Out of My Comfort Zone

Linking in with Stacey from GetOnWithItAlready for Team Friday (one day late I know but better late than never I figure !!!) on how to get out of your comfort zone without even trying !!!

Yesterday was Gold Coast Show day which meant a day off work - great to ease back into work with a four day week thank you very much !!  Anyway, I had great plans of sleeping in, getting up and getting our NZ blog done, then a leisurely shower and get dressed session before having to go and get A from work (he finished up at the company that was closing down so didn't have a ride home) at about 4pm before heading up to Brisbane to have dinner with friends who are moving to NZ.

How does that saying go ........... the best laid plans of mice and (wo)men ..............

Well I did sort of get my sleep in - I had threatned A with death if he woke me but I actually woke before him - you know one of those days where because you don't have to get up you wake up earlier anyway - yes that one !  So I got up and started on the blog after checking mail and tweeting and reading a few blogs !!!!!  By the time Al left I was just padding out the commentary on our holiday.  His parting comment as he walked out the door

"So I'll see you for lunch about 12.30."

"What ?  No.  I have my day planned."

" Oh well we are only going in to hand back tools, computers, phones, utes etc and then we are going to lunch and we can go after that."

So I am thinking - well this isn't going to work because it means I have to leave home by 11.45 plus I have to get ready .......no - definitely not going to work.

"Luv, why don't you go to lunch with the people from work - they don't want me there as well - you are the one who works with them."

"Oh it doesn't matter what they want - I'd like you to join us."

"I don't think so - what about you go to lunch and I'll collect you at about 2pm and we can go to IKEA" (cos I'm thinking that the thought of IKEA might entice him to let me stay at home playing on my computer for longer !!!)

"I don't know if we will have time - we have to get through the traffic to get to G&S for dinner"

"We are only meeting them at 7pm."

"Yes I know but it's Friday afternoon - traffic is shocking."

"OK - I'll see you are about 2pm and we can see whether to go to IKEA or not."

11am I get a call - "I'm finished at work - coming home to shower and then go to lunch - do you want to join us ?"  (He is nothing if not persistent !!!)

"No thanks - see you here."

He gets home and I am still in my pj's - I mean it is a public holiday after all !!!  He dashed in - showers - and dashes out again.

K wanders through and says she is helping a friend decorate his cafe (Really - OK) so off she goes - peace and quiet at home with the dogs sitting on the blanket.

Next thing she is back - "What happened to the decorating ?"

"Oh - he is only starting to paint and I don't paint so I left."  (Well that was nice of you darling !!!)

So she curled up on the couch next to me and promptly fell asleep.

(I'm getting to the point of my comfort zone dilemma soon, I promise !!!)

I shower and get dressed in my uniform of jeans and top and boots and then think to myself - can I pull off a dress and tights ?  Hhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmm not sure I can.  So I get changed into a dress that I bought in NZ after going into and out of the shop about three times as A didn't really like the colour but as he said afterwards "obviously you can see something there that I can't" !!!!  Anyway, I put it on with a black long sleeve T underneath and black tights and ballet flats.  The tights are always a joy to put on and for some reason on the few occasions when I do wear them I always try to put them on standing up and land up falling over and then think - maybe if I sit down it will be easier to put them on (alternatively if I work my core muscles really well I might be able to balance and put them on !!!!)  Now I am not sure so I go into the lounge and try to wake K to ask her opinion.  Eventually she opens one eye and says "That looks OK" and goes back to sleep again.

Now I am stuck - do I wear it or not because I am certain that her "That looks OK" doesn't actually mean anything as she is probably still asleep.  So, hopping from one foot to the other with indecision I go back to the bedroom.  Then I look at the clock - it is already 1.30pm - I haven't done my hair or my make-up (because I came through earlier to see how K was and CSI was on so I sat and watched the end of it figuring I had plenty of time !!!) - so I figure I am going to have to go with the dress and tights because I just don't have time to change again.  So I run the hair dryer and straightener over my hair, throw some make-up on and am out the door by 1.50pm - given that it is about a 35-40 min drive to A's work and I said I would pick him up at 2pm (and he said 1.30!!!) - I am now going to be late.  I call him.

"Hi Luv - how's your lunch going ?"

"Good thanks - we are finished. Where are you ?"

"Uhhm - just left home."

"Oh OK - see you just now."

"Do you want to go back to the office with everyone and I'll pick you up there ?" (Cos it turns out that I have no idea where they are having lunch and the only road in the GPS with that name is in Red Hill which is I don't know where - turns out the GPS was taking me to a place nowhere near where he was !!)

"No, I'll wait here they are still having a few beers."

Ten minutes later I get a call from him.

"Can you get me from the office - they are all leaving now ?"

So I head to the office and get him there.  And as I stepped out the car, I saw his face and I knew that I had made the right decision to stick with the dress (never mind that I never had time to change again) - as far as it took me out my comfort zone (more so now because of the weight I have put on over the past month) it was worth the look that I saw in his eyes.  The appreciation that I had done something that he knew I was not comfortable with when I could have chosen the easy option of jeans.

When he got in the car he said that he was more than happy to wait for me especially when I turn up looking so good !!!!
(Now I am sorry I didn't get a photo - next time I wear the outfit I will take one to show you !!)

Do you find you don't do things because they are outside your comfort zone ?  Can I challenge you to do just one thing this week that is outside your comfort zone ?  My challenge this week for myself is to get through The Stampede next Saturday - what's yours ?

Have the best weekend !

TFTD : All things are difficult until they are easy.