Monday, March 12, 2007

Snail's Pace

snail

Today I’m writing about yesterday, which ranks up there with the top ten or one hundred most unmemorable days of my life. I’m remembering it now because it was so incredibly boring and kind of sad. No one died, got injured, or fell ill, but I could hardly pick my feet up off the floor and was feeling as limp as a wet dishrag. I scuffled throughout the house all day long wearing too big sweats and slippers on the wrong feet. I tried to comb a few cowlicks down on the back my crown but I gave up. I was just so lovely!

The smell of garlic and homemade Italian sauce wafting through the house woke me at 9am as Michael, the robust Italian husband, was busily frying meatballs, pork, and sausage for a two-month supply of pasta dinners. This is the only thing he can cook well, except for breakfast meals. I prefer to stay away while he’s in the kitchen because I can’t stand seeing the sauce splatters and mess. He’ll never learn to “clean as you go” like I do. This led to a lot of work in the kitchen for me throughout the day and I just didn’t have it in me, but I did the best I could do. That Emeril cookware is so darn heavy. Sigh… There was no “kicking it up a notch” for me and no “Emeril essence” on my agenda…

Walking by the family room sofa with a basket of laundry on my hip, I couldn’t help myself but to grab a few minutes in front of the TV show “Meet the Press” (boring) with the basket of soiled laundry sitting beside me. I eventually made it to the washing machine and discovered a damp load in there and a dryer full of wrinkled permanent press. “Ohhhhh….groan.” Do I have to do this? Agony.

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It was a glorious day outside but I just gazed through the window watching people walk their dogs and seeing the birds sitting pretty, ready for a photo shoot. By 3pm, I hadn’t even slipped the battery into my camera. A lizard scurried across the porch and I considered running for the camera like I usually do, but thought, “Naaaaa.”

Diagnosis: Night after night, all week long, I defiantly ignored my 10pm bedtime and crashed by 11:30 instead. Five hours of sleep doesn’t cut it for me, and suddenly, on Sunday morning, I was as energetic as a drug induced snail. Seriously lackluster. I wonder if there is a hormonal change that takes place when you are over fifty that makes one turn into a night owl for the first time in your life?

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Bella: I’m bored. m-m-Mommy is a drag.

Even Chloe and Bella’s googly eyes became droopy and sad looking, following me from room to room and from chair to sofa. Toward evening hours, Michael took Chloe for a nice walk in the neighborhood and I threw the hula hoop in the yard until Bella couldn’t pound her short and meaty legs anymore. We really need to exercise them or they’ll keep us awake at night and that’s not something I needed, for sure!


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Chloe: You are making me tired.

Toward the end of the day, after slopping around the house for eight hours, I wanted to redeem myself in some big way. I desperately wanted to accomplish something noteworthy other than wiping kitchen countertops and folding bath towels at record slow pace. I looked at those comfy slippers that always wind up on the wrong feet. This has been a problem for two years and I thought, “Now it’s time to do something about this.” With a little “harruummph”, I hoisted myself from the chair and pulled open the kitchen junk drawer and found the perfect tool for the job. A permanent marker.

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Whoaaa! I’m glad I finally took care of THAT! The day was saved. I did something I've thought about doing for a few years.


After a good, long sleep last night, I was back to chasing the scum of sparrowdom on the parking lot today. This will be a temporary and unusally horrible week at work consisting of a few ten-hour days, as the work is building to a blow-up, burn-out point. If I can post every night, I’ll be happy. If I can’t, I’ll be so bummed, but I need to hit the sack on time.

This is good for a smile: check out Susan at Lake Life. In Florida, she found a baby Osprey in a nest and had fun with toads. Sweet.

16 comments:

NatureWoman said...

You never cease to crack me up Mary! First I love the snail picture. At least Michael didn't put all that food in front of you and say monja, monja (sp?). I swear I gain ten pounds every time I go to my Italian friends' house to eat dinner because you *have* to eat everything they put in front of you. Or else. And you have to take a ton of it home. Burp!
I don't know about the sleep thing. I'm screwed up, too. One night I sleep great, the next night I'm up 'til 12:00 and can't get up the next morning.
I can't believe how your girls take on how your feeling - that is amazing.
OMG - that is a riot you WROTE on your slippers! That is too funny!!!
I hope you have a good week through your long work days!

KGMom said...

Sorry you had a dragging day--but sleep is necessary to restore the soul and the body.
As for a post-50 hormonal change, hhmmmm--maybe there is something to that. As one who is over 60, I find myself staying up later at night!
I just love your puppies--they are so cute!

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

Well, thankfully th slippers won't be an issue any more!! Sorry you had such a droopy day. Fatigue is tough and colors everything gray. Hopefully the extra sleep this weekend will help you get through your week. Hang on!!

Julie Zickefoose said...

I'm with ya in the unwilling night-owl club. Blaa. I stay up late and wake up before the robins do. Sleep is sooo much better than most of the crap I wind up doing all day. Why doesn't my brain understand that?
Middle age gives us permission to write on pristine slippers with magic marker. Love it!
Although it is not mine to give, I give you permission to quit blogging when it becomes a drag.
Baker is now in love with both your girls. Can you imagine the play party?

Beth said...

Love. The. Slippers.

Anonymous said...

LOL, you are awesome Mary! Never thought about using a L and R on your slippers! LOL

LauraHinNJ said...

I'm cracking up that you think staying up until 11:30 is being a night owl!

I stay up way too late and have the bags under my eyes to prove it!

Did you really do that to your slippers? Too funny.

Susan said...

When I have one of those days when nothing on my "to do" list seems to be getting done, I just revise the list and put "Eat Chocolate" at the top of the list. Then I can check off at least one item.

Thanks for the link to my blog!

Susan Gets Native said...

This post has made me so sleepy I can't think of anything to say.

Love you to pieces, mare!

Unknown said...

Poor Mary! Hope that you are having a bettery day today! xoxoxo (and, eat chocolate is always good advice! :) )

Anonymous said...

Mary, sometimes we have to give ourselves permission to have a do-nothing day on the weekends. I'll bet most of us had the same kind of Sunday this week because of the time change. Altho I love the extra light at night, I'm still draggin because of losing that one little hour sleep. I understand though.. time is so precious, especially weekends..that part of me wants to spend every second doing something my mind says is "useful" (not meaning "chores"). Hope you make it through this week OK. What a week to have 10 hour days! Bless you!

dmmgmfm said...

Wonderful post, Mary. You make me laugh everytime.

To address you on the sleep thing; I think you might be right. I am a total night owl, where I used to be this cheerful morning person (the kind you want to club because they are so happy and upbeat). Now I'm up until all hours and can barely drag myself out of the sack at 7 am.

Getting older s*cks, but like my 83 y.o. dad says, "it's better than the alternative".

Annie in Austin said...

Mary, your post is wonderful. And it's not your fault if the interesting things in life get started later in the day!

How do you like this theory? To make it to a job on time, people need to follow the old "early to bed" thing, behaving like farmers. But they're not farmers! In their sophisticated off-work lives, people act as if they're in Paris between the wars: stay up late while listening to singers, eat late, have conversations and write.

Although I don't remember seeing any photos of Hemingway in slippers.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Mary said...

Pam, we ate three cheese tortellini on Sunday night - a definite NO NO on weight watcher's but I was too tired to care :)

Donna, there is truth in "beauty sleep".

Lynne, I'm hanging in there. Tough week but it will end in a few days :)

Julie, hey, they're my slippers, right? Chet would love my dogs. The only dog Bella or Chloe didn't like was a pit bull who lived next door to us in DE. It's a long story.

Beth, I chose a blue marker (better than black).

Mon@rch, I really couldn't tell the L or R by looking at them.

Laura, I thought you were a night owl. I'd love to be one but I can't :(

Susan Lake Life, good idea about the chocolate. No problem there...

Susan Gets Native, you are another night owl. You must sleep in late...

Liza, thanks - I'm much more awake!

Dorothy, I love a day on the weekend to do fun things and try to fit them in once in a while!

Laurie, my husband is cheery and chatty early in the morning and I'd like to club him for it.

Annie, yes, my communication skills kick in late in the evening, and my desire to have a little fun...it's like hating to go to bed when you are a little kid.

Cathy said...

I'm laughing out loud. White slippers?! Please tell me those are only a week old.
I think mine are on the proper foot about 50% of the time. I love the way you think outside the box. Magic Marker! Ah ha ha ha ah ha!
Poor wittle pups - those are the sweetest, drowsiest eyes. It's amazing the way they were channeling your energy level.
As for the aging/sleep thing - definitely a correlation. I've resorted to chemicals when I'm desperate. (Legal! Legal!)
Have you tried the wet towel back in the dryer with the wrinkled clothes trick. It really works.

Jayne said...

Indeed, at our age, they should make Garanimal shoes and clothing so we don't have to think so hard.... Too funny Mary... You are a jewel!