Today was perfect

Today was perfect.

Today was perfect.

Today was one of those Mondays. Pretired Baby woke up at the same time as me so I didn’t have any time to check in online and see what was happening in the world, my web site or my life.

After a quick diaper change, we had a leisurely breakfast together (egg frittata, toast, yogurt, banana, milk and cereal). Then I cleaned up the kitchen while he watched from the playpen. Then some playing on the floor before he went down for nap number one.

Once he was down, I rushed to handle the latest two money-sucking nightmares with my fourplex sale. After an hour of calls with my property manager, realtor and a contractor, I took a quick shower and tried to de-stress a little bit. Then I answered a few more emails (mostly blog-related) until I heard Pretired Baby hollering to let me know he was awake.

After a lunch of grilled cheese, leftover pasta and leftover yogurt from breakfast, I cleaned up once again and we played on the floor together for awhile, while I surreptitiously checked email occasionally to see how the fourplex craziness was proceeding. As that was more or less under control, I loaded Pretired Baby into the stroller for a trip down to Seattle’s best park, Lincoln Park, just a couple miles from Pretired.org World Headquarters.

While the park was quite empty compared to the weekend crowds, all the swings were taken so I couldn’t continue my mission of getting him used to swinging (he starts wanting down after about two minutes currently). So we walked the lovely path along the water, nodding at the various MILFs, retirees and dog-walkers. We walked around the Colman Pool building (Seattle’s only saltwater pool and only accessible via a pretty decent hike from the parking lot.)

We paused along the path on the way back and I pulled Pretired Baby out to sit on my lap on a bench. He sat very quietly watching the water, the sky, the passersby and the ferry to Vashon Island. The water splashed gently. Old ladies smiled at us enviously. His tiny toes curled and uncurled around my thumb. A light breeze lifted his thin hair and laid it down gently again.

With some different luck and some different choices I could very well have been sitting in a cubicle right now while he swapped germs with other babies at a daycare center. But here we were in a nearly empty park enjoying some of the best weather in North America.

The stress was gone. Everything that has been keeping me so busy could wait a little while. We climbed the hill for home where I laid him down for a nap. He fell asleep with no protest. Life is good. Today was perfect.

Update

When Pretired Mama got home, we decided to make the day even more perfect by getting some Fish ‘n’ Chips at Spuds on Alki Beach, the oldest fast food restaurant in Seattle and eat dinner on the sand. Then we got frozen yogurt on the way home. Every day should be like this…

Mmm, that sand looks delicious!

Mmm, that sand looks delicious!

 

Home again. Too tired to clean the frozen yogurt and sand off my face.

Home again. Too tired to clean the frozen yogurt and sand off my face.

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29 Thoughts on “Today was perfect

  1. Nicholas, I would have to agree. I’ve been watering the orchard, working in the greenhouse, then visited an elder star friend of mine, brought her raspberries, made a tuna melt, took a quick swing in the hammock, staked tomatoes, and made cherry crisp for a meeting this evening; oh and I’ve six more hours of sunlight to fill up further. Here’s to your perfect day, a day shared a quick stone’s throw across the Sound.
    Tom | Tall Clover Farm recently posted…Biscuits for Breakfast (Lunch and Dinner)My Profile

    • Pretired Nick on July 29, 2013 at 2:36 pm said:

      That sounds delightful, Tom. Maybe Pretired Baby and I will have to make a jaunt your way one of these sunny afternoons.

  2. Sounds like a great day! I think Pretired baby is in the sweet spot age right now so enjoy it. 🙂 RB40 Junior never liked swings much. He’d rather be running around.
    We are still doing toilet training. He’s getting much better at home, but when we go outside he wouldn’t use the public restroom and inevitably wet his shorts. No big deal. Life is great on a nice summer day.
    I like the Pretired.org World Headquarters. I think I’ll borrow that.
    Joe recently posted…How To Prioritize Your Investments For Financial IndependenceMy Profile

    • Pretired Nick on July 29, 2013 at 6:10 pm said:

      Are you saying it’s downhill from here? Uh oh! You nailed it — even when things are challenging or tough it’s still pretty great.

  3. Sounds like a nice non-stressful day! My day was pretty good considering it was a Monday 🙂 Meetings, emails, projects.
    Savvy Financial Latina recently posted…We made a bid on a house, and lost happilyMy Profile

  4. Wow, sounds awesome! I’m incredibly jealous that you get to spend so much time with your son. And you sound like you’re doing an awesome job. We have the opposite issue with our son and the swing. You put him in and he never wants to get out. I really think he’d be happy just swinging for hours.
    Matt Becker recently posted…What is a Budget?My Profile

    • Pretired Nick on July 30, 2013 at 5:55 am said:

      You’re well on your way to getting there, Matt!
      I’m sure my days are coming when he doesn’t want to get out of the swing. Right now he just looks at me like “why am I sitting in this thing?”

  5. What a great day! It beat my Monday, but I won’t complain about it…in retrospect, it was fine.
    Done by Forty recently posted…Budget PornMy Profile

  6. That does indeed sound like a perfect day. It would be awesome if everyday could be so great. Although, it’s the days that aren’t so great that make us really appreciate those perfect ones.
    Jake @ Common Cents Wealth recently posted…5 Ways to Make Money FastMy Profile

    • Pretired Nick on July 30, 2013 at 1:59 pm said:

      True enough, Jake! Although if every day was like this, I could just keep pushing the bar even higher on awesome days!

  7. Sounds like a great day. I have to settle for pictures my wife texts me of our baby boy. But I can’t complain…my friend and wife visited recently with their 9 month old son. He says they both get home about 7:30 to 7:45 and start getting their son ready for bed…bedtime at 8:30. Very little time to bond…
    Andrew@LivingRichCheaply recently posted…Changing Your Money Mindset is the KeyMy Profile

    • Pretired Nick on July 30, 2013 at 2:01 pm said:

      Wow, that really sucks. I think it’d be hard to build a solid family doing that. Plus as all new parents know, the end of the day is a pretty rough time for babies. They’re all tuckered out and aren’t much fun. I can’t imagine being a parent and having that little time with the kid. That’s rough!

  8. I too enjoy perfect days. I was thinking about the exact same topic a few weeks ago when we were visiting with some family. It is nice to reflect back when things go well. I feel like most people reflect back on bad days but I’m enjoying a little optimism!

    • Pretired Nick on July 31, 2013 at 1:18 pm said:

      The best days are always the ones you’re living right now. That’s really the whole point of my site — to get people to realize there is more to life than fattening up in a cubicle!

  9. Thanks for torturing me! I’m reading this in my cubicle! 🙂

    Spuds is on the list next time we make it up to Jet City.
    Mr. 1500 recently posted…The not so Incredible 200,000 Mile CarMy Profile

    • Pretired Nick on July 31, 2013 at 1:19 pm said:

      If that felt like torture, wait until you see what I post tomorrow!

      Next time you’re out this way, Spuds is on me!

  10. That’s what life should be about, Nick! Spending more time with the family then you do at work or they do at daycare. We decided to allow Twinkie to go to daycare until I crank up the business and get the online income rolling in. Once that happens I’ll be doing the same things you are are. They will let you know when they are ready to get up, get changed or eat. We enjoyed a great walk near the beach yesterday. Need to visit Seattle one of these days.

    • Pretired Nick on August 1, 2013 at 9:36 am said:

      Once you get there, you’re going to love it! Let me know if you’re here in Seattle and I’ll give you the nickel tour!

  11. Pingback: What Can Pawn Shops Teach Banks (and Us) About Risk Management? - Mom and Dad Money

  12. Nick, this one brought tears to my eyes! Terrific post. Aren’t those days with little ones just the best? I often feel the same way you do just walking through our country yard. We care for the garden, the animals, and just enjoy the beauty of nature and life together. So glad you made the choice to buck the cubicle life and be with Pretired Baby, and I know he’ll be glad too. 🙂
    Laurie @thefrugalfarmer recently posted…Paying off Debt: How to Recover From a Blown Budget MonthMy Profile

  13. Sounds like an awesome day! That beach looks amazing, once I’m FI I hope to take advantage of similar beaches in our area. Thanks for the inspiration!

  14. Aw, thanks for sharing! It does sound like the perfect day 🙂

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