Guilty Pleasures

Have you ever been in one of those times of life when it seems like "it's nothing but work, work, work all the time," to quote Wesley in The Princess Bride?  I'm in one of those now.  While I don't mind the work per se, I do mind the sense of guilt I get when I take a break from work to  . . . take a break. 

I am learning to live with a bit of guilt, however, as I am prone to feeling guilty for things over which I ought not to feel guilty.  Here are a few of the things that I'm starting to enjoy, guilty feelings or no:

1. Naps.  Actually, naps were never high on my list of things to do until about 6 months ago.  I still don't indulge often, but the desire is there quite frequently!
2. Dunkin' Donuts Lattes.  Okay, not really a break from work, since I usually get them when driving to some form of work, but they're yummy anyway!
3. Sudokus.  I came to the party a little late on these, but I admit I'm a bit hooked.  I try to limit myself to one a day, chosen from http://www.websudoku.com/.  I tell myself I'm exercising my brain . . . !
4. Reading.  I really do love to read.  I really do wish I had time to do more of it.  And I admit to being a bathroom reader . . . it's the only time I have to myself!  
5. Music.  My church is celebrating its 150th anniversary this Sunday, and for the event our pastor's wife wrote a choral piece and arranged a fanfare for brass quartet.  I'm singing alto and playing 2nd trumpet, and it's so fun!  We are not the Wheaton College Concert Choir or the College Church Choir or anything remotely comparable, but that's okay.  I've missed making music and am delighted to be dabbling once again.  Having my kids at rehearsals on the other hand . . .
6.  Streaming TV Shows Online.  I am such a junkie for mindless entertainment.  Zoo is my current favorite.  It is always just on the edge of getting too scary/gory, but it never quite crosses the line for me.  
7. Fast Food.  This one is a comfort measure, I know it, and I indulge anyway.  I am limiting the amount I visit the drive-thru, because I am trying to lose weight and all, but I figure if a little Mickey Dee's is the worst vice I have right now, I'm doing okay!  
8. Home Improvements.  Okay, so this one strictly doesn't belong on the list because it falls into the work category more than the play category, but I am taking guilty pleasure in successfully tackling jobs that used to belong to my ex.  Today's was very silly, but it made me feel good anyway.  My tenant has needed a new mailbox for a while.  It fell off the post, and she ingeniously reattached it with duct tape, that magical product that can resolve almost any emergency.  My ex, before he was my ex, was going to replace it.  He didn't.  Since it was stable, it wasn't high on my priority list either.  The other day I received some of her mail and went to put it in her box only to realize the nasty thing was rusted shut!  Boy, did I feel like a bad landlord!  My last attempt to put up a mailbox ended with my ex (before he was my ex) and I having a verbal spat in the driveway, so I was not eager to try again.  (Trying to drill into pressure-treated lumber without pilot holes in the dark and an oak grove in my horse pasture were all contributing factors in that fight . . . one of the few real arguments we ever had!)  Anyway, because I try to be a good landlord, I bought a new mailbox, went out with my trust drill, three choices of screws (one of which guaranteed "no pre-drilling required), and my new set of drills and bits.  Ten minutes later, literally, the new mailbox was securely in place, and I felt proud as a peacock.  

Perhaps I'll take it to the next level and attempt gutters this fall . . . !