May 12, 2009
Ten-Word Tuesday. The Slacker Edition.
You are looking at Bossy’s stack of unread New Yorker magazines which reside in her torture chamber. Bossy is frustrated because no matter the camera angle, she couldn’t quite capture their distinct look of overwhelming.
Don’t get Bossy wrong, she loves The New Yorker, which she has been reading since she was a teenager, week upon week upon sister mercy it’s another week again.
In fact, Bossy has been known to announce to the room at large her intense desire to climb into bed with a bunch of New Yorkers.
But several months and precisely twenty-four issues ago, Bossy decided reading The New Yorker in bed was interrupting her sleep, where interrupting her sleep equals who can read when one is so busy tossing and turning in sleepless fits?
And when Bossy isn’t reading in bed, she isn’t reading — due to a little thing she likes to call awake life and its interminable demands. Pity.
The medical-marijuana industry, Mumbai slums, and Lily Allen are just three of the hundreds of topics Bossy is no longer smart about since abandoning her New Yorkers. Bossy can summarize her reading predicament this way:
Which is what today’s Ten-Word Challenge is all about. In exactly ten words, can you share with Bossy something you really love to do but had to abandon when life got in the way?
And be sure to check back later today for the best orphaned habits on the web.
I’ve read one book this year, there are 3,000+ waiting
chewing my food, savoring moments, breathing deep, bubble baths, dancing.
You know, Bossy, if you love something, set it free . . .
Pretending to be Katherine Hepburn in community theatah, dahling.
Reading cookbooks, planning gardens, obsessing over paint colors, generally Caring.
Had kids. Now miss baths, books, most of all….QUIET.
Reading thick novels that stopped Bossy’s heart. History, not mystery.
Knitting. Now it’s hockey practice, soccer practice, too many kids!
Bossy can’t blame her kids for things not done. HERSELF.
Transferring Bossy’s blog archives. Man, she loved that. Um, NOT.
Exercise I still do, but abandoned important hubby-me privacy.
Glad internet isn’t scratch and sniff. Bathing regularly? Buh bye.
Long walks without a specific destination or workout in mind.
Squash, the game, not the food, and being in shape…
Dusting, moping, cleaning the toilets, quilting, knitting, and cross stitching.
World of Warcraft, Fallout 3, Team Fortress 2, Mirror’s Edge.
Long fabulous dinners with clinking glasses in restaurants. Poverty related.
I miss hours of playing classical guitar. My wife doesn’t.
Loves her kids, misses her creativity, music, projects and potential.
All the things Bossy said plus going to afternoon movies.
real reading, reading more, alone time, reading late, buying stuff.
My ability to relax disappeared entirely after becoming sole breadwinner.
quilting and otherwise creating things, exercise and being in shape.
Planning and hosting dinner parties for people who love food.
Movie theater every Saturday afternoon by myself with no distractions.
Hence my desire for husband Kevin Bacon to move in.
Once upon a time, everything was enjoyable. Not it’s work.
That would be “now” it’s work. Where’s my Kevin Bacon?
#1) My numerous quilting projects. Building a house takes priority. Unfortunately.
#2) Time for me. Hubby plus toddler plus bun in oven.
(Note: plan to rectify #2 soon as garden season starts.)
Two kids-miss dinners out where nuggets, fries not served.
(Among many other things. Sigh.)
No more spontaneous couple-time, too busy!
Movies, ice cream with popcorn dinners, travel most of all.
Desperately miss Sunday morning puttering; plants, nails, Sunday paper, mmmm.
These hands haven’t seen a manicure since 2004. Oh well.
Planning and cooking anything more complicated than pasta with sauce.
Taking time to stay fit – what’s a core muscle again?
I’m simple: I would like to sleep. Through the night.
Taking long solo drives while singing loudly to the stereo.
(Non-work) leaving the house; have become happy hermit, Tivo FTW.
No more scrapbooking, just huge stacks of disorganized pictures. Sad.
Pro Sports.
Sports radio, SportsCenter, Sports Illustrated…
For my family.
(and no one sympathizes ’cause after all, i’m a mother).
Cooking dinner has fallen by the wayside–will resurrect soon.
substance abuse
self abuse
carnival barking
slutty shoes
international intrigue
Have three boys, I miss peaceful activities of all sorts.
ten words! i need at least ninety-two for this one.
The metabolism of my youth. Calories? Fat? What are those?
Pleasure reading can’t be when school makes all reading pain.
then – running training 5-K half marathon now – not, just fat
Traveling for the sake of traveling – stupid mortgage and bills!
Saturday morning lying in bed reading indefinitely now baby calls.
I forget when it went from “and” to “can’t today”
Spending time to wrap a pretty gift — with bows, even!
Same as Bossy– wasn’t reading “New Yorker.” Let subscription lapse.
(
Time,is new luxury I now have plenty of. HURRAY!
Sex, bathing, dinners out, grown up conversation, Damn kids!
The Atlantic Monthly, conditioning my hair, exercise, daydreaming, career, sex.
Art? I’ve heard of it; haven’t created any in months.
crafting, sewing, painting, reading, sitting for HOURS laughing with friends!
weekly mani/pedi, professional color, transferring music to ipod, listening to same!
Creating whimsical stuff. ‘Twasn’t life in way; more general malaise.
Although just last night finished a fun mosaic tabletop. Yea!
Love and really miss: reading. Don’t really miss: spotless household.
Ballroom dancing the night away with my favorite gay guys.
Eating food, not prepackaged, not bright orange– food without kids.
Summers spent all day in the pool.
Time, Vogue, music, scrapbooks, writing, WRITING, manicures, shopping, fashion.
This may be the most depressing post ever written!
Would just like to add, I ALWAYS find Bossy interesting!
I miss having the time to just do absolutely nothing…….
Life didn’t get in the way; my large ass did.
Researching family history gets kicked to the curb every time.
Sleeping late and writing things other than notes to teacher.
Motorcycle riding, sleeping, dating, dancing, the beach, traveling, reading…SIGH.
Sick husband = no massages, cooking every night, needlepoint every day
naps reading reading reading reading reading reading reading reading naps
Bedslobbing Sundaymorning partnerentwining stretchyyawning yourturntoing teaandtoasting paperreading glassofwining fancyaquickieing blimeyitsmidnighting.
Ok I cheated, you got me bang to rights, guvnor.
Painting my nails,moisturizing legs,reading,cleaning PROPERLY,thinking, dreaming………………..
Dad’s aging FAST. No more big Mainland trips for me.
Puttering about the house with no agenda but to putter.
Alas, daily aerobics classes. Hence the larger thighs. And derriere.
Sleeping in, walking out the door untethered, coming home whenever.
I really could have been in the circus, freak show dept.
Shaved legs, waxed eyebrows, manicured nails, Sunday afternoon movies alone.
Vanity Fair. Years and years piled up, glaring at me.
Rollerblading from one bar to the next, without a helmet.
Finishing ANYTHING. Reading. Socializing in person. I miss enjoying noise.
ADD usually gets in the way of me finishing anyth–.
Movie jumping every weekend (which is paying for one, then sneaking into 2 or 3 more) Have kids now… must not teach them to be theves… it sucks.
Taking weekly classical guitar lessons from sexy Brazilian teacher. Sweet!
making wheel thrown pottery and selling it in cool stores
Massage, pedicure, manicure, highlights, brows, sip fancy cucumber water, repeat.
Tore across the Virginia countryside on horseback. Had a baby.
Ten months of O magazine waiting for me to read.
p.s.-Too many people in that picture and why are they in the street with the traffic? Get on the sidewalk, people.
Gone = restaurants, haircuts, movies…time alone. Sick dog worth it.
And does anyone really care about Miss CA keeping crown?
Not on topic. Just wondering…
Pedicures, one ugly ingrown toenail mishap and it’s all downhill.
Choose 1.5 daily: Eating (healthy). Family. Art. Clean house. X-exercise.
Dental work means no traveling this year. Passport is SAD.
Playing the piano, reading detective novels, backpacking, competing in triathlons.
facebook to read, naps to gym, latte to save = emancipation.
Parenting = no crafts, long naps, just a little reading now.
gave up my WHOLE life to go back to college.
Never have time to drink gin from cat bowl anymore.
Barack, Alice Cooper@ ASU graduation, streets blocked, no gym tomorrow
Ok I cheated again with the @…I always somehow cheat on these with something or another.
me, me, me, me, me, me, then i had kids.
No more crossstitch or crocheting but lots of mommy blogging.
Singing on Broadway oh wait I never did that Damn
Reading, I have a newborn and a two year old.
Yoga, “hanging out,” sex, sleeping in, long walks, affairs, baths.
So far behind on Oprahs, just read review of Capote.
Tennis, I would be Maria except I started at 40.
Conversations till all hours, uninterupted movies, good grooming, college friends.
Ive got to second someone’s opinion above-this really is a melancholy post.
So cancel the New Yorker already! I’ve cancelled the New York Review of Books, more for economic reasons than a time crunch, but still…
Gave up watching TV. Rest of life is too important.
Singing and dancing and staying up late drinking salty margaritas.
PS – I agree, cancel the subscription. How much pressure can one woman take!
Cancel subscriptions. Borrow back copies, singly, from library! Liberation theory.
Have baby, keep job, stop voice and piano lessons.
Spontaneous travel!!
the shore on weekends…drinking, dancing & eating big greasy breakfasts!
Wanted a baby but hubby refused; divorced him too late.
House messy, garden weedy, books unread, lovely baby sleeping ahh
Scrapbooking, movies, cooking, baking, shopping-two kids, in nursing school
Stacks of unread New York Times Magazine sections, ultimately recycled.
My “to-read” list is two entire shelves long. Boo.
Painting nails passed the time, homework got in the way.