Coffee and Horses

What a strange up and down day I've had.

82 cents - York Peppermint Patty 9AM
$1.26 - coffee at Starbucks 11:00 AM
$19.99 - toy for little Abe and hot dogs at grocery store 1 PM

I had to head into work about 3 hours earlier than normal to make two scheduled events I'd planned this morning, both of which would have been while I'd normally be working. While working I took a quick 10 minute break at 9AM and enjoyed a little pick me up with a York peppermint patty.

After heading into work early I got out of work early and zoomed over to the nearby Starbucks for one of those once in a lifetime rare opportunities where you get to meet a friend you've made online who lives 2200 miles away but just so happened to be driving through on a cross country road trip. She gave me the remaining amount on her Starbucks gift card and I ended up paying $1.26 for the new smores frapp that I've been wanting to try for ages (however long it's been on the menu anyhow). I've been quite proud of myself for resisting it thus far and well I think I picked the perfect opportunity to enjoy the new beverage. It was a lovely meeting! She and her husband are fabulous people and it sounds like they're having a wonderful vacation. Oddly, despite how awkward the idea of meeting a person for the first time that you've known for awhile is, I felt as though we've known each other for a lifetime and not that I was meeting someone for the very first time at all.

We had a relatively short chat and then I rushed off to pick up my little buddy and take him to a horse riding lesson. It's been sometime since he's had one. We arrived about 10 minutes late but his instructor was no where to be found. When I was informed that she had left for the day I was heart broken for the little guy. We drove 20 minutes for a lesson and he was as excited as a child could be and all for nothing but an enormous let down. He handled it well. I asked him if there was anywhere else, anywhere at all that he'd like to go instead and he said he'd like to go "to Grammy's house." I tried not to cry the whole ride back to town. The tears trying to escape were from too little sleep the night before (I am just not a morning person) and tired emotions being tugged at. Little Abe didn't cry at all. Sure, he was let down but he didn't seem heart broken. No one was at Grammy's house either so I took him to the store to pick out a toy in exchange for not getting to ride a horse today or visit with his Grammy.

When I got home and saw that I'd gotten the time wrong, in my head we were supposed to be having a lesson TWO hours later than when it was actually scheduled, I actually did start crying and had a very difficult time at stopping. Today was going to be very rushed but tremendously awesome. The first part of the day was truly great. Rushing to the lesson as fast as I possibly could with a three year old boy who was overflowing with excitement and then having to turn around and leave, well, I need a nap now. Too bad I can't nap, grrr!

I think I will try and brainstorm a really fun activity for he and I this evening (for when he wakes up from his nap). If only I can conjure up a little energy for myself... In the mean time I'm debating whether or not to include the new toy in my average daily spending budget. It was a pathetic swap for my brain fog and having missed the horse riding and I don't include activities for him in the average daily spending because I don't ever want to talk myself out of something fun or educational for him, like swimming lessons, gymnastics, or horse riding lessons because "it would raise the average daily spending" more than I'd like. There is a method to my madness and some things like Abe's activities (which I do not go overboard on) and medical expenses just don't make it into my average daily spending tally.

Average daily spending for 2015: $17.88