« Happy 4th!!!!Ta da! It’s SUPER CHICK!!! »

Just me and the cat

Jul 5th 2007Karen Rose
Karen RoseOn Writing!

bella35.JPGI had a rare day yesterday.  I was all alone, just me and my cat, Bella.  DH and my kids have been off visiting friends and family and folks, leaving me home to work.

But yesterday, I didn’t work.  I took a DAY OFF.  Somehow I felt like I was playing hooky.  Not that I know what that feels like.  I never once (NOT ONCE) skipped school, not even on senior “skip day,” which makes my almost-13-year-old roll her eyes and say I’m lame.

So how did I spend this momentous DAY OFF?  Shopping? Not on your life - I really don’t like to shop.  Picnicking?  Nope, although I had some concerned friends invite me to 4th parties. 

I read books - old Judith McNaught faves you all have reminded me of.  I watched Law & Order - it was a mini-marathon and heaven only knows how rarely those happen (only like every weekend.  Please.)  I went outside and sipped iced tea on my lanai (my back porch for you non-Floridians).  I even took a nap.  Every now and then the cat would come up and meow, as if she needed to hear herself speak. 

It was a very nice day.  Nothing accomplished.  But now I’m recharged and ready to plow at the book again. 

So what do you do when you’re taking a “hooky day”?  Garden?  Read?  Sip mint juleps?  (Shudder) Exercise? You can figure out which of those the shudder goes with, lol. 

32 Comments »

32 Responses to “Just me and the cat”

  1. Susan K on 05 Jul 2007 at 7:41 am #

    I usually spend my “hooky days” sleeping in as late as possible. And then the rest of the day reading and watching tv and movies. I try to do as little as possible.

  2. Susan K on 05 Jul 2007 at 7:44 am #

    Not that I get “hooky days” anymore. Usually it’s a “sick day” and I’m too sick and miserable to do more than sleep or state blankly at the tv.

  3. Ellen on 05 Jul 2007 at 7:47 am #

    It’s all about the pajamas for me. I get up, take a quick shower and put on a fresh pair of P.J.s. This single act forces me to commit to my day off.

    What I do on my lazy days truly depends on where I am hormonally. There is a small window of about 12 hours a month where I really enjoy cleaning my house. I try to be out of the country until I am sure that window has slammed shut. Sometimes I will sit in my husband’s recliner and watch back to back episodes of Top Chef or Project Runway. Usually I just grab a book and read it from cover to cover while my lab “Phil” stretches out beside me.

    My husband and son have been well trained to respect the pajamas.

  4. amy1242 on 05 Jul 2007 at 8:01 am #

    My only days off are if I’m on vacation, by myself, somewhere far, far away. If I’m home I still have to do barn chores, take care of the dog, cook, clean, run errands and kids all over creation, and answer the dreaded phone. Even when I’m sick, I have to do all of the above, otherwise, who else will do it? My first “knee jerk” response to this question was ‘Day off? What’s a day off?’ And then I remembered my wonderful vacations alone. Ahhhh, I’m right now fantasizing about the next one. Wonderful!! :)

  5. SuzyQ on 05 Jul 2007 at 8:14 am #

    My co-worker calls “hooky days” “mental health days”. I think she may a have point. If I get a day to myself without the kids and DH, I love to spend the day reading. However, that all depends on the time of year. In the summer I love to hang out by the pool or go to the beach. In the fall, I like to go out and take scenic pictures. OK, now just thinking of all this, I need a day off . . .

  6. Karen Rose on 05 Jul 2007 at 8:15 am #

    Ellen - that’s a great idea! And LOL of being out of the country when your need to clean strikes. I don’t have to worry about that one. I don’t feel the need to clean. Perhaps a need to tunnel through all the mail and books and other accumulated junk so that I can breathe.

  7. Karen Hawkins on 05 Jul 2007 at 8:17 am #

    Karen, I’m so glad you had a day off! You deserved one!

    On my days off, I do Home Improvement Projects. I am addicted to the DIY, HGTV, and Style Channels and so I have a gazillion home improvement projects I want to do. Whenever I have a day off, I rev up one of those.

    Next on the list is a picture frame wall consisting of brushed chrome chains and black picture frames. I’ll post a pic when/if I ever get a chance to do it. Cause, you know, I’d need a day off first and that isn’t happening any time soon!

    :)

  8. Karen Rose on 05 Jul 2007 at 8:22 am #

    Amy - I don’t take real days off often and when my kids were smaller - never a day off! For a long time I wrote full time and taught high-school full time, so any free time I got, I spent sleeping. I do get away with my husband and kids and I treasure those times. Every now and again, though, it’s nice to have quiet in your soul, you know?

  9. Caren Crane on 05 Jul 2007 at 8:31 am #

    Wow, Karen, that’s a tough one. When I find myself without husband and kids, usually I am a bit lost at first. The window is usually a small one and the choice of reading or writing is tough. I usually read because it’s faster and much easier, but grow antsy after an hour or so. I end up writing, then taking breaks to watch movies.

    Good thing Netflix let’s you keep movies for weeks and months. Otherwise, I might never get to watch anything! :-)

  10. amy1242 on 05 Jul 2007 at 8:39 am #

    Karen - I do get that peace, or quiet in my soul. Every morning when I’m the only one up, early, and I step out on my back deck to hear the birds singing and let my dog do her business. I know the rushing around and running will start up soon, but I always take that moment of peace first. Summer or winter, that’s my favorite time of the day. I cherish it. Don’t get me wrong…I love being a mom and staying busy. I hate to think what life will be like when my kids are grown and gone, off to college or to start their own lives. Scary stuff!

  11. SuzyQ on 05 Jul 2007 at 8:48 am #

    KarenH - that project sounds awesome. I have a blank wall in my hallway that could use something like that and believe me I have enough pictures to fill it.

  12. ladydawgfan on 05 Jul 2007 at 8:48 am #

    I love taking “Me Days,” which is easier for me since I am neither married, nor do I have children. I usually do this on weekends, though, since the week is so busy with work and homelife and such.

    My “me day” usually consists of getting in the car and just driving somewhere, camera beside me, Diet Coke in the drink holder, no set destination in mind. Sometimes the drive is short - a local bookstore where I can sit in big comfy chairs and read for hours, or sometimes the drive is scenic hence the camera. I love taking photos in this instance, since I never know what I will find on my journey.

    Regardless of the destination, I always find peace of mind and rejuvination - the ultimate goal of a “Me Day.”

  13. Claudia Dain on 05 Jul 2007 at 8:58 am #

    Ellen, I LOVE the Special Outfit idea (I would, right?). It’s like a switch in your head–I’m doing nothing now! And has the added benefit of telegraphing your plans to the world. I need to figure out my Special Outfit for Do Nothing Days. This is going to be fun!

    But, back to the question, ahem, my Do Nothing Days look a lot like Karen’s. I simply indulge my every whim. I might go for a drive, watch a marathon of movies (LOTR would take all day), or read. Splurge shopping might make the list of indulgences or even cleaning. Something like cleaning out the refrigerator really is soul-satisfying because I do it so seldom and the results are so shiny.

  14. Sabrina Jeffries on 05 Jul 2007 at 9:20 am #

    I need a day off!!!!

    Okay, so if I could get one (please, God, soon!), I would spend it watching TV and movies and reading. I would do some beading (I have a whole area dedicated to jewelry-making that I haven’t touched in months). Most of all, I would do a jigsaw puzzle. Jigsaws are my favorite way to chill. Doing a jigsaw while listening to good music is like heaven.

  15. Susan K on 05 Jul 2007 at 9:42 am #

    Sabrina - I didn’t know that you made jewelry? I tried it but didn’t have much success. My best friend is awesome at it so she makes me jewelry.

  16. Ellen on 05 Jul 2007 at 9:53 am #

    Sabrina…will you make all the goddesses a diamond tiara?

  17. Sabrina Jeffries on 05 Jul 2007 at 10:24 am #

    Whoa now, Ellen, I do beading and earrings and stuff–nothing that requires welding skills or the use of fire and cauldrons. So tiaras are out. But I could make lovely goddess bracelets or earrings or necklaces … if not for this pesky writing thing that takes up all my time. :-)

  18. zambonigirl on 05 Jul 2007 at 10:28 am #

    It’s been a while since I’ve had a “hooky” day. I guess what I’d do is watch all 100 hours of Pride And Prejudice back-to-back while scrapbooking all of the pictures from last year that I haven’t managed to scrapbook yet. I’d also eat lots of the really unhealthy-from-a-box Mac N’ Cheese and make my special s’mores-le petite ecolier cookies (dark chocolate) with a marshmallow on top, and shoved under the broiler for a few seconds. I would not go anywhere near the computer for the entire day, and I’d probably end it by trying to get my friends up for a dinner or a movie in the evening.

    Unfortunately, employing a personal trainer means being forced to work out whether you want to or not, so I’d probably end up having to go to the gym. Which is probably why I haven’t played hooky in a while, come to think of it.

    I love that your kitty had to come and check up on you every now and then. Very cute.

  19. Ellen on 05 Jul 2007 at 10:34 am #

    Don’t worry Sabrina, tiaras make my head look fat.

    LOL…about that writing thing. For years I avoided getting into Blogging because I convinced myself that if I had time to write blogs, I should be working on one of my manuscripts instead. However, I recently took a little (4 months!) break from writing and focused on the rest of my life.

    Funny thing is, reading and writing blogs with you gals has me motivated to write again.

    I’ll have to remember to thank you all from the podium.

  20. Julia London on 05 Jul 2007 at 10:43 am #

    Its been a really long time since I had an actual, bonafide day off. If I am not working, there is usually some family thing to tend to — too many relatives in this area!

    I would either go shopping and lunch out and do a spa treatment or two, or I would sit in front of the boob tube and watch TV or read. Although the few times I have tried that, it never works, because I start to feel guilty — like there is something that needs to be done and I should be doing it, and inevitably, I get up and do it.

  21. krystal on 05 Jul 2007 at 11:26 am #

    Usually when I have a day off, I spend the day running the roads. I love taking long rides in the car. If I’m not doing that, then I will sit on the couch and read all day in a pair of comfy sweats while my kitty comes and cuddles next to me while I snack on chocolate and any other good snacks that I find in the house.

    Recently, I moved to a new area and was unemployed for a while. For the first couple of weeks I thought, “This is great. I can sit and read all day long!” However, that got old really fast after I had read everything by my favorite authors (and started gaining some weight) and after a while I was desperate for a job so I could enjoy my days off again.

    Thankfully, I found one and can indulge once again.

  22. BethanyHamilton on 05 Jul 2007 at 11:47 am #

    Days off? What are those??

    The days I have off from my day job I spend hunched over my computer furiously typing away at either an MS or the outline for whatever other MS decides wants to start percolating. Either that, or reading. :D

    When I take vacations, it’s always to go somewhere and with my family, it’s never to relax. We have every day planned down to the minute. It’s fun, but hectic and no time for relaxing! (I like my vacations this way, lol).

    My wind down time is at night after my daughter goes to bed, and hubby is watching his sports on tv. I either cuddle up in bed with the kitty and the laptop, or I just settle in with a good book. That’s the closest I get to a day off!

  23. lisapbailey on 05 Jul 2007 at 12:04 pm #

    Days alone for me are the ultimate–kids and husband occupied elsewhere. The very first thing I do is turn OFF the television. Then I’ll garden, read, eat and talk to my dogs. Maybe some laundry or cleaning up. I had a half a day of that yesterday and it was glorious.

  24. dbrown3400 on 05 Jul 2007 at 12:07 pm #

    OT — Goddess Karen Rose and friend Brenda Novak grace the cover of the August issue of Romantic Times Bookreviews magazine. Their two-page article discusses upcoming books and an on-line mystery game that has its first installment within the article. Great stuff.

    Now that I’m semi-retired, I only have a part-time job so I have more free days than not. I do the things I said I would do during that time — read, listen to music, watch TV, DVDs, listen to music, read, etc. I never get tired of the reading nor the music but I find the TV and movies get stale. There is a sameness about them, even my favorites, so I take a break, just tape PBS, etc., to watch later.

    I would love a kitten but our building doesn’t allow pets. I will live vicariously through yours, Karen.

    Donna

  25. Karen Rose on 05 Jul 2007 at 12:19 pm #

    Hey Donna - thanks for the Romantic Times mention! Doing the cover with Brenda Novak was a lot of fun! Stay tuned as I’ll have more info on our contest as the day comes closer.

    As for my kitty - we adopted her 2 years ago from the local animal shelter. They’d named her Jasmine, but my oldest daughter renamed her Belladonna (after the poison). We thought it fitting for a mystery writer’s family, LOL. Bella is the sweetest cat. Except for her annoying practice of chasing invisible mice across my bed at 3am, she is a total pleasure.

    Karen H - feel free to have a day off at my house anytime. We have lots of projects to do!

  26. Suzanne Enoch on 05 Jul 2007 at 12:30 pm #

    A day off. Hm. This sounds…intriguing.

    Actually, I have an annual pass to Disneyland, so I like to go and take in a ride or two and then just sit and people watch. Anything that lets my brain kind of be in neutral for a couple of hours.

  27. Caren Crane on 05 Jul 2007 at 12:36 pm #

    Julia, I so identify with the “I’m supposed to be doing something” feeling! That is why I end up writing on my all-too-infrequent “me” days. I also find myself playing catch-up on critiques and even offering unsolicited (but very helpful) advice to my CPs. :-)

    I try hard to ignore the piles of laundry and the dishes that need putting away and the stacks of mail and magazines that need going through. The compulsion to do something is hard to resist! My husband is convinced I’m a little OCD and he believes my ability to multi-task is freakish and unnatural. I like to think it’s a gift. One he doesn’t have. =:-0

  28. foreverdelayed on 05 Jul 2007 at 2:13 pm #

    When I get a free day off I like to sleep in until at least 10am. I then like to make a big fatty breakfast with bacon and cheesy eggs. I ususally spend the day in bed reading or in the living room watching bad tv. Occasionally I watch a few DVDs of Angel. :D

  29. TinaLouiseF on 05 Jul 2007 at 2:55 pm #

    I just got home 2 hours ago from spending 3 days in Spokane visiting a friend from college. Now that my e-mail has been checked, I’ll browsing the blog before I finish the book I started yesterday. I’m planning to watch DVDs tomorrow and read the rest of the weekend. Back to work on Monday.

  30. Judy F on 05 Jul 2007 at 3:19 pm #

    I normally on a me day, take my good old time getting up, then maybe a shower, then getting dress. Love to let my hair air dry. I usually read, maybe do a small cleaning project. Mainly I tell my Sammy (cat) lets go take a nap. He jumps up on the bed and we take a nice nap. Yesterday we tried but it stormed in the middle of our nap time. LOL

  31. Ronlyn on 05 Jul 2007 at 4:52 pm #

    Sadly, most of my hooky days involve being sick so I’m sleeping. (I get lectured regularly for not taking days off or using up all my vacation time.) I just can’t relax when I’m playing hooky. When I’m not sick and do take a day off that doesn’t involve a vacation I tend to read (duh) and if the weather is nice I hang out in the garden. I probably won’t do any actually gardening but I know I’ll be left alone out there. :)
    Currently I’m playing hooky…also known as maternity leave, so I’m spending my time breast feeding and trying to devote time to my 3 year old too so we don’t have any jealous meltdowns. And, of course, I’m reading. ;)
    Life is good.

  32. Aimee on 06 Jul 2007 at 11:41 am #

    Day off?! There is such a thing? I have a 5year old,3year old,and 9 month old plus work 40 hours a week and do all the housework you mean I can just stop and take maybe a 10 minute nap?? dang why didn’t anyone tell me I could take time off I read my books at work :)