So now that December is sprinting by faster than a hungry cheetah in the African Savanah, let's talk presents. Not for other people, oh no, presents for ourselves! Maybe you don't have a secret, fantasy gift you try not to acknowledge.
I do. It feels shameful, wrong to want this, and I've done my best to conceal it, but it's bursting to come out. The gift I really want but would never admit?
Twenty-four hours all alone with no agenda.
Yeah. That's right. I want to be completely selfish without interruption for an entire day.
I imagine it would go something like this...
1. Sleep in super late and actually wake up feeling refreshed. (This hasn't happened in fourteen years--the waking up feeling refreshed part.)
2. Breakfast--french toast, bacon, and a pot of hot coffee with my favorite creamer--would somehow appear on a tray before me.
3. After the breakfast plates magically disappear, I would snuggle the down comforter around me, enjoying a pajama-clad moment, then I would pick from a selection of novels I've been dying to read. The next three hours would pass in a blurry-eyed fictional world until more food--soda and chocolate included--arrived.
4. To give my eyes a rest, I might catch a marathon of House Hunters, and I will yell "Pick number 2," at the screen until they do indeed pick house two.
5. More reading will follow. Then a chick flick. Or an epic fantasy flick. Then a delicious dinner. And another book.
You can see how this goes. What can I say? I miss having big chunks of time to read. When I was young, we lived in the country and my mother set strict limits on how much television we could watch. So I spent much of my free time either playing with my big sister or reading.
All of those uninterrupted hours didn't appeal as much to me then as they do now. I mean, the thought of reading a book straight through? So tempting! I usually have to read novels two to three chapters at a time because of our busy schedules.
So now you know. A full day of nothing sounds like the perfect gift!
Do you ever fantasize about being completely selfish for 24 hours?
Enjoy your Monday!
I'm not sure what I'd do with 24 hours of uninterrupted time. But it would be nice!
ReplyDeleteOh, 24 hours of me time sounds like the most incredible gift I could possibly imagine. I was supposed to have a weekend alone in October, but even that was going to be mostly spent in catching up on household chores. And then family emergencies canceled it anyway.
ReplyDeleteSo it remains a distant, wonderful fantasy!
This is why my husband and I try to take a vacation with just each other every few years. Whay you should ask for is a 24-hour stay in a Hilton. Their beds are heavenly, and they can bring you breakfast in bed, etc. :)
ReplyDeleteMmm... your day sounds fabulous, Jill. There's no wrong in wishing for something wonderful for yourself once in awhile.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful gift, Jill. Hope you get one for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteFrench toast! Yum! I hope Santa brings you your gift. :)
ReplyDeleteYour fantasy 24 hrs sounds just about perfect!
ReplyDeleteI remember the busy young mom years and craving time for myself. I hope you get your gift, Jill. In fact, I'd like to see you get an entire weekend to yourself. =)
ReplyDeleteFrom your computer to Santa's ears, I hope! My elf hat goes off to you for admitting your wish... Desire for alone time can feel selfish, but it sure isn't.
ReplyDeleteWhen stress peaks its head, I daydream of a lengthy weekend at a hotel alone. LOL (Psst, Santa! Please note that, too. ;))
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteLaura: Not sure? I could fill your 24-hours up too--easily! :)
E Louise: Oh, no! Notice I left all hint of chores off my fantasy day. If I'm going to be completely selfish? Mopping and dishes will not occur!
Heather: Sounds magnificent! I'm adding "Hilton" to my fantasy day. :)
Ayda: See? I knew you were smart!
Constance: Thanks--I hope so too! :)
Jessica P: Me too! Thanks :)
Erica: Doesn't it? *sigh*... :)
Keli: Now you're talking! Ha!
August: I'm whispering in elves' ears for you too. Fingers crossed!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
I couldn't agree more except for wanting to hit pause on time so I could relax without fear of falling behind on something else.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, yes! I'll take it Alex. Now!
ReplyDeleteSteve and I have gotten addicted to International HH on Fri. nights.
I get you there.
~ Wendy
Sounds like a great day to me. I hope you get your present.
ReplyDeleteJill, it is a DAILY fantasy of mine. 24 hours all alone. Wow. I'd write until my eyes burned and then write some more, I think. All while curled with a comforter and my crit partner handy by phone!
ReplyDeleteThank you for saying it becasue I want the same thing. Oh how I want the same thing!!
ReplyDeleteI love it, Jill! I yell at the TV when I watch House Hunters, too! Then my hubby will stroll by and say, they'll pick number one and he'll be right :) Yeah, sometimes I fantasize about a selfish day, and it definitely involves eating, reading, and commonly there's shopping in there, too!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds heavenly! I would spend my day similarly. Only waffles instead of French Toast.
ReplyDeleteYour 24-hour free day sounds perfect, Jill, especially breakfast in bed and watching an epic fantasy flick.
ReplyDeleteMy gift wish? That the dog would magically be walked and fed in the morning, so I don't have to get up early, lol!
I'm all over that! It would be incredible. Maybe we'll all get our wish! :)
ReplyDeleteP.W.: That's a very real fear of mine too--getting even more behind! Ouch!
ReplyDeleteWendy: Don't you love when they go to Europe? Or the beach??? :)
Loree: Thank you--a girl can dream, right? :)
Jaime: Yes! It's a daily fantasy of mine too. Sometimes it involves me writing, but most of the time it involves me reading!
JA: I can feel your desperation and I completely understand! Let's hope... ;)
Cindy: Yeah, and I want to be right when it comes to House Hunters. You know what I'm talking about. :)
Katie: I like waffles. Powdered sugar? :)
Brandi: Yes! My dog does sleep in but she's a yapper. I would like no barking for 24 hours! Yay!
Susan: Maybe we should all check into the same Hilton and make this happen??
Thanks so much for stopping by!
This sounds like the best Christmas present ever! Man, would I love this.
ReplyDeleteActually, my husband gave me two nights at a hotel of my choice for just myself a few years ago. Some people thought I was crazy, but man, that alone time was SO SO nice.
I haven't had a vacation or an honest-to-goodness day off since 2010, so a day off sounds like a dream come true. My husband insists that in the new year we'll make up for the fact that I'm in such desperate need of a break by figuring out how to get me a whole week of rest :) I'm already planning out the books I'll read and the movies I'll watch too.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get your day :)
Oh yes, I dream of this often. A day without kids and interruptions. Something tells me in a couple more decades, when I have those days every day, I'll miss the craziness of today. But in the meantime, I'm all about booking that room at the Hilton. Or maybe making enough money from my writing to afford a kid-free trip to Jamaica. :-) Well, the Jamaica thing is dream-world for sure. But it's still fun to think about.
ReplyDeleteOhhh yes, I'm right there with you, Jill! I just got back from a trip with my family and realized that vacation as a mom is never really a vacation. It's more work! I had several days of dreaming up the same scenario you just described. :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a wonderful gift! I treasure the days when I get four or five hours to myself, and sleeping in past 6am is a rare treat. I love my family, but I wish my husband could understand how tiring it is to be with children all day, and how tough it can be to watch kids, keep house, and find time to write.
ReplyDeleteJanet: Crazy?? Never! I say it's a sanity saver for sure! How sweet. :)
ReplyDeleteMarcy: Your husband sounds really sweet. You need a week off! Maybe two!
Naomi: I know--that's why I feel guilty. Someday I'll look back on all this and miss it, but right now I just want to read a book in peace! :) And in Jamaica!
Sarah: Oh, I know. I know. We go camping every year--which is beautiful and fun--but it's work. Every vacation seems to involve work! Ugh.
Stacy: It is hard. And let's face it, our daily routine isn't super glamorous. :)
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Sounds like a wonderful gift idea to me! Talk about luxury. I hope you get your wish at some point! (psst--it's okay to feel a little selfish LOL)
ReplyDeleteThis is a no brainer for me-
ReplyDeleteThe best gift I could receive is-
Spending a three-day weekend in a nice (Not posh/expensive, just clean and semi-luxury) hotel to get away from the stress of daily life.
I've never had the chance (Or the money...) to travel, but at this point, just a few days away from high-strung or high-patience relatives, even if I never left my state, would be a miracle on Earth for me.