Best Laid Plans...

Do you ever make plans only to see them go up in smoke before your eyes? That was kind of my day today. I'm not complaining because, all in all, it was a good day - just not the one I'd planned.

I've been waiting a long time for Failure to Launch to open. I sent an email to my girls a month or so ago to see who would be interested in going to see it with me. Two people said they wanted to go but that they couldn't go the weekend it opened - one of those said any time after the 15th. So, I scheduled it for the first Friday after the 15th so it would extend my weekend by a day (I took a vacation day). Then I asked if anyone would be interested in visiting before and/or after the movie. Everyone seemed to like this idea and one woman suggested a restaurant, that only she knew about. :o)

Okay, so we have a date, a restaurant and a movie time (1:40 p.m.). We're all set!

So yesterday, I mapped out my whole day for today. I was going to get up at my regular time, take the dogs for a walk, take a long, leisurely bath while reading a book or magazine, shave (I planned on wearing a sleeveless shirt / with jacket combo), dry my hair, french braid my hair, get dressed and go. That was the plan.

I got up at my regular time but that's where the plan and reality parted company. My mistake was in logging onto the internet when I got up. You know, I was thinking I could check my email quickly and be about my business. I know myself well enough to know that's not how things work but I did it anyway.

Meanwhile, some surfing and a couple of TV shows later (since I have SO much time before I have to leave [picture me rolling my eyes here]), I realize that not only do I not have time to walk the dogs anymore, a bath is out of the question too. All I have time for is a quick shower, blow dry and dressing (which is not optional). I consider not wearing what I planned because I don't think I have time to shave under my arms. I look in my closet and it's all I really have ready so I have this debate in my head. You have the jacket, no one will know you didn't shave. But what if it gets hot today? Doesn't matter, the jacket must stay on. Doesn't matter how hot it gets the jacket must stay on! But... No buts, the jacket stays on no matter what. If it gets so hot that you have to choose between removing the jacket or dying, you don't remove the jacket. Because if you do, you would die of embarrassment when your friends saw you wore a sleeveless shirt without shaving. We're just cutting out the middle man. The jacket stays on! Um, okay.

I get dressed.

I finally get out of the house at 9:50 or so (meeting at 11:00 but it's across town and I have to stop for cash), hoping I've allowed enough time because I don't know where the restaurant is. Well, I find it easily and arrive 20 minutes early.

What I forgot to mention is that I sent out a reminder email last night (in case anyone forgot). I heard back from two last night. One said they couldn't make it (they had a funeral to go to). One said she'd try now (she does this every time so this wasn't a big surprise). On the way (which, for the record, was further away from me than anyone else - not that I'm complaining, just explaining), my phone beeps, telling me I have a message (I didn't hear it ring). It's a third person saying she can't make it because she's sick.

I'm starting to think I'm completely on my own for the day. Which would be fine, I don't mind going to the movie alone but had it been planned that way, I would have taken last Friday off, when the movie opened. To make a long story short, I was the only one at lunch. I had two more emails when I got home. One was sick and the other had spent the night in the hospital with her father.

But there was still the movie to see. I went to the theater at the appointed time (well, actually way early because I'd allowed almost 3 hours for lunch - I spent some quality time at a book store after no one showed at the restaurant but still got to the theater way early) and waited for the lady who had said she couldn't make lunch but would be there for the movie. I debated buying a ticket before she showed and decided I was going to see the movie that day, with or without my friends. So I bought a ticket and waited. My friend did show up and it was just the two of us. It was funny because right before the movie started she turned to me and said, "I don't know if you've ever sat next to me when we do these things" (we get our group together a few times a year to go to the movie), "but I tend to comment on things during the movie. Is that going to be a problem for you?" I said it wouldn't but told her I tended to laugh uncontrollably at things and continue to laugh long after the scene is over. I asked if that would be a problem for her -did we need to separate "now". She said no, we'd be fine.

And we were.

So, it wasn't the day I'd planned but it wasn't a bad one. :o)

P.S. It was a fun movie. :o)