A Pretty Good Vacation Day

I woke up today thinking I had no plans but that I could also start to finally get on those learning needs I need to do and that I had been intending to do for a while now. I realize now that there is no need to re-live or in some cases relitigate the things that I did or didn't do in the past. All we have is today and all we have is NOW. And today I resolved to have a GOOD DAY OFF. I thought about cleaning the apartment, but really does that sound like a vacation day to me? Nahh. I know I need some down time, even for just this one day. No Johnnie, no work, just an R&R kind of day. I did get some meditation in first thing and then I made me some spinach and cheese omelette for breakfast. With some Earl Grey hot tea of course. I did take a peek at my electronic paycheck today and saw that it did have an extra couple of hundred dollars this time. Pays for the increase in rent right? Gotta be thankful for that. By mid-morning I decided that I wanted to see the new movie Shang-Chi in a theater today. After all, I hadn't been inside a movie theater in more than a year-and-a-half. It would feel like one of those TANK FRIDAYS when I was at the FRB and I would take off at lunch to catch a lunchtime movie at the Regal at Staples Center. I actually can't remember what I would do on my desk before taking off for the movie, probably just whizzing through something on the web. The big question back then was if I was going to get lunch BEFORE the movie or AFTER. YEs I know, life-altering decisions. Same question I faced today though LOL. And today I decided I'd have lunch BEFORE taking off for the movie. I mean I do have all afternoon right? I had started watching the Netflix thriller series CLICKBAIT last night and I did an episode this morning. And then i grilled the last of my thin pork chops for lunch.  I decided I'd go to the 2:30 showing of the movie at the AMC in Marina del Rey.  Getting there was a bit strange, very much unfamiliar.  I know you're supposed to be extra careful when you're around people in indoor settings. But I figured I had no one near me, as I took a seat on one side of the theater and I was the only one there... everyone else was in the center of the theater. So I had popcorn and a Coke and all was good....

As far as the movie, it was actually pretty good. I mean how can you beat a new Asian Marvel superhero. It's about time I'd say, but there had been many Asian martial arts superheroes before Shang-chi... just not in the Marvel Universe is all. Hey, you wanna be inclusive? well... After the movie I went to Pavilions to do a little shopping, walked around the parking lot like I used to do in order to eat up steps. And then I went and got me some fish tacos for dinner at Rubio's down the block.  And walking in the warm afternoon sun right there on Maxella with not a care on my mind, it did occur to me that this is exactly what a day off should feel like. No obligations, no nothing, just thinking about enjoying me some really good fish tacos. I did notice all throughout the movie that my phone was buzzing all afternoon.  Messages, texts, etc. But funny thing about urgency, things are only as urgent as you make them. And I was pretty damn sure there was nothing urgent. Not on a Friday at 3 PM before a long 3-day weekend. And so it was I thought about my birthday week this week. It was quiet really, but focused on Johnnie more than usual. Taking him to get his blood drawn at the lab and then again at urgent care yesterday, that is what I'm going to remember about this week I think and that isn't so bad. After all, being Johnnie's dad is the PRIMARY JOB I have and want. Though if I never see him cry again while he's getting blood drawn from here I would be very much relieved. And so it was that I did enjoy my fish tacos, finished my steps and finished the Clickbait series. I'd say I had a pretty nice day off actually. If only because I never did any work at all. It is a very good start for the long weekend.