Things I Wish I Could Say When A Coworker Asks About My Weekend
I got eight hours of sleep both nights, and I woke up today feeling extremely refreshed.
I worked out both Saturday and Sunday, and I finished doing laundry: washing, folding, and putting it away.
I volunteered at an animal shelter. It’s tough, but I love it. There was this pit bull, Max — staff said he’s grumpy toward volunteers, but he snuggled right up to me. I even considered taking him home at the end of the day, but another family wanted to look into adopting him after seeing us together. Isn’t that nice!
I went on a wonderful date. We met through friends, not an app, so I felt totally safe having dinner with him. He looks like a handsome cross between Pedro Pascal and Gong Yoo. He has a normal (but lucrative) job, a (girl) dog, and a (long-time, but not too long) therapist. We clicked immediately. It’s funny, a few people asked for my number while we were at the bar, and when I asked my date about it, he said, “You’re a catch. Give them your number, if you want. We’re not in a committed relationship. But just know — I want to be.” He winked, and it looked cool, not weird. We have a second date planned for next weekend.
I rested and felt no pressure to do anything else. But I didn’t just lay around stuffing my face with Lay’s Potato Chips. No endless scrolling or mind-numbing T.V. for me. I meditated for a few hours, finished some books (James Clear’s Atomic Habits and Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre), and filled up half of my journal. I love when resting is actually restful.
I had extra time between my Saturday sunrise Pilates class and my shift at the shelter, so I came into the office and got ahead on work. I know, I know, I’m not supposed to. But I love marketing, and I love coming into the office. I can’t resist the free snacks and open seating plan. To be honest, I’m not driven by deadlines or high expectations — work is just restorative for me. I walked out of the office super refreshed. And I got a great parking spot too, since it was the weekend.
I figured out a new way to deep clean the whole house from top to bottom. Yes, even under the fridge. Yes, even the bathroom grout. Yes, even the dryer vent. It takes no time at all. I like to use sustainable, eco-friendly soap I make in my spare time. It’s lemon scented.
I started a music channel on YouTube. I wasn’t planning to do it, but my friends and I went to a karaoke bar and one of them filmed me singing Adele’s “Someone Like You.” When I came back to the table, they insisted that I post it online. “You sound so amazing,” they said, “I’ve already sent you the video. Post it!” It was just a fun, silly thing, but I woke up the next day to 100,000 subscribers and half a million views! And on Sunday afternoon, I got a call from a label asking if I’d consider signing a record deal. I guess social media really does work. Also, I won first place at the karaoke bar that night.
I took up a new hobby: surfing. It wasn’t really on my radar, but I was at the beach and one of the lifeguards offered to teach me, so I borrowed his board. It actually isn’t hard! In ten minutes, I was riding the waves with the other surfers. I even did a trick that no one had seen before, so they gave it a new name: The Impossible Flip. The lifeguard is also an Olympic coach, and he asked me to be on the team for the next games. I heard they’ll be in Los Angeles — I’ve always wanted to visit California.
I scheduled an appointment with my long-time therapist. We have more than enough to discuss, but she’s so nice, she lets me go past our time. I tell her, “But Helen, aren’t we at the hour?” She always shrugs, “You’re such an interesting person. I love hearing about you. Tell me more!”
