If you were a fan of the television show Friends, you'll probably remember with hilarity the character of Janice. She was Chandler Bing's on-again, off-again, girlfriend, and there was one episode in which Joey was annoyed with Chandler for getting back together with the woman. She was nasal, annoying, and Joey couldn't stand her. Janice confronted Joe, inviting him to spend the day with her, calling it "Janice and Joey's Day of Fun." After the day was over, Joey still didn't really like Janice, but he found that he could spend the day with her and not choke her to death. Which, of course, was a good thing for all concerned.
When Daniel and I spend a Saturday or Sunday together, doing all kinds of fun stuff, we call it "Daniel and Melissa's Day of Fun", but that's where the similarities to the Friends episode ends. We usually start the day with breakfast or sometimes just coffee and a snack. Then we get into the day, maybe run a few errands, which are still enjoyable because we're together.
Time together is so important.
This is the last Saturday of my thirties, and I am spending it with Daniel, doing some fun things and some other things that need to be done. We began our day at one of our favorite restaurants, called Ram's Horn, where we ate a good breakfast. I had hot tea, instead of coffee because I'm trying to cut down a bit on caffeine, and I wanted to get good coffee later.
Starbucks is right around the corner. We walked over, passing by a flower bed with a riot of pink roses blooming. So lovely. With coffee in hand, we headed to Target, got sidetracked by Home Depot, where we bought some more stuff to hopefully nurse our pitiful lawn back to health. (Apparently, in Michigan, if you don't water the lawn copiously, it dies.) At Target, we wandered, drinking coffee, looking at all the wares. I bought a hat for $2.99 to wear during the time I spend outdoors this Summer so my little head doesn't get sunburned. We bought Daniel some Summer clothing, and we got a couple of towels on clearance, wash cloths, too.
Our next stop was the mall, but we got sidetracked for a few minutes at a bike shop on the way. We went to Eddie Bauer and bought a couple more things for Daniel, ran by the Apple store to drool over all the delectable technology. We visited a couple other stores, then stopped at Starbucks again, passion tea this time. On the way out, we bought a shirt for Daniel at Sears, then headed home.
Once home, we ate, relaxed and watched some television, then Daniel napped awhile, and I worked on cleaning up the guest room/craft room where Daniel and I will be sleeping while we have house guests next week. Daniel then went outside to start trimming the hedge, and I followed, mowing the lawn. Then we both spent a good hour picking up all the cuttings from the hedge, stuffing them into bags, chatting together.
When Daniel and I met, I always enjoyed our email and IM chat conversations. When we started talking on the phone, we talked for hours almost every time, and I loved that, too. I wondered, as our relationship developed, would we always have things to talk about? Would being together always be fun?
Oh, yes. It is. We always find things to talk about, and being with him, even just watching television or sitting at a table at Starbucks writing, walking around our neighborhood, doing yard work--which I loathe, by the way, so if it's fun for me at all, it's a flat miracle--is one of the sweetest things I know.
Today, on our day of fun, I'm feeling so lucky, so blessed, so full of pure bliss, that there are many, many days of fun to savor in the future.
Copyright 2008 Melissa LaFavers