MAYBE I CAN BLAME BEING ANTI-SOCIAL ON THESE THINGS

What is it really, that makes it so hard to get out? Am I just anti-social? Is it really Jess? Yes, partly. Is it me being happy being home? Yes, partly. Is it that I worked 92 hours in the last two weeks plus kept my little baby sweetie this past week? Partly.

Partly + Partly + Partly = I’m going to waste a perfectly good evening to go somewhere to be outside and stay home and enjoy looking out my windows  🙂

It is an absolutely beautiful day. The temperature is perfect for outdoor activities. All day I have tried to pump myself up and get excited about getting out to do something. There are some great opportunities to be social in Chattanooga.

THE NIGHTFALL CONCERT SERIES

http://www.nightfallchattanooga.com

Nightfall is Celebrating its 27th season in 2015. It is held each Friday night from May to early September.

Headlining acts begin at 8pm with local opening acts starting at 7pm.  People take their kids, lawn chairs, pets and friends and enjoy live music, food,  cold beer.

THE CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS

Another great option is going to the Chattanooga Lookouts game.

OTHER OPTIONS…

SHOPPING

That can be fun, right? (uhhh… not usually). I am in desperate need of appliances. My almost 28-year-old clothes dryer needs repairing. Probably just a heating element, but I don’t want to invest in repairs. For months, I’ve been hanging clothes all over my house to dry. It is time to buy.

Dishwasher? Why, yes, I think I will. It looks as if it is seeing its last days. While I am at it, I think I would like some new flooring at the same time to make installation easier.

But, wait… didn’t I want to coordinate a new counter top to replace my 35-year-old counter? Yes, I did. I already bought the sink (about a year ago) to go into my non-existent new counter.

HVAC? Yes, that’ll be sooner than I want it to be. Mine is original to the house, so about 35 years old. I do need to start making decisions. The concrete is looking damp around the base of the unit, and I feel sure a new unit would be more energy-efficient. Yeah, that’s it.

So, shopping today? I doubt it. Hannah and I were going to go earlier while Jess was at her Granny’s, but something came up and we were not able to get out in time. When she got home, I asked Jess if she wanted to go shopping for appliances. She thought about it for about 10 seconds. No, she didn’t want to do that. I don’t blame her. I don’t want to either. If I knew what I wanted, what I was exactly going for, it would be different. But to go stand in store and contemplate decisions, then arrange for delivery, etc. No, not worth it. I will plan to go another day when Jess has plans with someone.

WHAT ABOUT DINNER OUT?

Maybe on a patio somewhere? That sounds nice.

Decisions, decisions…

This is where the excuses get ridiculous… At least I think it will sound ridiculous.

EXCUSES

Nightfall –

I have all summer through August to get there and do that. I would like to go when my sister is going. And mostly, I want to go without Jess. Uh oh… Just thinking that, much less typing it here, kicks in the guilt. It would be good for her to get out and be social, meet people, see dogs, hear the sounds, smell the smells, etc. But, navigating her through the crowd could prove quite challenging. Then, what if she needs to use the bathroom? Me + her + porta-potty = no fun. Been there, done that. What about parking? How far will I have to walk with her? No big deal. It would be good to be out and walking. But, all factors combined, I talked myself out of that one.

Lookouts game

Parking = pretty easy. But, going to a Lookouts game is kind of like going to Disney. Jess expects the wheelchair to be part of the plan. And it needs to be, because getting her up and down those bleachers is awful. She gets scared she’s going to fall when coming down the stairs. It takes us a long time to get her down and she blocks the aisles and people get back up waiting on her to move on. Another problem is that if it is crowded, then there are no guarantees that we can all three sit together at wheelchair seating. Plus, it costs more to sit there than general admission (but it shouldn’t.) Actually, going probably would not end up being a big deal, but I talked myself out of that one too. There are plenty more games to get to, right?

So what about dinner out on a patio?

Let me think…. ohI know… allergies. I might start sneezing uncontrollably (which happens this time of year.) Then, I’ll need to take an allergy pill, which will put me into a coma until about noon tomorrow. Plus, do I really want to go through getting Jess & me both ready just to go out to dinner? At this point, I start not liking myself very much. Excuses…

What about a movie?

I have really wanted to go to a movie recently. Oh wait, Jess doesn’t do movies. Hannah could keep her, but then I would be going by myself. Been there, done that. No big deal. But really, I would rather stay home with the girls.

Could I get out this evening?

Of course. Does Jessica’s presence make it more complicated? Yes, some. Can I rise above it? Of course. Am I going to today?

No.

Partly + Partly + Partly = It is okay that I enjoy staying home and looking out my windows 🙂 Why do I put so much pressure on myself to get out the door? Truth is, we do not have to have an excuse for NOT going somewhere. We all three really enjoy each other’s company and we enjoy our home.

We are happy.