what did you do today? (2008-2015) (closed)

[Ally]

Hey, Buckeye. I am a Disney fan myself and will soon visit the World for a week with my sister-in-law. 

[bbbamI]

Slept until almost 11 a.m. Breezed around in my bathrobe for an hour or so; then took a shower.

Just got through spending some time with someone very dear to me.

Ahhhhh....what a wonderful day.

[DFA]

Got up at 4:00AM, had coffee, went to church, went out to breakfast, bike ride, read on the forum, laundry, took a nap, went out for dinner, read some emails, and read some more on the fourm.

Pretty full day.

Also checked Mega Ball tickets, but did not win anything.

[Ronstar]

Went for a hike. Bought some new hiking boots at REI. Took home a brewing mag and read everything of interest at Barnes and Noble. Went to In & Out for burger, fries, shake. Took a nap.

[Goonie]

Went to the local VFW Post this morning for their breakfast buffet. It was very good and only a $6 donation!

Worked outside on a garden project for a couple of hours after we got home from the VFW. Then this afternoon I made a big ol' pot of homemade chicken noodle soup! Since I haven't figured out how to make a small batch anything, my neighbors benefited from it too!

[Isadora]

Weather was great last week and so I did as much as I physically could outdoors, clearing off the waste from the winter and burning most of it. Saturday did some more pruning and stained the terrace beams before the rain.

Sunday and today it is cool and rainy, I'm happy to stay indoors with a Thomas Hardy novel and a bit of heating while the cats blissfully sleep by my elbow.

Have a terrific week!

[WhoDaresWins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isadora Weather was great last week and so I did as much as I physically could outdoors, clearing off the waste from the winter and burning most of it. Saturday did some more pruning and stained the terrace beams before the rain. Sunday and today it is cool and rainy, I'm happy to stay indoors with a Thomas Hardy novel and a bit of heating while the cats blissfully sleep by my elbow. Have a terrific week!

I enjoyed your photos, especially the napping kitties. You have a beautiful yard, so expansive and with the view of the mountains.
Thomas Hardy novels are a great way to lose oneself in a different place and time for a day. My favorite: The Mayor of Casterbridge.
I was in your charming city (Budapest) for a few days in 1973. My father, sister and I were on a six week, self-directed train trip through Europe. We came in via Vienna and moved on to Belgrade afterward.

[Nords]

Dropped spouse off at the airport for another week's trip with one of her volunteer gigs.

When I was parenting I used to fantasize about spending the day alone in the house, let alone being lucky enough to sleep here by myself at night. Now that I've actually achieved those fantasies, it gets old real fast. I'm keenly aware of how quickly things could go off the rails when one lives alone, and I can't believe my father preferred to live this way for over two decades.

Back when spouse had the opportunity to invite me along we decided it'd be better for me to stay home and keep an eye on our geriatric bunny, who at the time was still adjusting to a diuretic prescription for his congestive heart failure. Said concern of ours is looking pretty healthy and happy right now, sitting by my feet not-so-patiently waiting for some petting! We'll still head back to the vet next week for a followup and then ask questions about arthritis meds. He's hiding his pain pretty well (as prey animals do) but he's no longer "quick like a bunny".

It's probably good that I'm staying home this trip. I have plenty to work on for the book and our tax returns. Hoo-boy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckeye Today I took a short walk (200 paces) over to my mom's apartment to give her a backrub 'cause her back was bothering her. It's still amazes me she lives so close when we've been at least a 4-hour flight apart for the last 30 years. Friday night I had the pleasure of doing her laundry.

You're saying that all of this is a good thing, right?

[ls99]

Went skating as usual on a Monday. It was as so so skating trip. Just practiced one legged backward slides, swizzels, and figure eights, edge drills and skills, all in proper form.

BUT... a so so day of skating is infinitely better than w*rking, or living anywhere in the Washimore corridor.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords When I was parenting I used to fantasize about spending the day alone in the house, let alone being lucky enough to sleep here by myself at night. Now that I've actually achieved those fantasies, it gets old real fast. I'm keenly aware of how quickly things could go off the rails when one lives alone, and I can't believe my father preferred to live this way for over two decades.

Have you wondered why being alone bothers you? I'm not sure what you mean by "things could go off the rails when one lives alone", but mostly what I notice when I spend time alone is peace, quiet, and a sort of happy, low key simplicity, plus time for introspection and making sure my plans are on track (portfolio and budget checking, or thinking about what i want in my new exercise room for example). Maybe you just really miss your DW a whole lot and that is what's bothering you. (?) In which case, you could call her, you know...

On to the topic at hand - - what did I do today? Basically nothing. To amplify on that: When I opened my eyes after a blissful, satisfying sleep, it was 10:45 already. I spent about 1-2 seconds feeling guilty but then showered, dressed, and drank not one but two cups of coffee (a rare treat for me due to the caffeine). Read the forum and some other favorite websites for a little while until F. called and dropped by to pick me up on his way to our gym. Did a great one hour workout with higher weights than a week ago so I felt like million bucks. Then we stopped for lunch (Wendy's which we hit now and then to save money, $6 and no tip), and spent the afternoon together. Off to the grocery store, then home and listening to the evening news while doing the laundry. Secretly happy that American Idol isn't on tonight, because after dinner I want to fit in a little time for playing Animal Crossing on my Wii! Then exercycle for a half hour, shower and cool off, then bedtime and more blissful sleep.

As Goonie used to put it, "endless days of play".

[ls99]

Seems Nords is used to constant company. From the first day of USNA through life in a steel tube, there were always people in close proximity.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99 Seems Nords is used to constant company. From the first day of USNA through life in a steel tube, there were always people in close proximity.

That must be it. I feel so stupid. Sorry, Nords!

But of course you could still call your DW anyway if you want to, you know....

[Buckeye]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords You're saying that all of this is a good thing, right?

Yes, it is a great thing my mom now lives within 200 paces of our apartment after 30 years of having to take an airplane to visit her. She is living independently in her own apartment and still drives short distances (mostly to the grocery store). She is close enough to where we can easily walk over and help her with the more physically taxing tasks of daily living or just hang out and work a crossword puzzle with her.

She is also close enough for my husband or I to walk over and pick up chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, double chocolate cookies, cranberry upside down cake, peach kuchen, corned beef and cabbage, broccoli pie, ribs...you get the idea! She cooked three batches of the same cookie recipe today to get it just the way she wanted it. The other residents of her building are getting very spoiled.

[Fireup2020]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckeye She is also close enough for my husband or I to walk over and pick up chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, double chocolate cookies, cranberry upside down cake, peach kuchen, corned beef and cabbage, broccoli pie, ribs...you get the idea!

The TRUTH comes out!!

[freebird5825]

Today was the first day in a while that I did not kick off this thread. I figured I would let the rest of you do that.
Not much happened today except we picked up the 92 Honda from the garage. After 142K miles, the front wheel bearings needed replacing. I had taken it in elsewhere for a tire rotation and was given an extremely high estimate to fix only the front right one.
My home-town garage replaced both bearings and realigned the front end for less than half of what we were quoted elsewhere. I promised the guy (who actually w*rked on it) some fresh baked cookies. The owner got all upset and said "Hey what about cookies for ME? I picked up the parts." He made one of these faces.
Ooops...
I wasn't in the mood to cook, so we went to Chinese buffet to use up the freebie on our punch card. Nice to spend only $10 for 2 meals after the other night's extravaganza.

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords When I was parenting I used to fantasize about spending the day alone in the house, let alone being lucky enough to sleep here by myself at night. Now that I've actually achieved those fantasies, it gets old real fast. I'm keenly aware of how quickly things could go off the rails when one lives alone, and I can't believe my father preferred to live this way for over two decades. ?

When you live with someone you get in a certain rhythm and when they are not there that rhythm is disturbed so it feels strange !

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Have you wondered why being alone bothers you? I'm not sure what you mean by "things could go off the rails when one lives alone"... Maybe you just really miss your DW a whole lot and that is what's bothering you. (?) In which case, you could call her, you know...

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99 Seems Nords is used to constant company. From the first day of USNA through life in a steel tube, there were always people in close proximity.

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R That must be it. I feel so stupid. Sorry, Nords! But of course you could still call your DW anyway if you want to, you know....

Yeah, by golly, I sure do miss that there submariner lifestyle. NOT.

I didn't express myself well. I'm comfortable being alone. I'm deliriously happy when I'm alone and uninterrupted, in the flow and pounding away at my keyboard. However when a few moments of that subjective time have passed, my stomach rolls over and informs me that it's been more like three or four chronological hours. Unfortunately I have things to get done on deadlines (proofreading the book, finishing our tax returns, doing more of my Dad's finances) so that I have to keep a grip on my time management. Deadlines are a lot easier to track when my spouse is around.

I'm also still getting over the experience of caring for my father earlier this month. The first couple days I wasn't sure whether I was packing to fly in to help with the healing or to get ready for a funeral. Then I was either living in the hospital near him, or scrambling to coordinate a team of care providers & lawyers to get him ready to go to another care facility 250 miles away, or going through his apartment to figure out how to take care of his possessions and his finances, or collapsing for a few hours' sleep before getting up to swill caffeine and do it all over again. I was living in his shoes just a little too much for that 12 days. Every minute in that apartment was a reminder of how he'd been living alone for over 20 years, especially when I was working through his file cabinets and his computer hard drive.

Now that I'm alone in my own house again, those thoughts are still kinda echoing around in my head. The echoes are fading, but it's hard not to see all these reminders of how my Dad was living alone.

You can probably tell that the surf has sucked this week. I've also been staring at the tiny four-point font of the book's index and checking its page numbers against the text, which is the very last piece of proofreading left before it goes to press. But this time all of us proofreaders have just about killed off every last one of the typos, and this time we really mean it!

Forecast is 3-5 on the south shore so I'll be surfing tomorrow morning. That should help a lot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg When you live with someone you get in a certain rhythm and when they are not there that rhythm is disturbed so it feels strange !

Exactly. It's a little hard to sleep amid all this peace & quiet when you're used to having someone snoring gently in your ear. I'm referring to my spouse, not to the submarine lifestyle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckeye She is also close enough for my husband or I to walk over and pick up chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, double chocolate cookies, cranberry upside down cake, peach kuchen, corned beef and cabbage, broccoli pie, ribs...you get the idea! She cooked three batches of the same cookie recipe today to get it just the way she wanted it. The other residents of her building are getting very spoiled.

Well, that paints a very different picture than the first description of back rubs & laundry duty!

[Isadora]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords When I was parenting I used to fantasize about spending the day alone in the house, let alone being lucky enough to sleep here by myself at night. Now that I've actually achieved those fantasies, it gets old real fast. I'm keenly aware of how quickly things could go off the rails when one lives alone, and I can't believe my father preferred to live this way for over two decades.

The same way that working at home is not for everyone, neither is living alone. It worked out well for me, although by now I'm so used to only the cats and myself in the house, that I could not tolerate a change.

Was divorced when I was 27. Then I was too busy with work, the children and going back to college nights - I was simply too tired to even remember those times much less to have realized that anything was missing.

After a while you are simply used to things being where you've left them, doing what you will when you will and although it is nice to go out and socialize, I want to go home, close the door behind me and enjoy solitude. I no longer feel alone, never get bored and can't imagine living any other way.

The "real" concern? Any of you hear about the joke when a fellow gets a peak at hell where people sit over a bountiful banquet table but their elbows are bound and they can't eat? Then he peeks in heaven, the same situation but people are feeding each other? By this standard I don't think I'm suited for heaven - I would not like to be fed, the bite would not be the way I would like it.....OK so we all have our peculiarities.

[ls99]

Sure fooled me with the below paragraph.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords When I was parenting I used to fantasize about spending the day alone in the house, let alone being lucky enough to sleep here by myself at night. Now that I've actually achieved those fantasies, it gets old real fast. I'm keenly aware of how quickly things could go off the rails when one lives alone, and I can't believe my father preferred to live this way for over two decades.

Glad there are good thing to be done.

Cheers.

[Khan]

Had a root canal.