It's a Brand New Day

So, you all know I like to find inspiration in song lyrics. This is the one I thought of today:

It's a brand new day
The sun is shinning
It's a brand new day
For the first time
In such a long long time
I know
I'll be ok

--Joshua Radin, "Brand New Day"

Today was a brand new day. Yesterday, for no particular reason (other than that women have a period of time each month ...) I was in the worst mood ever. Today the hormones shifted. The sun was shining. And not just the kind of bright sun that glistens off the ice on the ground because it's 5 degrees. It was legitimately like a happy, (early) springlike sun.

Today was a good day because I got to sleep in until 8:30. Well, technically the cat started meowing at 7:30, but I sort of half-slept and ignored her for an hour. (But seriously, Leia, shut up. If I don't have to get up for my kid, I shouldn't have to get up for you and your stupid cat kibble.)

We went to the gym. And seriously, the gym was The Place to Be. It's like I had so many friends there. And I realized that you can never underestimate the positive power of a sense of belonging. There was a time when I didn't know anybody in this town. I remember the first time I saw somebody I knew at the grocery store. I seriously wept with joy over that completely commonplace experience. And now I know so many people that half the time I hide when I see somebody at the grocery store because I feel like I look like crap and I don't want anybody to see me that way.

Anyway, I rocked it in the gym pool. I've been working on this new interval, swimming 100 yards on the 1:50. I sucked at this interval even just a week ago. I could do maybe 3 100s on this interval and then I'd have to slow it down. But for the past two swims, I have been able to do 12 100s on this interval.

And I went to the gym all 7 days this week, including swimming three times, which is why I think my good mood clicked in today. (Well, that and the sun and the womanly things.)

I took Nathan to a birthday party at a bouncy castle place. I love taking Nathan to bouncy castle places. He loves them, and he gets good and tired out. (Although as I type this it's 8:30 p.m. and the little bugger still isn't asleep.)

And I was legitimately excited to have a social event to go to this afternoon. I mean I realize it's a social event for my kid, but I'll take it. So many weekends in the winter it feels like you are just going through the same boring routine of chores and errands. It's nice to get out and do something different once in awhile. And so while my kid ran around like a complete loon with the other kids, to the point that he was legitimately sweating, I enjoyed talking to all the other parents.

Tomorrow we're hosting Nathan's birthday party. His actual birthday party is not until the 28th, so we're having some confusion about his "real birthday" versus his "birthday party." I decided to have it this weekend so as not to conflict with the indoor triathlon, and also because one of his very best friends is going to be out of town next weekend. Also Feb. 20 was the day he was supposed to be born.