Wednesday 26 May 2010

Spontaneous, Moi?

Sadly not. Actually I can't say that I've ever been a really spontaneous person, even when I didn't have three kids, a dog and a husband. I didn't take a gap year because I knew deep down I would roam the planet till I was 35, then face the reality that I was qualified to do nothing whatsoever to earn my keep and end up doing a degree with 20 year olds. No thanks.

As you'll know from last week, I'm off to  Miami with some girlfriends on Thursday, but this is about as far from spontaneous as you can get.  We talked about it all year, booked it in January (after much calendar/diary checking on my part) and I packed at the weekend when I knew I would have a spare  moment. Since the dog ate my best black sandals and I had a good throw out at the end of last summer, there's not a lot to pack. I am counting on the girls doing their usual shopping frenzy and this time I am joining in. I suppose you could call "packing not nearly enough, with a view to buying it there" sort of sponteous, but that would really be stretching it wouldnt it?

Anyway, the reason for my introspection is that an opportunity for real spontaneity occured on Monday evening (I know,  - a school night) and I failed the test. My neighbours had tickets to see the sing-alongable James Taylor and Carole King concert here. (I know it's way before many people's cognitive memory, but if you'd had a friend with a big sister who played them all the time, you'd want to see them too.) I had thought about buying tickets months ago, but May/June is a crazy school time when you have three kids who insist on doing end-of-term instrument recitals, baseball games, graduation activities etc.

So, at 6pm on the evening of the concert, I'm up to my eyeballs preparing dinner, listening to Little Guy's piano recital piece and trying to stop the dog from mud-walking through the house, when my neighbour stops by. They suddenly have an extra ticket, so do I want it? "Come on - be spontaneous". Queenager is chanting "Do it, do it" behind me, which of course, since the Ball & Chain was watching man-child playing baseball, means that Little Guy and dog will wander the house till I get back.

Did I grab the bull by the horns? Did I throw caution to the wind. Did I seize the moment?

Of course not. I was wearing sweaty clothes; I wasn't showered; hadn't fed the kids, yada yada.  Pah! It's all very well citing spontaneity but the reality is.......

.

14 comments:

  1. I would have done the same thing. I got a call in the middle of cooking the other night asking me to come up to a BBQ...was already cooking, sorry no thanks.

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  2. I would have gone even if I had to change in the car on the way to the concert.

    Couldn't the Queenager watch the Little Guy and finish dinner?

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  3. Oh! That would have been an excellent concert ...next time!

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  4. DUDE...it's JAMES TAYLOR! sigh, you disappoint me.

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  5. Queenager finishing dinner and watching Little Guy? Ah, if only. She has SO much homework don't you know, that any sort of babysitting amounts to plonking child in front of TV and forgetting about the dog untill it pees in her bedroom as an attention-getting device. They literally would have still been there till an adult got home.

    Basically, spontaneity and school nights are an oxymoron (of sorts.)

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  6. I'm not that spontaneous either. I like to plan and be organized. Have fun in Miami! :)

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  7. You turned down JT! So sad....

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  8. Have a brilliant time...... sweaty clothes or not!!!!!
    Maggie X

    Nuts in May

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  9. Ack, well, next time ;-)

    I moved the family across 6,000 miles once with 6 weeks notice.

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  10. I think that sometimes the idea of these things is actually better than the reality. Sometimes just getting on with the regular stuff is just enough ( and anyway you are going to Miami- who needs the concert???)

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  11. I knew I had a younger twin alive and well somewhere...complete with mud walking dog...
    drats
    and I missed aconcert, sweet Baby James, too...double drats!
    Sandi

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  12. You should start wearing fancy clothes around the house. You never know..

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  13. I so loved that song, it was such an important part of my first serious love affair.
    JT and CK were beautiful back in the . Not sure I'd want to see them now and be reminded that I'm no longer young!But at least I'm not bald!!!

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