Category Archives: Solitary Fun

Oct 08 2012
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Guilty Pleasures, Solitary Fun

Day 14: Repin

It’s Guilty Pleasure Monday again! Just to recap, this is a day where I take pills that make me tired so I allow myself a day of rest where, as long as I do something on my to do list, I can spend the rest of the day relaxing and enjoy a guilty pleasure.

I unpacked from the weekend trip to Iowa and then spent most of the day on Pinterest. Right after I got engaged, I looked at Pinterest all the time but since the wedding, I’ve stopped. Today, I renewed my love of holiday decor, pictures of baby animals and party planning tips. Mostly, though, I looked on the DIY and craft section for fun things I can do for this blog. I started a Year of Fun board and will hopefully keep adding things to it like homemade air freshener and bookcase makeover.

And, of course, today also included a lot of puppy cuddle time. Guilty Pleasure Monday Rocks.

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Oct 04 2012
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Chicago Specific Fun, Solitary Fun

Day 10: Windows Down

Today is an ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL day in Chicago. It’s mild and sunny. The leaves are changing. The lake is sparkling. As I drove down an empty Lake Shore Drive on my way to work, I marvelled at how happy this city makes me feel. Chicagoans are so lucky to live in a city where on one drive, we can see a huge lake, the beach, tennis courts, boats, a golf course, parks, historical homes, downtown, and, yes, Navy Pier.

I was in such a great mood, I rolled my windows down, blasted the radio (Jesse J’s Domino), and sang at the top of my lungs. I highly recommend this fun activity as it is sure to improve your spirits on any given day.

OK, I took this picture while driving (which I probably should not have done) so it doesn’t totally capture how pretty it is but it’s something!

Oct 03 2012
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Rheumatoid Arthritis, Solitary Fun

Day 9: Morning Routine

Every morning, my husband and I go through a routine that gets me ready for the day. It goes like this.

He gets up at 6:00am, wakes me up, gives me a Tylenol, and then leaves with the dog for a morning run. I go back to sleep. He returns, gets ready for work and then wakes me up around 7:30 (before he leaves) with a bowl of cereal, vitamin D, Folic Acid and Prednisone. After he leaves, I lay in bed waiting for the pills to kick in. Yes sometimes I go back to sleep. More often though, I spend an hour looking at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This morning, however, I read a new play. I am on a literary circle that reads play submissions for a theater (not the one where I work) and then discusses them in a structured format similar to a book club. We then make a decision on whether to pursue the play or playwright further. We also often offer feedback to the writer, should they request it. The play I read this morning was funny and moving with unique characters and interesting dialogue, yet I could see places where it could use work. This was absolutely thrilling to me! Writing my feedback for the discussion left me feeling like I had exercised my dramaturgy muscles. I was able to focus on an intellectual and creative pursuit that I think it so worthwhile.

My morning was a little more enjoyable because I read this play. I felt better knowing I was able to do something productive rather than just laying around “online.”

Oct 02 2012
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Pamper/Beautify, Solitary Fun

Day 8: Sick Day

I’ve been fighting a cold/flu thing and trying not to have to take antibiotics or skip a dose of any medicine. Today waking up, I just felt awful. I could barely move. My head was pounding and the only way to prevent nausea was to lay down. I had to call off work.

Calling off work is something I hate to do. Like canceling on a friend or missing school. I started working in eighth grade and have been working pretty steadily since then. I pride myself on excelling in a job or task, no matter what it is, and quickly proving that I am in fact the reliable, responsible person I claim to be in any job interview. I like having the image I have garnered since elementary school, teacher’s pet.

Waking up unable to go to work has, however, become a pretty regular part of my life and I am lucky to have understanding co-workers and bosses. So I spent the majority of the day resting on the couch, drinking La Croix (my new seltzer water addiction) and sporadically taking my temperature (100.1 was the high of the day. Any higher and I would have called my doctor but I’m powering through). When my husband came home and asked what my fun thing was for today, I was in no mood. But that’s why I’m doing this right?!

Luckily, I had an idea for a simple, relaxing activity that I knew would be fun. I gave myself an at-home pedicure. Well, just the scrub and lotion part. I sat in a folding chair by the tub and soaked my feet in hot water, scrubbed them with a homemade brown sugar scrub my sister made, and then dried and lotioned my feet. Let me tell you, it was so relaxing, took only twenty minutes and I felt so much better after!

I’ve heard that if you haven’t bathed in a while (like sicky me on the couch all day) and you wash your feet, your whole body feels cleaner. It is so true. And also just to sit in silence with my feet in warm water. So relaxing. This may just have to become part of every week.

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Oct 01 2012
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Guilty Pleasures, Online Fun, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Solitary Fun

Day 7: Mondays

Working in the theatre, I normally have Mondays off. I often have lofty plans for all the things I can accomplish on a Monday. Errands, cleaning, appointments, catching up with friends, organizing emails, planning meals, and writing blogs. Mondays are also the day I take Methotrexate, a pill that works well in combination with an injectable like Enbrel (what I used to take) or Humira (what I taken now).

I started this pill, or really set of pills (I take five 2.5mg pills), four weeks ago in the hope that, with the Humira, I can get my arthritis under control. It takes about six weeks to kick in and does come with some side effects. Many people experience “flu-like symptoms,” dizziness, or stomach problems. When I take it, I become exhausted. My hopes of running errands, cleaning, making appointments, etc go right out the window. I have literally been asleep most of today.

So, to take some of the pressure off of Mondays, and for the purposes of this blog, I have invented Guilty Pleasure Monday. Monday will now become a true day off where I can cuddle with my dog on the couch and read or watch whatever I want as long as I accomplish one thing from the constantly growing list of to-dos.

Today, I set up boarding for my dog for the weekend (headed to Iowa for a long-time friend’s wedding) and, for my guilty pleasure, read as much of Perez Hilton as I could.

This photo was not taken today, but I imagine this is what Mondays will look like from here on out.

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