Little Extra Money, Little Less Time.

Scheduling time has become essential now that I go to work three days a week. I find myself running around a bit more, using my time outside the home more strategically. This week I ran into the grocery store for a bottle of water and a coconut water on my way to work, spending $5.00 Fun Dollars. I have noticed that my time with friends has become more limited now that I work. I noticed I don't have the luxury of just sending someone a text to meet up. My time is more scheduled.

One of these people who receives more scheduled hang out time happens to be my bestie. She lives out in the Village of Oak Creek. Even though this is technically Sedona, it is still a 15 minute drive from her house to mine. It doesn't seem like much, but it means we don't spontaneously hang out much anymore. We have to actually schedule time together.

Another of my dear friends move out to Page Springs this summer. Since she is single with no children, and both my sister and Corey's sister live out of state, this friend has become more like an "Auntie" for our kids. She invites us all to her "villa" as I call it, overlooking a vineyard, about 10 miles outside Sedona. We have her over regularly for dinner at our house too. We love her dearly, but all of our time is scheduled hang out time since she no longer lives in town.

There are several other people like this, but the one I want to share about today lives in Clarkdale. This historic town at the base of Mingus Mountain provided all the smelting services for the copper mined in Jerome in the early 1900's. Many of the houses in Clarkdale are quaint little bungalows. She lives in one such bungalow. Her house is reminiscent of Mother Earth meets 30's chic. Her essence when we hang out evokes these same qualities. I feel like I am back in a simpler time, when we meet up. Her Mother Earthiness gives our hang out time a refreshing feeling as well. It's good to have friends like that, who leave you feeling like you just took your first breath of air in a long time.

She and I met up at Red Rooster Cafe in Old Town Cottonwood, just down the street from Clarkdale. I took my Wednesday and arranged for some hang out time with this friend. I had $8.00 left in my Fun Dollars bank for the pay cycle, and I knew it would not be enough to enjoy breakfast the way I wanted. So I sold some baby stuff online this weekend and carried with me a $20.00. I was glad I had the forethought to do this. I really really didn't want to cheat on this one. I could have waited until next pay cycle, but my friend's only day off that coincides with my days off now is Wednesday. Even then, her Wednesdays are only every other week. So it was either meet up this Wednesday or wait another month.



When people who are significant to you it is sometimes hard to wait to see them. Urgency takes over because you know how enjoyable your time can really be. So, I chose to take a chance and schedule our meetup for this (past) Wednesday and hope that more Fun Dollars would come my way, and they did. I enjoyed an egg and goat cheese croissant and a "Grown Up Drink" from the menu; Champagne and St. Germaine Elderflower Liquer with homemade strawberry jam swirled in. I ordered Lily a single pancake, which I ended up eating. She was more interested in the crackers I brought for her "just in case".

After sitting at Red Rooster for an hour talking, we spent another hour walking around Old Town Cottonwood, pushing Lily in the stroller, and talking, talking, talking. She helped me work through some things, and I gave her a listening ear for her life's adventures. We each had our own lives to return to, but I was grateful for the time I was able to spend with this very dear friend.

Breakfast at Red Rooster Cafe in Old Town- $8.00 (plus $8.00 extra Fun Dollars I earned from selling our old baby stuff.)


Balance this pay cycle- $0.00