Clearly, I like to write. I started this blog so I could write about writing. But, I can't just write all the time - though I do it for work and I do it for fun, so I write a lot! I thought I should also write about other things I do. Here is the list of things I do when I'm not writing:
Cook - I cook to feed people and because I have to eat to stay alive. I'm not one of those 'foodies' who is constantly reading recipes and dreaming about what magic can be had with a handful of saffron and a kilo of kale (which, I'm sure, is nothing good). Though I am beginning to experiment with new produce - fennel and avocado have recently reached my kitchen. However, I enjoy cooking to feed people, especially people who appreciate the meal I've created. I rarely make fancy things. I stick to those 'meals in 30 minutes' things in magazines and the usual fare - spaghetti, chili, pork chops in mushroom soup gravy and a roast or chicken every now and then.
Bake - I don't bake as often as I cook, but I do like it. It takes a bit more concentration than cooking. And, to me baking is pretty much the same as love. I don't know about your family but in my family love is usually expressed like this: 'I love you. Eat some pie.' 'I love you. Have a cookie.' 'I love you. Here's a slice of cake.' (yes, I am significantly overweight ... I'm working on that.) Now I find that I'm often on the other end of this equation: 'I love you. I baked you a cake.' And, as long as I don't eat the whole thing, I think that's alright.
Fart around on the computer - Every now and then I do something of value on the computer. I might order flowers for my mother, look up new recipes, read the news, check in with friends and family, write a new blog post and stuff like that. However, usually I'm farting around. I am most often found playing Farmville, Plants vs. Zombies, Zuma Blast, or looking up whatever just popped into my mind on Wikipedia (did you know that tamarinds are native to Africa?). I suspect this takes up way more time than 1) I think it does, and 2) it really should.
Read - I think it's impossible to be a writer without being a reader. I suspect that if I cut out a lot of my farting-around-on-the-computer time I would find a lot more time to read. Because I have a giant stack of unread books on my nightstand and very long wish list at amazon.ca!
Watch TV - It's almost embarrassing how much I love TV. I blame my father. Apparently, when I was little - not even a year old - he and I would watch reruns of 'Star Trek' early in the morning so my mom could sleep. I recall many a happy time at my grandparents house watching cartoons or Charlie's Angels or Lawrence Welk in colour! (We didn't have a colour television at home until 1984.) We would actually watch TV as a family! Well ... my dad and brother and I would watch 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' and 'The Cosby Show' together. And, now I have a computer thing in my basement that is full of nothing but episodes of television shows! An embarrassment of riches for sure!
This has been a good exercise. I've realized that I do an awful lot of farting around and that there are other things I like to do that I ought to do more often. Tune in next time for the next installment of 'Side Projects (or How I Spend My Free Time)'!
Cheers,
Laura
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