May 23, 2008 · filed under life

16
comments

midnight mindlessness

As of five o’clock Thursday evening we didn’t have any plans for the long holiday weekend. But thirty minutes later I got a call from my old college roommate asking if I wanted company this weekend. Why not? Husband is up for it, and I definitely don’t want to turn down a chance to see a friend I’m lucky to see once a year. So she is driving up from North Carolina tomorrow and a Girls’ Weekend it will be!

We’ll probably do some of the usual DC things, free museums and lots of walking. I want to take her to Eastern Market and my neighborhood dive bar. Hopefully the weather will be divine! Roller hockey might have to wait a week. (I just heard my kneecaps and elbows thank me.)

I came home from work to do a mass housecleaning. Wouldn’t want my guest to think I’m a slob, even though I am a slob. Thankfully, I am a slob with a Dyson. I think I sucked up 14 pounds of cat hair tonight, which is like an entire third cat. Do you think it’s too late to turn my cats into outdoor kitties? I’m not sure how much more of it I can take.

New topic: I have 10 days off between jobs. Five of them will be spent in Seattle (don’t rob my house, I have bars on every window so don’t even try!). Which leaves me five days to do whatever I want.

Part of me wants to be indulgent. This is likely the only vacation I’ll get for awhile, and it would be nice to sleep in every day and have a very small To Do list. But the other part of me thinks I should spend the time being über-productive. Some things I could potentially accomplish include:

  • Hiring painters and overseeing the rest of the house getting painted
  • Finding/hiring a monthly housekeeper as a splurge with our new bump in income
  • Purchasing a few new clothing staples to start the new job with some style (most of my clothes were purchased between 2004 and 2006, is that sad?)
  • Making and freezing lunch-sized portions of soups and other lunchified foods
  • Spring cleaning of the house. No matter how often we clean, it’s never spotless, but wouldn’t spotless just ONE TIME be nice?
  • Fun daytime excursions around the city that I refuse to do on weekends because everything is so damn crowded. This could be everything from Trader Joe’s to a museum to (fill in the blank).

I guess I’m thinking a little too ambitiously. Take away weekends and out-of-town days and I only have three truly free days. I don’t know if I could accomplish all of these things even if I tried. As I like to say, Le Sigh. I will lower my expectations.

No matter what I do with those three free days, they will be followed up by hanging out with the one and only Isabel in Seattle. And I know you are all just stinkin’ jealous of that, aren’t you?

16 Comments

  1. alyndabear
    May 23, 2008 2:27 am

    I love free days. And cleaning, just a little. I cleaned all of last weekend, in preparation for New Arrival. In fact, I sort of wish I wasn’t going away this weekend so I could veg out and tidy some more.

    Scratch that. I’ve changed my mind. I’M GOING TO DENMARK!

  2. Playful Professional
    May 23, 2008 8:22 am

    Definitely check out the stuff you wouldn’t normally do on the weekends. It’s worth it to get in some museums and day excursions while the crowds aren’t there. I wish I had 10 days off. Enjoy it!

  3. RA
    May 23, 2008 9:45 am

    I’m so glad you have time off between jobs! My week off was such a relief, even if I overbooked it to the max. That said, I vote that you pick one thing off of the list, namely, buying some sassy new clothing items.

    Have fun this weekend!

  4. Lexi
    May 23, 2008 10:48 am

    Check out the Library of Congress! I had to deliver something there last week, and just drooled. It is sad that I’ve lived here for nearly four years and have been there about twice.

    Yay for a break between jobs and friend visits! I always take visitors to Eastern Market too.

  5. Laurel
    May 23, 2008 10:49 am

    You should see the schedule I’ve given myself for my bachelorette weekend this weekend. I’m getting a lot of to-dos accomplished (because this is my last weekend in New York until the end of June!), but I blocked off a good chunk of time to go to extra yoga and watch Netflix’d chick flicks.

    So, I guess what I am trying to say is: you can do a mix! Pick one task off the to-do list and mix it in with the ultimate in couch potato glory.

  6. Julie
    May 23, 2008 11:33 am

    I think you should take those 5 days and come up to Boston and visit with me.

    WHat?? I’m worth it!

  7. ambitiousmrs
    May 23, 2008 11:50 am

    I suggest you hire a housekeeper so you don’t have to do the cleaning yourself – you’re a big girl now, you deserve it! While the housekeeper is there (because it’s weird to be there when someone is cleaning your house) go shopping! Wish I could be there to spend some of this time with you!

  8. Kelly
    May 23, 2008 11:55 am

    That is great that you get time off between jobs!

    I totally need to visit you in DC sometime. I’m less than 1.5 hours away!

  9. alexa
    May 23, 2008 12:21 pm

    Get the painting done! You’ll feel SO good about it. I also recommend the cooking- it is so great to get ahead on that stuff and you’ll likely be working a lot.

    I also recommend lunch dates with girlfriends.

  10. Isabel
    May 23, 2008 12:54 pm

    Dude…all of these things aside…

    WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO IN SEATTLE WHEN YOU’RE HERE???!!!

  11. katelin
    May 23, 2008 1:32 pm

    oh man i wish i had that much free time. i think all your plans sound like perfect ways to spend your days off :)

    have a fabulous weekend!

  12. Nilsa S.
    May 23, 2008 2:53 pm

    Yeah for taking some time off! If you’re to do anything, I’d say hire a cleaning person. Seriously, mine changed my life! Because then I found time to do all those other things I wasn’t able to do before.

  13. Nic
    May 23, 2008 4:02 pm

    Honestly, I think you should do some stuff on the to-do list, but I’m all in favor of waking up each day and enjoying it and getting done what you get done. You’re going to be plenty busy in the coming weeks. Just ENJOY!

  14. Herb
    May 23, 2008 7:48 pm

    Regardless of the long term need to hire a housekeeper, go on and hire a cleaning service to do your spring cleaning. Don’t forget there are also companies that will wash windows inside and out-the sparkling change is amazing!

  15. Jen
    May 24, 2008 9:44 am

    We’re debating on if it’s too late to kick our fur-balls, I mean cats, outside or not. Like, seriously this time. I think our male would be okay with it, but our female cat is kind of a wimp so I worry about her. But I’m seriously losing my mind with all the cat hair and peeing on the carpet downstairs (OH YES, THEY ARE.)

  16. Lindsey
    June 1, 2008 10:15 am

    GAWD, Janet, I feel so out of the loop!! New job? I am so jealous!!! I have ignored the internet for way too long. Must.come.back. Also, am very jealous of your Seattle trip! How fun!