on giving oneself permission to do nothing

I'll endeavor to keep the grousing to a minimum. However, I need to put the grouses somewhere to expunge them from my mind. Skip at will.

Grouse 1: I had to pick the Boy up from preschool yesterday afternoon because he had a mild fever and a headache. By bedtime, he was mostly OK, like 80 percent of himself without any Motrin in him. This morning he seemed perfectly fine, so we sent him to school, completely unaware that they have a 24-hour fever exclusion policy. Which makes sense, really, but threw a wrench into works. He's currently on the couch watching Diego and eating an apple. 

Grouse 2: While I don't have much of anything that absolutely has to be done today -- the last few weeks have been deadline-apaloza -- I really really really should be working on a book proposal. I seem to be unable to let myself take this day to do nothing more engaging that flopping on the couch to read the rest of A Thousand Acres (so good) while the Boy recuperates. 

Grouse 3: If I were sensible, I would realize that sometimes a break is what one needs, especially since I'm not feeling stellar myself nor is the proposal. But, my monkey brain say that I must work. Oh, monkey brain. I appreciate you but wish you would just STFU sometimes.

Grouse 4: I knitted another pair of FAIL mittens. A minor fail, granted, but, still, FAIL. Pixs soonish, once they are done drying. (um, the mittens are done drying, not the pixs.)

Grouse 5: I'm not certain there is a grouse 5. So that's something, yes?

Feel free to list your grouses (grousi? grouseaux?) on the comments. Maybe we can collectively purge them that way.

Comments

[Lee]

Maybe you could think of these "flu days" as if they were similar to "snow days". I always liked snow days, because everything slowed down for just a day. And everyone understood the snow situation and cut me a lot of slack. So give yourself permission to have a flu day!

[Big Alice]

Grsse?

The book on tape I'm listening too started out promising and has gotten tiresome a few discs in. bleh.

I am swatching for some lace and I cannot decide which gauge I like better. I'm annoyed with myself for being unable to make a decision.

Christmas, she is closing in.

grump.

[Big Alice]

awww, it ate my umlaut.

[Trish]

I have a grumpy boy. He's been eating every hour for the last 5.

[Catherine]

I'm sure I had a few grousi but after I read the sentence "Aww, it ate my umlaut" I can't do anything but smile.

And it's Friday.

And because of the giant rockslide on i40, I no longer have to travel on Thanksgiving. (For those of us that are kid-free, a non-traveling holiday is something of a fantasy; I've never actually experienced it. I'll let you know what it's like.)

[Heidi]

Grousing ...

feeling fat and mildly depressed even though my employment and future prospects took an uptick this week

soooooo over this painting project despite how wonderfully awesome the painted rooms look, but have two more rooms (the hardest) to go

more than a little disconcerted that although it's been nice for the kids to be away, and nice for us to have a week without them that ... well, this wasn't just the usual week at Grandma's house where I can generally picture and predict the various outings, activities, meals they've had without me ... so I feel disconnected from them both in a way I haven't really before. Words, souvenirs and pictures will never fully capture what they've experienced on this week away, so I'll never have that to share with them. It's a not-fully-bridgeable gap.

(deciding I like that last bit enough to make it my Facebook status for now)

[Debra]

Back pain and inactivity on Thursday and Friday. Friday night was very depressed with uncontrolable crying and watching Fleetwood Mac videos on YouTube.

[Debra]

I'm sure you've seen this, but just in case you haven't:
"It Was a Dark and Silly Night"
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1827871374?bctid=19506702001

[Adrienne]

I still want to play "Aliens and Aliens."

Why Fleetwood Mac?

[Debra]

Someone on Facebook posted a 1981 clip of Stevie Nicks singing along with a demo. I just clicked on links from there - for several tear filled hours. Pathetic, I know.