I spent a night alone in this house for the first time ever: one kid in NYC, one kid in New Mexico with Scouts, three kids + Elwood at the grandparents' house. It was weird to be in an empty house. I thought about blogging the weirdness, but it seemed unwise to say "Hello, internet, I am alone in my house tonight!"
What do I like to do when I am left to my own devices for a weekend? Here's the breakdown:
- Nap. I napped both Saturday and Sunday. It is very rare for me to take a weekend nap, and I can't ever remember taking two -- not even newly postpartum.
- Read. I finished The People We Hate at the Wedding, which pulled itself out of a deep hole at the very end. I was thinking about ditching it in the middle -- and I never, but never, ditch Kindle purchases even if I dislike them* -- but the author managed to turn it around. Fantastic characterization (too bad it runs to 50 Shades of Asshole) and good writing. I would have thought it was hilarious if I were not an over-empathizer; as it was I spent big chunks of the book feeling like I needed to breathe into a paper bag. Cautiously recommended.
- Clean. I bought a pumice stone with which to tackle the deposits under the rim of the downstairs toilet, and it was remarkably satisfying. They're not a hundred percent gone; you can still see the remainder if you stick your head in the toilet. But I don't expect that many of my guests will stick their heads in the toilet. Let's hope not, at any rate.
- Walk downtown. I caught a live performance Saturday night, a very young, very skilled woman with a deliciously quirky voice. And then today I took Robinson Crusoe to the coffee shop. It's really weird that Robinson Crusoe used to be regarded as a kids' book.
- Cook. You guys, it turns out that I do still like to cook. Miso salmon with fennel and beautiful golden summer squash! Frittata with pesto! And no one complained because I was cooking for an audience of one. My cooking enthusiasm has been seriously dented by years of cooking for various picky eaters. They all seem to get un-picky as they get bigger, but the struggle is real, as the kids say. I made palak paneer tonight when Elwood returned with our 17yo, and it was such a relief to know that no one would be making sad faces at it. It's not that Stella is ill-mannered in her pickiness -- not at all. She tries so hard to say nice things about food that makes her uncomfortable. I just enjoyed a brief respite from the awareness that she was trying hard to say nice things about the food.
*I'm not saying that's a good strategy. I'm just saying it's my strategy.
So I think Elwood and I are going to see a movie, with no worries about who will manage baths and bedtime. Luxurious, yes?
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