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July 19, 2006
Home Alone
Spank my fanny and call me Macauly
I am home alone. I am home alone for the whole week. It's just me and the cats.
I can't even tell you how it happened. The stars aligned. Thing Two got a spot on one of the coveted city-sponsored week-long camping trips. Then Cowboy got an opportunity to scuba dive in the Channel Islands. Then Thing One was invited along on his best friend's family vacation. They're all gone.
Clearly, by Friday afternoon when Things One and Two come shambling back, I will have written 150 pages, cleaned all the closets and lost five pounds.
Of course, it's Wednesday and I've only written twelve pages, cleaned no closets and maybe I lost one pound if I stand just right on the scale with my weight shifted back. I still have three more days. In the meantime, I have accomplished a few things.
I had a bunch of my girlfriends over Monday night to celebrate my solitude by drinking wine and eating desserts. I'm guessing that probably didn't help my weight loss efforts, but all the desserts were low fat. That should count for something, right?
I spoke at our local public library on Tuesday night. Getting ready for the talk probably cut into my writing efforts a little, but I met a bunch of new people and my mother and sister took me out for sushi afterwards which I suppose might not have helped the weight loss thing either.
That's it for scheduled things though. I've got until Friday afternoon with only my own schedule to worry about. To be honest, I'm a little freaked. As irritating as all the interruptions can be, they also structure my day. By Friday, will I be eating dinner at midnight? Playing autoharp at eight in the morning? Vacuuming naked in the middle of the day? By the time everyone comes home, will I have adopted fifteen more cats?
If you could structure your day any way you could, how would you do it?
Posted by Eileen at 11:57 PM | Comments (8)
Comments
I'm currently on Martha's Vineyard (nearing the end of week 2) and I have no idea how I'm going to shift back into real world mode. In fact, I don't even want to think about. There's no structure to my days here, really. And this is my absolute favorite place on earth.
On the other hand, I can pretty much guarantee that I've lost no weight, I've written 3 pages and about 15 blogs. I've also revised a couple of pages, so that should count for something.
Or not. I mean, I'm grasping at straws here.
Posted by: laurenjharwood ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.literarychicks.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at July 19, 2006 8:29 AM
I also have the week to myself, as Princess and Science Boy are at their grandparents for their annual summer vacation while I go to RWA. I was so excited for them to leave, then I was totally depressed 20 minutes after they left.
sigh.
I miss my kids.
Other than that, I also have not written 150 words or lost 5 pounds but I have learned to listen to the silence to find the profound words that sometimes cannot be heard in the busy rush of normal life. And am maybe creeping my way to a little peace.
Plus, you know, packing.
Posted by: Alesia Holliday at July 19, 2006 9:47 AM
Try stepping on the scale (naked) first thing in the morning (well, pee first) before you've even had a sip of water. The scale is your friend then. Do NOT step on scale if you've eaten sushi in the last 24 hours--the soy sauce makes the scale tell all kinds of nasty lies.
Posted by: Susan Hatler at July 19, 2006 11:18 AM
What Susan said about stepping on the scales!
Re: structuring your day - just enjoy your time alone!
Posted by: Michelle C at July 19, 2006 2:12 PM
I can blame it one the soy sauce? Seriously? Woo hoo!
Posted by: Eileen at July 19, 2006 4:40 PM
I was home alone last week. My son was at boy scout camp and my husband was one of the chaperones. My son came home with 5 merit badges and my husband came home with 1st place in the belly flop contest.
I did not get my closets cleaned (that was the plan) but I read 4 books and did some shopping. I stink at structure.
Posted by: Terri at July 20, 2006 6:23 PM
I've maybe been napping a little more than I planned, too . . .
Posted by: Eileen at July 20, 2006 9:15 PM
I haven't been completely alone, but DDs 1 and 2 have been at my aunt's house in Ripon so they can help out with our church's VBS this past week. Since gas and driving are an issue right now (hard to do anything that requires two hands with this freaking club on my right hand!)I arranged for the girls to just stay for the whole week. So it's just been The Boy and DH, and since TB has summer school and a band and DH works until 8 every night it has been almost like being home alone!! Of course certain chores have suffered--dishwasher broken, lots of dirty dishes which DH just funished doing since I can't and TB is gone--but I have managed to go through some papers and stuff and the house has stayed clean since it's just me and the critters. I've watched HGTV and have lots of great decorating ideas but no money to follow thru with them (sigh)! Read two books and am in the middle of the third--love those books about Kay Scarpetta! Not great nightime reading, however....*grin* And let's not forget the midnight skinnydipping in the pool! Oh yeah, that's the best! Lani, I know you hate your f@#%*& pool, but nothing beats slipping into cool water while stars twinkle overhead--give it a try!! And don't worry about the neighbors--if they are peaking over the fence at that time of night, they deserve what they see (in my case an overweight woman in her 40's--ewww!)! THAT'LL teach 'em!!
Posted by: Sheri at July 21, 2006 1:40 PM
