Happiness is Sleeping Whenever You Want

~ Jenny

I’m so far into the Book Zone now, I’m not really present for reality (until I go out for food, then it gets real). Bob signs off every night before eight and does human things (I assume), but I’m in this weird “work for awhile, sleep for awhile” cycle. The best thing about it is, when I get tired, I go to sleep. As somebody who had to be at work at 7:30AM for fifteen years, this is ecstasy. I wake up when I wake up, I write when I have ideas to write, I sleep when I sleep. This, Argh People, is bliss.

How did you find bliss this week?

49 thoughts on “Happiness is Sleeping Whenever You Want”

  1. Toast, weirdly (heatwave continues). Obviously also ice and that kind of thing, but I found the toast (sourdough, unsalted butter, garlic salt DO NOT JUDGE ME) particularly blissy

  2. I’d been running close to empty for a while, and then got thrown into fixing something that I thought I’d dealt with (five times!) on the day I was looking forward to having a bit of space to myself. About the point when I realised that trying to fix the problem had led me into a catch-22 loop, and that trying to solve the problem through a different agency just led me into that same loop again, I swear I could hear my brain crack.

    Happiness has been shutting down the things that I was meant to do this weekend so that I didn’t burn out completely, and looking forward to going away for a couple of days on my own tomorrow. Happiness has also been bingeing the series Spy x Family.

  3. My best friend died five years ago (I know this doesn’t sound like a happiness post but stick with me here). She had health issues she wasn’t willing to live with and so killed herself. Until then, we’d had 33 years where we emailed, voice mailed, talked in person, or talked on the phone (never texted) on average twice a day. I don’t think there are adequate words to describe what a void her death left in my life so I won’t try. Her name was Cathy when I met her and she decided she wanted a more adult upgrade to Catherine which I could never remember to use so I called her Cath which I could always remember. She started signing her name that way, as Cath. Last week I got a tattoo of her signature, Cath, on my right arm on the underside, so mostly only I can see it, facing up at me every day. I got the idea of tattooing a signature from a book that someone on this site recommended. I’ve never had or even remotely wanted a tattoo until I read that book and realized that this was a tattoo worth having. Not sure this counts as blissful, but I do know every time I catch sight of that tattoo, it makes me happy.

    1. I am so sorry for your loss. And any little bit of peace and light is certainly worth celebrating.

    2. Such a great, bittersweet happy.

      A friend of mine, not as close as your Cath, but someone I knew in college and kept in regular touch with, was murdered a couple years ago, and he had this terrible, unfounded fear that no one would remember him after he was gone, so I keep a bookmark on my computer with his name, which leads to a collection of pictures of him. Not as permanent as a tattoo, but the bookmark on my screen (right next to a link to the weather page) makes sure that I think of him daily.

  4. ACtually, my bliss is as yours. I rise when I rise, sleep when I sleep. I just looked at a clock, then another clock. I’m feeling a bit sleepy, and I thought it was 8 PM. No, it’s 8 AM. I’ve been up all night reading and such. I’ve done my daily Walk-Around-The-Block, hours ago. I’ve eaten. I was contemplating lunch, but now I’ll wait until after I nap.

  5. My happiness this week is in having friends. My quilty friends and I contributed to a reef project for the art museum a while back. (We had to crochet some spirals or seaweed forms.) Yesterday, we took an outing to see the installation. It’s been so long, that we really couldn’t tell which ones were ours, but that was beside the point. We experienced the museum together, went to a separate quilt display, had lunch (and ice cream!) chatted. It was really fun.

  6. Saint Mary here. I know I can be blessed with bliss but right now it eludes me. Nothing earth shattering only that we’ve gone through a surplus of tv’s this week trying to find the right one. First was an inexpensive model but the only one who could watch was if you were the one that sat directly in front of it. If you sat on the sidelines vision was blurry. Plus it would not accept headphones. We returned it and went to big box store and bought another a bit bigger and more money only to find out after it was set up that it mutes the sound when I use the earbuds. So we can’t watch together. Go figure! Maybe it is me but you would think that when a product goes through R&D and quality control that bug would have been worked out. We created a list when we went shopping but some things did not make the list like a closed captioning button on the remote – not there. I see the Geek Squad guy in our future. I will have bliss we will have happiness just not today.

    On a side note do not get on the highway on a Friday heading south to The Cape in the summer, ever.

    Really good weekend all the grandchildren were over yesterday to celebrate their dad’s 55th B-day.

    1. That’s right. Never, never, never, get on a highway to the Cape on a Friday, unless you actually are going to the Cape. In that case, make sure you have an assortment of snacks, audiobooks, and music. And an automatic shift, so you don’t arrive with one leg cramped up from shifting.

      1. So the Cape you’re both talking about is Cod, right? Not May, not Ann, not Breton, not Horn or Henlopen?

          1. Correct! Rather than cut off a driver or being cut off my husband made the decision to just get on the highway, quickly. That’s why Massachusetts drivers are called Massholes by other incompetents. Tried to merge into the rotary but didn’t make it.

  7. Happiness is time off from the day job. I took off Monday through Wednesday and it is amazing how much lighter I feel. There is so much that I want to do. I am trying to balance chores with breaks. The only downside is that I am already low key dreading going back. I didn’t know that I was disliking it that much. But Martha Beck says to change your life by one degree turns, so I will work on that.

    Also, I bought a set of oil based paint markers on a whim and am loving working with them. I may need to buy more. I am grateful for the joy and curiosity the new medium is rekindling in me.

      2. I definitely don’t think of it as my career. If I did that, I think that I would despair. I spent a few years trying to make it as a creative, but as Jennifer says, it is very unstable. Also, I just don’t think that I was mature enough artistically to make it. I still don’t think that I am there, and it’s not just the self doubt talking. I am trying to grow slowly. But I do think that I need to move off the teller line into something less people-y.

          1. +1 for that book, and also a later one by her (Barbara Sher), Refuse To Choose. The later one is a deeper dive into one of the chapters in the first book that resonated with many people (including me).

        2. Lupe, since you mentioned that you work on the teller line, I figured you work for a financial institution. Have you thought about trying a different position in your organization? I worked for a credit union (I was the receptionist, helped members with their problems and found someone else to help them if it was something I couldn’t do) and many of our tellers transferred to other positions after feeling burned out. Some suggestions of positions to look for are: loan officer, account representative, call center rep, back office positions such as atm dept staff, delinquency dept. Maybe something like one of these would work out better for you. Good luck!

          1. Thanks! That is the eventual goal. I am waiting for an opening in another department and scoping out my options. Til then I am working on cross training and keeping my eyes open for opportunities to work with other departments so that I get a sense of them.

  8. I’ve enjoyed my daily walks – especially the new one I did along a canal the other day. Also editing the garden to create new focal points, and then sitting in it to enjoy them. Chatting to fellow plot-holders at the allotments. And eating my strawberries and blueberries. The late-season strawberries are so dark and sweet.

  9. Happiness is knowing the 60 pound Lab will be going home very soon. She is a sweet, obedient, loving dog. But she is so “there”! My newest cat is just now coming out of the basement when the dog is napping. The other cat just ignores the dog. She is a good walking companion, which is nice, but the sniffing everything slows me down a bit. The other happiness is that her family will be back home, after a nice vacation. I like having them nearby. AND, it rained early this morning! After a long siege of very high heat and having to water things to keep them alive, we have had enough rain that I won’t have to water for a bit. It was very pleasant for our walk this morning. Yay!

  10. I am enjoying my new puppy. First time as a dog owner and I’m learning a lot! The heat in Texas is extreme right now, so we are just in the backyard running around in the morning and evening. While everything is so out of control in the world, she brings so much joy.

  11. I’m happy I was scheduled to be working from home this week. I have some serious crud. Doctor says it’s not covid, flu or pneumonia. He said I am having bronchial spasms which translates to lots and lots of coughing.

    I spent the week in the chair with the cat watching the work conference from afar.

    The cat has enjoyed having us home.

  12. So many of my annoying tasks are completed. I really could spend a lot of time cleaning my house and weeding, but so far there has been a much bigger emphasis on reading on the couch. A few more quiet days in the office before my boss returns, and then the excitement of her return. Both pleasures in their own way.

  13. I didn’t get to say this one last week because it happened after posting, but the crush sorta-asked me out last Sunday. Which is to say he wanted me to come to dinner with him alone and I could tell that’s what he was going for but had a hard time saying as much (“whatcha up to?”, he’s getting dinner in between show/rehearsal downtown), so he was very happy to have me ask if he wanted me to meet him for dinner 🙂 He’s told he can’t ask anyone out, so I took the hint 🙂

    It went a bit awry afterwards because he has a dairy allergy and it turned out there was surprise dairy in one of the things he ordered and I ended up taking him to the emergency room, I wasn’t freaked out at all and was a total pro about it, so go me there. It didn’t end up being too bad, all things considered, I got to go be with him in the ER while they observed him, and he was fine after a few hours and we even went to the tail end of rehearsal. He said he was glad I’d been there, I shudder to think if he’d eaten there alone.

    I have since attempted to ask him to something else–I got offered free Lion King tickets for next month and he loves that movie, but it’s normally on a day he’d have to work. He said he’d have to see about the schedule first so no answer on that one as yet, but said it sounded cool. I think there’s bonus points for him not running away screaming, ignoring the text, or asking if we can invite an entire group, at least 😛

    In other news, I’ve seen three very good theater shows in three days, including Kiss Me, Kate and (FINALLY) Come From Away, which was AMAZING.

    1. You are my favorite mini-series.
      Just like Moving to Portugal and House-Hunting in Britain.

  14. Happiness is actually having an idea to finish your book. And thinking you know what will happen. It is also sleep. And getting to do a commercial. And more sleep. Last night I had an a 7:00 AM car on Saturday morning and I came home from the shoot and slept for two hours. Then I got up and watch the first episode of miss marvel got to be fabulous. So I have something to watch. After I ride. I have to rush. Seriously not in the mood to do it.

  15. The black raspberries are done but I have some blackberries that are starting to ripen.

    It’s going to rain tomorrow, at least enough to refill my rain barrel.

    Someone recommended The Chronicles of St. Mary’s and I am really enjoying the snark.
    I seem to really need the snark now.

    Next week I have a doctor appointment, 2 meetings and a rally/demonstration. and the Following week nothing scheduled. Looking forward to that.

    1. Spoke too soon-echo cardiogram for Thursday next week. It’s been two years so I guess I’m due.

  16. We’re into the July heatwave – daily temps if 30C with higher humidity. Bliss is in short supply. But lots of bright spots. Book group meeting this week. Everyone was there which hadn’t happened in months. Our book was “The First Actress” about Sarah Bernhardt, who was vegan. Our host made a wonderful vegan meal – no dairy, so I could eat everything. It was a lovely summer evening and I was happy to be with the group of strong, active and curious women.

    For the first time ever, I planted basil from seed. It was slow to start and is still only an inch high. But it’s planted in the garden and I’m hoping it will get taller.

    I got my 4th booster. We’re deep into a 7th wave. People are back to wearing masks at the grocery store. I’ve had Covid once and while recent variants aren’t as lethal as earlier ones, I’d be happy to keep it at bay.

  17. Happy is a three-day weekend. I have done yard work, laundry, and tons of writer business. Tomorrow I go for a car wash (desperately needed), Dysport (budget-friendly Botox-equivalent), and COVID booster, following which I’ve promised myself a stop at the supermarket for a load of seldom-indulged-in junk food.

    Happy is also organizing myself a bit. Does anyone else do the thing where you write yourself notes on various scraps of paper and they form a palimpsest of Note Litter that must eventually either be transcribed onto a legible to-do list or simply swept into the trash? Well, today I did the transcribe-into-list thing. That time could’ve gone toward setting up my August title on KDP, but on the other hand I feel so much calmer having my list done, and tomorrow afternoon will suffice for set-up.

  18. Happiness is a successful karate camp. This year, I and 2 others were in charge of planning and running karate camp and it was a TON of work–especially when I had a book due and finished a day before we had to leave for camp. Now that everything is over (until I get my edits back), I am going to take this week to SLEEP, rest, and recoup.

  19. Every time I read about the heat waves in Europe, I feel worse for all of you who live there! In the long muggy summers of the mid-Atlantic coastal area of the US, we have those every summer, but we’ve all purchased air conditioners from years back, because without them, you can’t sleep or think straight during those blistering times. You have all my sympathies!

    This week, the closest I’ve felt to bliss was the joy I feel every time I get a chance to watch a home improvement show called “Bargain Block” on US television (HGTV channel). It follows a couple of guys who buy dilapidated houses in working-class suburban Detroit, which saw successive waves of job collapse as various industries and their jobs failed or closed when their production facilities moved to other countries. The pair (who are a couple) then fix up the homes, decorate them with art and skill and rehabbed thrift store furnishings and then sell them to young first-time home buyers for an affordable price, fully furnished.

    The guys are a joy to watch — one is a Physics PhD who does all the construction work and the other is a happy-go-lucky artistic type with a great imagination. They move into each abandoned home, setting up an air mattress in the cleanest spot they can find, and live in that house until it is sellable, which means they get to know the neighbors, the children, and the feel of each block they work on, and they are just such nice people that it gives you hope for humanity.

    1. Great show. I love HGTV and credit it for increasing acceptance of LGBTQ and other groups. Starting decades ago you’d watch a show and it was just we’re helping a lesbian couple or a gay couple or empty nesters or a single parent family. The hosts were diverse as well. Everything just presented in a such matter of fact way. Still is.

  20. Today I napped until 5 which was a bit late for me. It’s a good thing we had shrimp in the freezer which only takes a minute to thaw under cold running water. All the other ingredients were on hand to make shrimp scampi, a great go to meal for Sunday supper.

  21. Happiness is definitely time off work. It’s 3 am Monday in Florida and I have 4 hours left on this shift. Then I am off until Thursday @ 6pm. Yes.
    Work on Sunday nights / Monday mornings has some dead time. I wrote the 5 minute piece for my next memoir class and I am so happy with it.
    Last night was unusually dead also and a poem came out of nowhere that I love. Unfortunately I don’t feel comfortable reading it for critique @ Tuesday writers club because there is someone who will definitely be offended. Sigh.
    Sleep has been a positive for me also. I have had a good sleep 3 x in a row. Major for me. I work overnights so sleep time is days for me.
    Still enjoying ‘Portrait Artist of the Year’ and ‘Selena & Chef’; Selena being Selina Gomez. She did a show with Chef Nancy Silverton in the first season and I adore her. I didn’t know who she was but she’s cute as a button and I loved the meal they did together.

  22. Something new!

    Your Facebook account has been suspended. This is because your account, or activity on it, doesn’t follow our Community Standards.

    If you think we suspended your account by mistake, you have 30 days to disagree with our decision. If you miss this deadline your account will be permanently disabled.

    I can’t log on to challenge because I can’t get past a screen requiring me to provide a cell phone number. Guess who has no cell phone. (I own one. It doesn’t work. I don’t know the number. I do not and never will provide it for purposes of verification in any case.)

    As near as I can tell, since I use the account to echo my blog, and the blog is about diet, weight, indoor gardening, and food, the standard I am violating is that I never click on their advertising and don’t provide personal information directly. There are posts that describe where I live and when my birthday is, but I never filled in those blanks.

    I’ll miss Facebook. But not much.

  23. Stayed up a bit later than I should have finishing Jodi Taylor’s “A Second Chance’ (St. Mary’s Chronicles) and came across this:

    “Whether Henry [V] was a royal trendsetter or [that bloody awful pudding-bowl haircut] was practical under their helmets, I didn’t know. I certainly couldn’t think of any other reason for having the most hideous hairstyle in a History that includes Donald Trump.”

    From 2013. It made a very happy ending to my day.

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