A few weeks ago I had a late Saturday morning workout and told a friend I was going to go home and collapse. That after a very hectic May with multiple work events, I really (really) needed to go and do Absolutely Nothing for many hours.
She was skeptical.
That night I sent her an email outlining how, with best intentions, me wanting to self-care in a hammock with a book and some whisky is — challenging — to say the least.
i.e. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Adulting version
On the way home from the gym I stopped by the grocery store for self-care yummies. Then on my way to the hammock…
1. Changed out the laundry
2. Looked for flip flops to wear in the backyard
2a. Put book, water bottle, phone and headphones on table next to the hammock
3. Notice the flowers are wilting so fill up the watering can
4. Notice the tree overhanging the deck and some sort of bug has eaten up the leaves, start timing the tree so it doesn’t get on the flowers or cauliflower
5. Notice invasive weeds starting to strangle the cauliflower, weed the bed
6. Water the flowers
7. Need more water for the flowers
8. Notice all the weeds in the cracks of the patio and start pulling them up
9. Take the weeds to the yard waste bin
10. See dead bird
11. Scream
12. Notice dead bird is lying on top of what was the old floor molding with (now) rusty nails in it
12a. Decide it’s a safety hazard that needs immediate attention
13. Break up the molding and put it in the trash, being extra careful to not cut myself as I don’t remember when I had my last tetanus shot (note still wearing flip flops)
14. Scoop up the dead bird with a snow shovel and throw it away
15. See ALL the weeds by the fence and start to weed them
16. With the weeds gone see ALL the dead leaves and pine needles
17. Rake up the leaves and pine needles, get the into the yard waste bin using the snow shovel and rake to scoop it up
18. Go to fill up the watering can and see the patio is also covered in dead leaves
19. Find the outside broom and sweep the patio
20. Notice the fountain wrapped in a bag fell over. Upright the fountain and take the bag off
21. Move a table to rake another bed
22. Notice the ground is very soft, suspect a mole and jump up and down to flatten out the bed
23. See full watering can and finish watering the flowers
24. Look at my watch, more than an hour has gone by, I’m sweaty, covered in dirt and hungry
25. Bring everything inside
26. Take a shower
27. Remember I’m hungry, text A to see if she’s coming home or not for dinner
28. Eat a cookie ’cause I’m that hungry
29. Start a cauliflower crust pizza
30. Change out the laundry
31. Open wine
32. Sit on couch
33. Put on Lucifer
34. Reflect on the last two and a-half hours and think, this is SO ridiculous and familiar and why me sitting still is nearly impossible….
