Less Work More Relaxing Time

Weekends are too short. Saturday is usually the day to run around and do all the errands that I didn't get done during the week because of being too busy at work. Most of the time I enjoy a jaunt into the community riding around stopping at the dry cleaners, the local stores and buying the groceries. I usually run in to people whom I know and we engage in a brief chat on the fly. After doing errands I return home and put away all the groceries which my husband is usually around to help me with. I think he really wants to survey the larder so he'll know what's in the cupboard. It makes it hard to hide things on him because if I don't he will eat the chocolate chips and burglarize the walnuts before I get to make the cookies.

Saturdays also usually involve a fair amount of household chores which frankly I dread because I have usually put things off until the weekend.I'm always doing laundry throughout the week but there is always ample enough waiting in the laundry baskets for at least a few loads of sheets,towels and clothing. I don't like mixing the towels in with the clothes because it causes too much fuzz and lint.There is quite a bit I will hang to dry because I don't want certain things shrunk or shriveled in the dryer.Then of course there is the folding and putting away of all the laundry which I think I'm a little "OCD" about. I save some of that until Sunday which involves an evening routine of ironing my clothes for the work week while watching something stupid on the TV.

If it is nice out I might try to take a walk up the road which is about a 2mile long trip of rural scenery and barking canines which I judiciously encounter. Sometimes I am not entirely certain if they are restrained because alot of people have those electronic fences but I don't know that while the crazy thing is running menacingly towards me. I much prefer mooing back at the cows, or neighing at the horses. During the winter months it is really too cold and snowy to attempt much of a stroll but I have a treadmill down in the cellar which I hardly use.

In the winter unless you enjoy outdoor activities it can cause a bit of cabin fever but I manage to keep busy with all sorts of projects. Of course there's always time to bang away at the computer but sometimes that type of solitary endeavor can be isolating if I spend too much time staring at the computer while my husband is usually yelling back at the TV set watching some type of sporting event. We do enjoy a glass of wine or cocktail in the evening but if not careful it can lead to falling asleep on the couch too early.

We enjoy our season's tickets for a local college hockey team which is a form of entertainment in the area where there isn't much to do. When you live in a rural area it's not like you can just walk down the street to the movie theatre.We do occasionally go to a movie but it is difficult to come to an agreement on what to see. I like the relationship type stories and my husband will roll his eyes because he much prefers car chases and people shooting at each other.

I do like to cook so during the weekend when there is time I am often in the kitchen concocting some type of elaborate meal. I used to bake a cake, brownies or cookies but right now we have had to declare a moratorium at my husbands insistence not to indulge in sweets because of excess poundage.He's right of course.

Sunday mornings are reserved for relaxing and reading the Sunday paper. I enjoy this pleasure and look forward to it when I've had a challenging week to just read articles and exercise my intellect. Keeping up with current events is important and necessary if you expect to carry on an intelligent conversation at work or at lunch time.I also have to peruse the best seller book list and see what author's have published lately.

Our office recently offered a four day work week as an option and several co-workers have chosen to work longer days in order to have a three day weekend. Even though I would very much enjoy a three day weekend I am not willing to test my stamina by working extended hours each of the four days. I think it would basically involve eat, sleep and work for the four days. I have enough vacation time to basically take off any Friday I choose or even add on an extra day to a Monday holiday which I do quite often. See that's the thing, by the time Sunday comes I'm finally beginning to relax and then it is all too soon to gear up again for a busy work week. I can't wait to retire but unfortunately that is likely a few more years away.