Henry Chow is parked beside me on the bed while I write. Admittedly, I tend to multi-task while writing. I often go back and forth between the blog and the book, sometimes pausing to update my Twitter, or Facebook.
I find this time of the day to be relaxing. Not like the wild ride of the day job. I have no idea how I managed to get on that ride, and even less of a clue how to get off. I had a nice talk with my dad tonight and he suggested that this is something that goes back almost to the time of my birth, when someone somewhere decided that women should have equal rights as men, and therefore equal status in the work force. Although, I’m all for the idea of equality, I’m in agreement with my dad that there is very little equality in the role the modern woman plays. Once upon a time, it was a woman’s job to take care of the man, the children, and the house, while the man worked to support the family. Now it seems as if the woman is expected to take care of the man, the children, and the house while at the same time working a full time job. Modern man goes to work with a great big smile on his face as he knows when he is off he will find time to play a round of golf. This does not scream equality to me.
Lucky for me my husband doesn’t play golf, poker, or fantasy football. When he comes home he is either tending to his garden, his children, or to his exhausted wife as she struggles through her nightly blog. And that brings us full circle. Ninety-nine full circles in fact.
Until the next time…I will be preparing to turn 100!