The Friday List (nice things you’ve done for yourself this week)
As Mother Reader and I were discussing yesterday, don’t you sometimes get to about Thursday and realize you haven’t done anything particularly noteworthy in the nice-to-yourself department, and you’d better get on it before you have to report in on Friday?
That’s how I was up until last night. Afraid I’d actually have to come here and say, “Whoops, nothin’.”
But yesterday, after having such a great time doing a school visit at Powell Jr. High in Mesa, Arizona (thank you, librarian Tim Furman, for inviting me! And for making that fantastic banner with cutouts from my book cover and the sweet little black dogs and the hand-painted lettering! And for baking me chocolate chip muffins on top of it! Can you believe it? Such pampering!), I got to go out to dinner with author P.J. Haarsma, author of the kids’ science fiction series The Softwire.
A guy like P.J. makes me realize how very, very small my ideas are. He’s one of those incredibly multi-talented author/artists who don’t just write books, but also create whole worlds for their readers to come and play in. P.J. has an on-line interactive game going, with thousands of players from around the world, all of them building and participating in this alien world P.J. created for The Softwire series. Some of those people play the game 8 or more hours a day. Can you imagine? I couldn’t, which is why my mouth stayed impolitely open for most of the whole dinner. I mean, how many times can you exclaim, “No!” while another author just blows your mind with all his big plans and ideas?
I was just going to get up this morning, grab my Starbucks, and drive the two hours back home, but I decided to stay and watch P.J.’s school presentation later this morning. I hear it’s a multi-media event that leaves the kids insane with excitement. I’ve asked the woman who sets up school visits for Changing Hands Bookstore to please not book me in any of those schools where P.J. has been this week. Who could follow a presentation like his? Those kids will be all, “You mean all you’re going to do is talk to us? Where’s the light show?”
So that’s my nice thing: stay and watch and learn. It’s such a pleasure to be able to meet and mingle with all these cool authors–really, it’s one my favorite parts of the job. And it will be a treat to watch someone who really knows how to entertain the crowd.
And you, my friends? Here it is Friday again, and I know you must have remembered by at least yesterday that you were going to be called to account for any niceness you showered yourself with this week. So let’s hear it.
Technorati Tags: The Friday List, Self-Kindness, Self-Pampering, Kindness, Relaxation, Pampering, Simplification, Self-Care, P.J. Haarsma, The Softwire
Silly stuff: I downloaded Punk Farm pictures to have on my cell phone when I need a grin. I got my hair cut, and I swear, that new guy that does the shampoos, he was sent from heaven. Every last grumpy thought was massaged right out of my scalp. I’m also loving my Boot Camp class: call me crazy, but when I have dirt and grass in my belly button, I feel like a kid.
I had a video shoot up in Baltimore yesterday — which was to start at 6:30 a.m. — and rather than head up in the wee hours, I decided to take the opportunity to spend the preceding evening with my old college roommate. Even though Baltimore’s only about 90 minutes away, we rarely get together anymore. It’s not like we did anything particularly memorable (in fact, I got shanghaied into helping a friend install an enormous mantel-top mirror), but it was great to catch up.
(And since I-95 ended up getting completely closed the next morning thanks to a massive accident, I actually made the shoot. Just a little cosmic evidence that I made the right decision.)
Can we count tomorrow as part of the week? I am getting hair cut and colored, and a pedicure. Oh, and yesterday I got my brows done by the amazing Portland brow lady. See you next week!!
Elves came and cleaned my house. It cost a couple of cookies, but now that I’ve lured them in, they’ll keep coming.
If we can count this weekend, as Jone suggested, I might be seeing a good friend tomorrow. Also, from this week: Making chocolate chip cookies with M&Ms for my oldest who was scared of something in the house and was constantly holding my hand (still yet to be determined, but I think it had to do with a bad dream).
(I don’t normally ease her fears with food; it was just something fun to do to make her smile)…
I haven’t been here in FOREVER — I’m so behind on blog-reading. It’s nice to read these Friday lists.
Sara, yay for Punk Farm photos on your cell!
I cooked scrumptious stuffed-zucchini and tomato-cucumber salad with a homemade lime and garlic vinaigrette, dinner for myself, just me, last night. Sometimes I think I can’t cook if there’s no one around to eat my food, but I found it really satisfying and pretty tasty too, even though I was alone. I guess it was a good thing I wasn’t in company eating so much garlic.
Okay, I’ve got a new one. The nice thing I did for myself was skip my shower this morning even though I was going to work.
I was rushed for time and realized that I would rather write a quick post and get something in the mail rather then be squeaky clean. Oh, and I happily used two $.39 stamps instead of looking around for the Forever stamp. And I allowed myself to mail the letter in the first place rather than driving a bit out of my way to drop it off. Sometimes it’s the little things.
I made myself a new pair of trousers!
MR–you’re so right when you say sometimes it’s the little things. That’s so true!
It’s been a crazy two weeks with work just piled up. I haven’t even had a second to be nice to myself. BUT…something nice is happening to me today. My beloved sister Kara (http://www.karaheroldmedia.com/bio.html) is coming all the way to boring old Iowa to visit us
Since I wasn’t around last Friday to post I have 2 weeks of stuff: Made cupcakes AND chocolate covered pretzels for a class birthday party for my daughter’s ninth, threw her a wonderful roller skating party and just did my best the whole week to make her feel as birthday special as possible which I just get immense joy from! Planted my winter garden of broccoli, spinach, mustard greens, carrots, peas and beets. Took my dogs on some long walks now that the weather is a bit cooler. Spent a couple of mornings riding and hanging with my horsey friends. Finally made the time to catch up with some friends I’ve been neglecting. Got a whole bunch of work done and I’m off to catch a plane to finish up the rest! Have a great weekend everyone!
This wasn’t a great week, and I was in the unsure-if-I’d-have-anything-to-say group too! But it took a turn for the better today, and I realised I’d allowed myself a fair amount of time for knitting (knitting a cardigan called Mrs Darcy – how fun is that?). Somehow in knitting I seem to find it easier to be patient with myself. You’ve got to strike a balance between what the Yarn Harlot calls knitterly denial (Looks like this thing would fit two of me and my dog? It’ll be fine when it’s blocked and sewn up) and being so picky nothing will get finished except maybe in the great knitting room in the sky.
And this evening I baked an apple cake – with many changes for the healthier and the spicier. It’s not the best apple cake I’ve ever made but it’s good, and the house smells like pure Essence of Autumn…
I went to a party last night to celebrate the return of The Office. Much laughter was had by all.
Before that, I attended my book club, which was also a special treat after taking the summer off.
Hi all!
Nice things this week — sailing, Maine, sunsets, staying up late, sleeping in, shopping, seeing old friends….
Oh, and I have a blog contest running that is kind of fun. Would love to see more entries while I’m vacationing!
http://journey-woman.blogspot.com/2007/09/little-poetry-for-you-yeats-and-contest.html
Have a great week!
Oh, and now that I know for sure I’m going to miss out on Chicago, let me just add — HAVE A GREAT TIME!!!
Everyone’s nice things have ranged from simple and sweet to romantic and thrilling! Lady S., I’d love to have some of that apple cake. I love the smell of “fall” spices–apple, cinnamon, pumpkin, allspice, cloves. Mmmm.
My nicest thing is happening in just a little over an hour. My three writer friends are coming over after my kids go to sleep. We’ll spend an hour or two talking about our projects, and then we’ll all bang away on our laptops for as long as creativity flows. We aim to do this about once a month, but it’s been so long since I wrote anything on my YA manuscript. I’m very excited!
Robin, I hope you and the new computer are becoming good friends, and that your old one has forgiven you and is looking forward to its new adventures as a refurbished item. (:
Well, this week I found TWO different unsprayed apple trees to pick, one yellow transparents that are heavenly for eating straight, and the other some red utterly unknowns that are firm and very tart and wonderful for baking.
Tomorrow I’m going shopping for a dehydrator to preserve apple slices for the rest of the year. And going out to do more apple picking.
I’ve been eating so damn healthy it’s disgusting– organic this, grass finished that, garden grown the other, etc. So tonight I decided to have Cheetos for dinner (which means sharing them with my Cheetos fanatic cat or risk getting mauled.) Hell with stepping out of the box, sometimes you have to squash the bugger. Junking out after a whole month of being good was the right thing to do.
I got my hair cut yesterday, which is something I always put off until it’s driving me crazy. And last night I watched the season premiere of Grey’s Anatomy. Didn’t try to get work done while I was watching, either, which is what I usually do with television.
I had a lovely time with my book club this week, a lovely catch-up chat with a writer friend who brought me a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks, a lovely time seeing Hairspray with two girlfriends (one of whom is getting beaten up pretty badly by chemotherapy and it was great to see her laugh), sent a lovely present to someone just because I wanted to, had a lovely time watching the season premiere of Grey’s Anatomy. And tonight we’re having family movie night, ordering a pizza from our favorite place, and watching High School Musical. I’m sure that will be lovely, too.
All in all, a pretty good week in terms of living. In terms of writing, not so much….
Emily: Stuffed zucchini?!? Any way you can share the recipe?
I’m another fan of the little things, and there are two definite little things that I’ve started this week that just feel so nice.
One is listening to anime and/or Casting Crowns music on my MP3 player on the bus home. Call me crazy, but singing along to sweet Japanese theme songs (or hard-rock Japanese theme songs, or lite-rock Christian songs, as the mood strikes me) is a really wonderful way to shake off any remaining crazy from having lost (and, thank God, refound!) my purse during the day, as well as putting that thing that I really didn’t mean to say in drama class behind me.
(The MP3 was a gift from a fellow otaku
The other is taking a cool shower after school, followed by a cup of coconut Thai-chai and a bowl of my carbolicious snackfood of choice (today it was Goldfish. The snack that smiles back!).
{otaku. o-tuh’-koo. noun. Japanese, quickly becoming common usage in Japan-attuned American circles. One who is obsessed with something, generally anime or manga but applicable to other things as well. Robin is a kindness-otaku. Etc.}
And tonight…another episode of Avatar. Mmm, Amerime.
Yeah, just totally left off a couple of vital punctuation marks.
otaku.)
TGIF.
Oh, my gosh, what a great list to come home to! I’m so happy!
Emily, I know exactly what you mean about not wanting to go to the trouble of cooking if it’s “just you.” When “just you” is obviously worth as much time and care as someone else. But it’s hard to make the effort, so bravo to you!
Mother Reader, I’ve done that 2-stamp thing, too, and it feels so wasteful and naughty, but also so completely indulgent because you’re saving yourself time and aggravation. For all the ways we throw away money on this and that, it’s amazing how hard it is to spend those extra few cents on our own convenience.
Bill, obviously you made the right choice–traffic confirmed it. How nice to get to just hang out with a buddy! Doing projects together is as relaxing as going out for a beer sometimes. It’s the face time that matters.
Sara, you Boot Camp fiend–I just love that you’re doing that. To go from something so hard-core to raving about the guy shampooing your hair–that’s a full life. Was it like Robert Redford shampooing Meryl Streep’s hair in Out of Africa? That kind of sets the standard for a good ‘poo job, don’t you think?
Jone, how nice that you’re getting all that pampering tomorrow! Pedicures are the best. Might be even better if Robert Redford did it.
Patrick, you got the elves I sent! Excellent! They’ll need chai lattes in the morning–I should have mentioned that on the card.
Jules, your poor little girl! Nothing wrong with a little chocolate to ease her mind. Come on–those are the sweet mothering touches that matter.
Alkelda, how cool is that! I love hearing about people who still sew! I admire the skill and effort that takes in an already busy life.
Kelly, so happy for you that your sister is coming to play. What a warm weekend you’ll have.
Deborah, you planted your winter garden already? Dang–I need to think about that. You’ve planted a nice collection, too. Between that and the horse rides, you live this great combo city and farm life.
Lady S, there’s a cardigan called Mrs. Darcy? Get out! A fantasy sweater! And mmm . . . apple cake. That really is so Autumn.
Kari, two excellent social/entertainment events for you! Nice way to spend a few evenings–and those were school nights, too. Extra points for getting out.
Nancy, so sorry you can’t make it to Chicago! It really is hard thinking of the people who wanted to come but can’t. But I’m glad you had so many other wonderful things going on this week. Hope you do something fun next week to make up for your un-Chicagoness.
Kelley, yay for writing dates! It’s so nice to have writer buddies to keep you motivated and to help you brainstorm. Hope you’re having fun!
BJ, that gave me a laugh. Talk about seeking balance! A Cheetos dinner should readjust all those healthy cells
Grrr–see what I mean about this computer?! The replacement is sitting in the box right next to my desk. Now if I can only get to unpacking it!
Anyway, BJ, what I was going to say was the Cheetos should readjust your healthy cells quite nicely. Good job.
Jen, I’m still on my Grey’s Anatomy fast (the only way I can deal with my addictions, it seems), so I couldn’t watch last night. I’m so glad you did, though, and that you just let yourself sit down and enjoy it. That’s a nice thing for your usually multi-tasking brain, I’m sure.
Laura, what a great, cozy-sounding week! And so what if you were a little more on the happy-living side than the busy-writing side. We are not machines. Sometimes we need naps and friend dates and Cheetos. It will all balance out.
Miri, I love that you sing Japanese songs out loud. I forgot about you learning Japanese. And what was the thing you really didn’t mean to say in drama class? Come on–you can’t just leave us hanging!
I am checking in late because my nice thing was letting myself play cards tonight! Yes, I really should have been grading papers. Or sleeping. And I did have to clean before having people over to the house. But it was totally worth it! Had a blast, laughed a lot, talked about books, had marvelous company, and even enjoyed chocolate truffles direct from Brussels. Mmmmmm.
I also watched Gray’s Anatomy this week, which was nice, though I am sad that The Office is now on at the same time so we missed it.
Jone, I am curious about the “amazing Portland brow lady.” My dream nice day would be to fly to Portland, visit the brow lady (and the amazing hair lady too), have a burrito at Laughing Planet, enjoy a Voodoo Doughnut, and spend the rest of the day at Powell’s.
The only thing that throws me off is that with the new ‘puter with a black keyboard the keys don’t get that lovely neon orange color that they used to.
Yeah, Miri. Spill, girl. Robin does it. Remember the “sniff my underwear” comment with the kids in class on her book tour? We all will never forget it.
It wasn’t anything along the lines of embarassing-didn’t-mean-to-say. It was more like mean-didn’t-mean-to-say. Sigh.
We were doing scenes based on one of ten settings, and a guy in my class had already declared that his group would have the club. I don’t do clubs. Of course, when the numbers are given out, I’m with him.
“Of all the people I could’ve been with, it had to be you.” Said in the snottiest tone you can imagine. Sigh. I’m really not at my best during 6th period Friday.
Michelle, “chocolate truffles direct from Brussels”? That sounds like a beautiful song lyric. Not to mention a wonderful treat. Lucky you! And I love your fantasy day in Portland. Voodoo Doughnut? can there be such a thing?
BJ, a black keyboard sounds like such an upgrade. I’m looking at my formerly-white one right now. Ick. And, um, the “sniff my underwear” comment? We can go ahead and forget about that now, if you don’t mind.
Miri, been there FAR too many times to report. You are not alone, my friend. I’m sure anyone here can attest to that.
Michelle, “chocolate truffles direct from Brussels”? That sounds like a beautiful song lyric. Not to mention a wonderful treat. Lucky you! And I love your fantasy day in Portland. Voodoo Doughnut? can there be such a thing?
BJ, a black keyboard sounds like such an upgrade. I’m looking at my formerly-white one right now. Ick. And, um, the “sniff my underwear” comment? We can go ahead and forget about that now, if you don’t mind.
Miri, been there FAR too many times to report. You are not alone, my friend. I’m sure anyone here has stories of their own–usually brought on by too little caffeine, sleep, or food.