The Boring Sloth
This past week I have been a total bum. I started out by reading Mansfield Park (excellent, going on the all time favs list), then I moved on to Life of Pi (intriguing), and then Spider Man: The Other (pretty good), and after those The Cat Who Talked Turkey (dull, and not at all up to snuff with the other Cat Who books). I then rented the last season of Friends and watched the entire thing in two days, and topped that off with a movie. During this week I did spend a day running errands with the kids, and we spent time with my mother in-law, but aside from that, I sat on my butt being about as interesting as an eggplant.
Chris had laser surgery last Monday morning and so he has been home all week on medical leave. You would think with all of this time off we would have done something interesting, but he needed to take it easy and I guess I just took it easy right along with him. Which I think we needed. Now I just need to get myself of out of lazy mode. It’s hard to do because, in truth, my life doesn’t require that much. Yes, I’m busy, busy, busy slaving away for the children, making their food and trying to keep the playroom floor visible, but there’s not a lot of get up and go or thought that goes into that. And I do have several new responsibilities at church, I’m over a scrap booking group that meets monthly and a women’s chorus and in charge of keeping the church website updated, but these things don’t take that much time.
I lead a rather boring life. For the first time in my life, I’m functioning at normal. I was such an over achiever through high school and college; I rarely had a spare moment. Then I started having babies and very highly complicated pregnancies and moving all over kingdom come for the USAF. Now we are firmly planted at this duty station without a prayer of moving for a few years. I am very much not pregnant and the children have settled into fairly predictable routines. I’m so used to having a crisis to avert I don’t know what to do with myself, and so I have ever so impressively resorted to sloth. Yea me. 
I keep thinking I should do something to make a little extra money, but with Chris’ wacky schedule and the fact that refuse to put my kids into a daycare situation (not to mention that childcare around these parts costs almost as much as I would make at an entry level part time gig.) There aren’t a lot of options. Not to mention I can’t think of anything I would actually enjoy. I suppose no one enjoys their work all of the time.
So here I sit at my computer, not entirely sure of what to do with myself. Any suggestions?
Lou, I really enjoy your blog! Maybe you should look into publishing it as a book?
That would give you a gig and you might even make some money. ???
Good Luck
Comment by Kim in Portland — January 30, 2006 @ 8:24 pm
I’m betting some people would pay for you to scrapbook for them.
Comment by capello — January 30, 2006 @ 11:01 pm
you can come visted me!!
Comment by crystal — January 30, 2006 @ 11:25 pm
Oh yea, I love their ^ suggestions!
Also, Mansfield Park rocks. If you are talkin about Jane Austen’s MP, that is
Comment by Lawanda — January 30, 2006 @ 11:39 pm
Please, enjoy your time now.
I was going to suggest community volunteer work (food pantry, women’s shelter, etc.) Besides helping someone else who needs it, volunteering has the potential to shine up a future resume, turn into a full-time gig, and build a network of contacts. And, if you really, really don’t like it, you can quit!
Comment by coolbeans — January 31, 2006 @ 1:14 am
I love Mansfield Park too and also enjoyed Life of Pi. Dan and I do the same thing on the weekends. We just sort of vege. We should probably be doing great things, completing major projects, etc. Instead, we just lay around and enjoy each other.
Why don’t you get a hobby? Blogging? Oh, wait. That’s what I did LAST time I felt that way. Next time I’m in a slump, I’ll have to think of something else entirely.
How about those writing projects you keep on the backburner? You have them too, don’t you? It seems like all bloggers are just writers in hiding.
Comment by Kathryn, the daring one — January 31, 2006 @ 2:37 am
Well, I was laid up this weekend, and spent a lot of time making my own South Park Characters… A lot of time, I am sad to say. And I am not even a South Park fan. The Shame
http://www.planearium2.de/flash/spstudio!.html
Mansfield Park is great. You may also like “This Body” By Laurel Doud. I didn’t think I would like it, but it is now on my “you MUST read this” list.
Comment by Crazy Lady — January 31, 2006 @ 4:13 am
Enjoy your time…it goes by WAAAYYYYY to fast!
Comment by Adrienne — January 31, 2006 @ 2:33 pm
Comment by Liz — January 31, 2006 @ 2:54 pm
Comment by Liz — January 31, 2006 @ 2:56 pm
oooookay - tried to quote your line: “I’m so used to having a crisis to avert I don’t know what to do with myself”
And posted two times. sorry.
Comment by Liz — January 31, 2006 @ 2:57 pm
Make some new scrapbook stuff to sell on ebay
Comment by Kimarie — January 31, 2006 @ 9:02 pm
Oh how I long to able to have a week of being a boring sloth. I am so busy that I can hardly stand myself.
Comment by CheezWeezil — February 1, 2006 @ 7:07 am
I don’t want to sound like a salesperson (blech) so I won’t go into details here but I made $500 last month, this month my check’s going to be $7,500. I work from home, when I want to. I’m DYING to introduce this to military wives, I WISH we still lived on base, lol. I only wish I knew about this when my husband was still in the military. I still have some friends living on base at Pendleton, I guess I could call them….anyway, I love my job. Luuuurrrrrve it.
Comment by kristi — February 1, 2006 @ 6:58 pm
Found you via BlogExplosion. What a great site!
I am in the same boat. Picking up the toys and herding them - and even playing - doesn’t take that much brain energy.
I am realizing it goes by fast though. So - more games with the kids?
Comment by Krisco — February 1, 2006 @ 8:47 pm