Patricia Stoltey

Author

Do Everything Different Day

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Horrors! The schedule is topsy-turvy.

My husband got up extra early this morning to keep an appointment.

Husband got up and wife (me) stayed in bed.

Last one up makes the bed. I had to do that chore this morning.

Husband took an early shower, so I stayed in my pajamas until he left. I had good intentions. I was going to shower and dress as soon as he was gone. Ninety minutes later, when husband returned, I was still in my pajamas, working on e-mail, blogs, and Twitter, drinking coffee…

I never spend the morning in pajamas. I always read the newspaper and then a book while I drink my morning coffee. I always start my chores or go to my computer by 9:30.

A creature of habit says “I never…” and “I always….”

I’m a creature of habit.

That’s not all bad, of course. Developing good habits and routines help us take the garbage out on schedule, write every day, and remember to floss and brush.

But isn’t it good to shake up the little stuff from time to time? Take a 30-minute walk on a bike trail instead of inside a grocery store? Drink tea instead of coffee? Have waffles and bacon for supper? Yeah, that’s a good thing.

So I declare the rest of the day to be “Do Everything Different Day” at my house. See you later.

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Comments

  1. Love this idea, Patricia. Maybe on my indulgence day I’ll do something completely different. IT’s so good to shake things up a bit. I am a creature of habit.
    Karen

  4. Given half a chance, I would live each day differently, not because I am adventurous, but because I am fundamentally disorganised. But with two school going kids, and a job with regular hours, I am forced to be regular.

    BUT, today, I am working from home, so maybe I can do things deliberately differently.

  5. It seems like this topic did, indeed, touch a nerve with a lot of people. I am generally a creature of habit, so a “do everything different day” would be good for me. Glad you enjoyed yours.

  6. Ah, this topic speaks to us, doesn’t it. I applaud the bravery of some, the daring of others, and the audacity of those who would cheat on their WIP. We are a wild bunch.

    One of the unusual things I did today was go for a drive all by myself. It was the most amazing thing (heh heh). I found this new yogurt shop near the college campus where you serve yourself yogurt and toppings and pay by the ounce. There were eight soft-serve yogurt flavors on one wall, and about 20 toppings in bulk bins and syrups in pour containers on a counter. I tested the vanilla, chocolate, and cookies and cream yogurts, a tiny sprinkle of peanut butter cup, and a little squirt of chocolate syrup. High adventure!!!!!

    Kay, dear husband criticizes me because he’s the perfectionist. For someone who does the barest minimum of housework, he’s sure picky about wrinkles in the comforter…but that’s a good blog topic for another day.

    Elspeth — I think the course idea is great — or a book. We could self-publish on Kindle and get rich. 🙂

    Amy — I now want a meal of waffles and bacon more than anything else in the world…

    Thanks bunches to all who have stopped by so far, and those who drop in later.

  7. I shook things up this week by being unfaithful to my WIP. Instead of continuing to revise (and the revisions are going well, so I wasn’t stuck), I got the first scene in my head for another WIP that’s just at research stage. I spent a day writing that, introducing myself to the MVs and the world – and felt very daring.

  8. I love a shake-up day! There are those who might say that I tend to be too much on the upside down side of things but the view is great from here. We’re having a ‘fend for yourself’ dinner at home. I’m having just plain boiled rice and brocoli and I don’t know what his nibs is after cooking….

  9. Love it! And by the way, we love waffles and bacon for supper at our house. We call it a silly supper and it’s a hit every time.

  10. LOL – moving,living in tiny rental quarters — EVERY day is do something different. We have yet to find a routine, much less a rut.

    Today we went to an Irish Pub for lunch to celebrate St. Patrick’s day. Of course, according to my daughter, who lives in Northern Ireland, we celebrate very differently here (which is my blog topic today)

  11. I’m all about the waffles and bacon for dinner. I also believe that routines need vacations at times, even though they are the reason behind our daily productivity.

    I shall enjoy your newly proclaimed date!

  12. Today, I planted sweet peas before dawn. Temperature: 32 degrees above zero, no wind, ice on the bird bath. I read somewhere that it is tradition to plant sweet peas before sunrise on Paddy’s Day. “Why not!” I thought. Seeds are in and I’m thinking a little luck of the Irish may be necessary to coax them out of the ground. It was, is and will be a different day today.

  19. You’re right, Arlee! Messing with the routine is fun. When I started this post, I thought it should be “Do Everything Differently Day”, but realized that implies I’m doing the same old things in a different way. My intent is to do a whole slew of different stuff, things I don’t do on a weekday, or don’t do on a Wednesday, or rarely do at all. The hard part for a creature of habit is being spontaneous. I guess that makes me spontaneity-challenged?

  20. I like the idea! I was just telling my wife this morning as she was leaving to go to work, wouldn’t it be nice if we could be like my mother and step-father– just wake up when we wanted and do what we wanted with mostly no rigid schedule. I stay pretty much on a routine, but it’s fun to break it sometimes.
    Lee