Yesterday started off so well: after dropping Grace off at school, I drove back up to Chapel Hill, parked at the Farmer's Market in Carrboro and ran a long loop around Carrboro and Chapel Hill, passing places that evoke strong memories about my past, present (and possibly future?) here in the area and at UNC, and I felt happy to be a part of this community. As I ran over the uneven bricks on the sidewalks of campus on Cameron Street, I confirmed to myself that I really did hope I would be tripping along these paths next September, as a student admitted into the Masters of Social Work program at Carolina. Because my life has evolved here, I've started a family here, this is where I go to church and volunteer, and support my kids' schools, and support my friends' kids' fundraisers, and I want to continue to match my gifts--my deepest passions and capabilities--with the needs of others...right here. And amidst this affirmation and hope and endorphin-induced shot of happiness, a neat thing happened: I was running past Frat Row on Cameron Street, getting geared up for the last stretch back into Carrboro and this Honda CRV pulls over and the guy driving flagged me down. It was David. "This is weird," he said, "I thought it looked like you running. Listen, I forgot to leave Johnny's car seat at Spanish For Fun. Should I drop it off now, or are you going back home before going back down to pick up Grace?" I caught my breath, "I'm going back home to shower, so I'll pick it up then." Now that's a conversation that I wouldn't have had twelve years ago.
I had all these plans (but not too many plans) for the weekend, when, wouldn't you know, I wake up with a migraine and have spent the whole day so far either in bed or in the bathroom worshipping the porcelain god. I feel disappointed, bummed out and guilty at my incapacity today, but David's view, while he's away with the kids, is to take advantage of it. He thinks I should sit around all day and surf the net, read, watch tv and just take it easy. He calls days like these "free days." I hate days like these. Sick days that come out of nowhere. I'm calling it the "day that never was."
