STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Maat · Kenneth Cole

What do you do during the week?

Metric · Gucci

I do nothing. Its really quite sad.

Ok, its not that I do nothing...I do nothing interesting. I get home after 6pm most nights, so by the time I get home, make dinner, walk the dog -its bedtime. I just don't feel like I have enough time during the week. I wish I could go out, see friends or go to the gym but I just can't seem to find the time. I was taking some classes a few months ago 2x a week and I just about had a breakdown b/c I couldn't find enough time to study and do all of my regular "chores". It sucks.

Sometimes I really feel like my life is passing me by. It has really hit me hard since we bought the house at how much time regular life takes up- grocery shopping, cleaning, the dog, paying bills, and on and on. I feel fortunate if I get in a day once a month to go snowboarding or go on a date with my DH.

I honestly don't know how to remedy this or even if there is a remedy. I guess its just how life is.

Deuce · Dooney & Bourke

I do nothing besides housework during the week. By the time I get home make dinner feed the animals and clean up I am wiped and spend the rest of the night one ST, watching tv, or working on the computer. Then it is time to force myself into bed so I can wake up and go to work in the morning. I am glad I am not the only one who feels like work consumes my week. And I am also having the Sunday blues...why can't the weekend last a bit longer.

cc · Marc Jacobs

I work late so unless I have plans with people I tend to get in a rut and come home and plop myself in front of the tv or computer. Other than that here are the very exciting things that I do with my weeknights:

-cook food that I can bring for lunch or have for dinner later in the week
-chat online with friends who live in other parts of the country
-go to the movies by myself
-work on foreign languages - either listen to cds or do exercises in a workbook. I used to take Italian classes but the place I went to was kind of expensive.
-research future trips. This is really dorky but I'm obsessed with travel and I have binders where I keep articles and information on different locations. I usually wait until I have a pile of magazines and articles printed from the internet and then I'll spend some time organizing them.

Other ideas:
-host a movie night
-attend some sort of arts event - gallery opening, late night at a museum, local band show
-in the warm weather take a long walk after dinner

ETA: I accidentally lost the rest of my message and now I can't remember what my other ideas were. Lately I've been thinking of making some sort of schedule for myself - like one night a week I have to do cooking, one night is for movies or something cultural like a museum, 3 nights a week I have to work on my French, I need to spend the hour before bed reading etc. - just so that I get out of the bad habit of zoning out watching tv.

-- Edited by cc at 00:49, 2006-02-13

NCshopper · Hermes

Metric wrote:

Sometimes I really feel like my life is passing me by. It has really hit me hard since we bought the house at how much time regular life takes up- grocery shopping, cleaning, the dog, paying bills, and on and on. I feel fortunate if I get in a day once a month to go snowboarding or go on a date with my DH. I honestly don't know how to remedy this or even if there is a remedy. I guess its just how life is.

I feel the same way. It feels like my twenties are just zipping right along and I don't feel like I'm doing anything interesting. It's really depressing to think about.

Most nights I come straight home and end up just staying around the house the rest of the evening. I try and get a walk in a few times a week. Sometimes DH and I will meet up at a bar for a drink or go to a wine tasting. You could always do craft projects, like knitting or scrapbooking if you're so inclined. Or how about joining a book club? I've thought about doing this for quite awhile and I just need to suck it up and join one. I think most Borders, Barnes and Nobles, and most libraries should have some sort of book club you could join.

You could also get involved with your alumni association or your sorority alumnae association or get involved with a local sports team. A card night with your girlfriends could be a fun tradition to start too. I'd steer away from work group activities, because although the people are fun and all, you're with them 10 hours a day, and keeping up with your other friends is more difficult, but more rewarding, IMO.

There really are a ton of things to do, but if you're like me, the problem is just doing something and getting over the initial inertia. Just having one thing to look forward to a week would probably be a huge improvement for me.

Anyway, HTH! I think there are a lot of us in the same boat, so don't feel like you're the only one that's like this.

JackieO527 · Dooney & Bourke

I will go out to dinner, catch a movie, go see a friend, go out to happy hour with some co-workers, shop, go to the gym, I try and fill my weeks with little activities to keep from dreading the week.

Karina · Chanel

i have been looking for something to do myself. so far i go to the gym 2-3 days a week. if you find anything interesting, let me know. maybe we can go together. i was looking for cooking or hip hop dancing classes online yesterday.

ILoveChoo · Hermes

I go home, eat dinner and kill time watching tv until it's time to take a shower and go to bed. It's a sad, pathetic life. I feel like I don't have the time or energy to do much else... but will be checking this thread for suggestions.

Bastet · Kate Spade

Hubby and I get sushi every Tuesday, which helps break up the monotony of the week. I also try to cook interesting meals a few times a week.

I do wish I went out more during the week. I work in DC, so there are lots of fun places to go. But every one I know is either (1) married and they just go home at the end of the day or (2) single and want to go out, but with the intent of meeting someone of the opposite gender.

ILoveChoo · Hermes

Bastet wrote:

Hubby and I get sushi every Tuesday, which helps break up the monotony of the week. I also try to cook interesting meals a few times a week. I do wish I went out more during the week. I work in DC, so there are lots of fun places to go. But every one I know is either (1) married and they just go home at the end of the day or (2) single and want to go out, but with the intent of meeting someone of the opposite gender.

Bastet- where do you go get sushi? We're in DC too and I have the same problem- pretty much all my friends ever want to do it go to bars and hook up.

(not that I'm anti bar... just not every freaking night!)

blubirde · Chanel

My girlfriends and I have a girl night at least once a week, during the week, usually Thursdays (DWTS is sooo much better with all the girls around). So that's always something to look forward to. Also I have my "alone" Tuesdays. The boy leaves me be and I can watch tv, surf ST, eat lots of hummus, etc. and I don't feel bad about it.

Monday-Wednesday I go to the gym after work, so I don't get home until around 7 something. I've found that if I want to do something else, other than come home and chill, I have to grab a shower right away and head right back out the door. If not, I'll end up watching tv on the couch.

There's a local theatre that does interesting movie nights. Tonight they're showing Richard Pryor Live (I think that's what it's called) for $1. I sooo want to go! But then, I don't know if I can get home from the gym, change, and get back out in enough time. And the boy certainly won't be able to.

Honestly? I enjoy spending my time after work at home, doing stuff around the house. I try to do some chores during the week so my weekends will be completely free for fun things.

Sometimes I'll visit a store after work/gym that I haven't been to before (or that I really like) and spend about an hour there seeing what they have and what I want, etc. It may seem small but it really makes me feel like I've done something.

I really SHOULD start going out more though. When I'm out, I eat less. Even if I'm drinking, I still consume less calories because when I'm home I eat all the freakin' time!! Hmmm... wine or ice cream? I'm gonna say wine.

gingembre1 · Kate Spade

Tuesday - Yoga 7:15-8:15, then salsa in San Francisco at the GlasKat

Wednesday - Pilates 5:30 - 6:30, then dance practice around 8, then maybe social dancing with my team at DownLow in Berkeley.

Thursday - Used to be yoga, but now it's "Essentials of Business" I figured it could be a useful class, whether I decide to pursue an MBA or not. It's the beginning of a certifcate program through UC Berkeley for kind of a mini-MBA.

Friday - Nothing! Woohoo!!!!

Other things I would like to do if I find the time: belly dancing, Bikram yoga, take massage classes, ballet classes, Spanish classes, maybe a cooking class.

bumblebee · Coach

lately i have been coming home and bingeing on TV, which doesn't make me feel good. the problem is that i've been getting up early (for me) at 6:30 and working out hard in the mornings, and then i work a really long day so i don't get home until around 8. by then, i am too exhausted to do much, including cooking, which i love.

like blubirde, i do try to tidy up my house, pay bills, take out the trash, etc. during the week so that i can keep my weekends free for fun activities. i also sometimes get a little stir-crazy and cannot stay cooped up in my house--so i like to go to the borders that is open until 1am and look at books and magazines, or i will run to the mall to pick up a gift or look around at stuff.

erin · Chanel

no idea where my time goes, especially since i am on leave from work right now.

i guess most of my week is filled up with boring stuff like laundry, cooking, paying bills, cleaning, catching up on email, etc..

i have sign language once a week, and i usually try to get together with friends at least once a week.

TheLovelyLady71 · Hermes

Yes, I'm like the rest, or most of you, I just work, go home, play on the computer for about another hour, watch TV, read, to bed. LOL BORING!

We were going to shoot pool on Tuesday, but we haven't even done that in while! UGH! I need some SPICE in my life/relationship! LOL

bex · Chanel

when i am actually home, i usually spend the time trying to catch up on things that i need to get done for when i am gone again.

considering i just realized the hard truth that i am a fat ass, i will probably start exercising a lot more.

when i am on the road, i read and i do exercise.

sorry, i'm not much help for ideas...

when i had a normal existence, i used to participate in local community theatre and i also was involved in Big Brothers/Big Sisters

Ally S · Kate Spade

Amen Sister!

I am generally too wiped out for much more. I do try to do a few house things and hang out with my family, but I get really bored too.

Maat · Kenneth Cole

So, everyone else is not doing really exciting things during the week? I'm not just a loser? I think I figured out my problem: I've been trying to think of one thing that I can do every week on a Wednesday to break up the week and have been having trouble because most routine things are boring. So, I am going to come up with something different for every week to do. I will plan it on Sunday (call a few friends, but plan something fun for myself if nobody wants to go out because it's a weekday) when I have the Sunday blues to cheer me up and then on Wednesday, I will do it. So, this week, I am going to go shopping on Wednesday for my trip. Next week I will be on vacation so no problem there. Then, the next week, I might take a class at the local cooking store. I'm really going to try to stick to it no matter how lazy I feel during the week.

alb · Marc Jacobs

that's a great idea, maat (I have the same problem as everyone else--no time and too tired for anything fun, blah). Please let us know what you decide to do each week so we can get ideas and live vicariously through you!

Bastet · Kate Spade

ILoveChoo wrote:

Bastet- where do you go get sushi? We're in DC too and I have the same problem- pretty much all my friends ever want to do it go to bars and hook up. (not that I'm anti bar... just not every freaking night!)

I live out in Northern VA at the end of the Orange line (which is definitely part of the reason I don't get out as much as I want! I would love to live in the city). The place we like is called Kabuki Sushi in Vienna. It opened in April 2004 and has the largest, most varied menu of any sushi place I've ever been to, even the ones in the city. Its at 128 W. Maple Avenue in Vienna, VA.