Friday, February 22, 2008

My 5 Favourite Rainy Day Activities

Today, in Auckland, New Zealand, we have a storm howling outside, whipping up the waves, bending the trees and causing its own special kind of havoc. It's the weekend so all outdoor activities have to be replaced by indoor ones. Not that I mind this because a sunny day induces all sorts of guilt if I don't get out there and enjoy it despite my itching to keep writing or reading.

Going backwards towards my favourite, let's go:


5) Planning the next holiday. The photo is the three of us on a beach in Korea a couple of years ago.
I have recently been planning our next holiday in July back to see family in Italy with a side trip to Russia but believe it or not there were no plane seats available because of it being the school holidays here and obviously somewhere else as well because I have been able to book for the April school holidays. So complete change of plan - we are going in April with a side trip to Egypt because Russia would still be too cold while Egypt should be quite pleasantly warm. As you get older, the question of air and water temperature becomes more important. The only problem is that my chosen Intrepid tour (I love Intrepid because they go off the beaten track) expects us to sleep on the deck of a felucca. I have done that several times through my life (not on a felucca) and not thought twice about it but there was no mention of mattresses and that's a worry. In the Okavango Delta in Botswana, we slept on the thinnest mattresses you can image straight on the ground and I had painful pressure bruises for days after. Not good. This needs a little more thought.


4) Surfing my favourite blogs. I get up early each morning before going to work just so I can squeeze in a little blog surfing but a rainy weekend is the perfect excuse to catch up on all my bookmarked ones. Sometimes I feel quite panicky if I get too far behind and I see lots of new blogs and yet I feel deprived if one of them has failed to blog for a while. Go figure.



3) Reading. As a writer, this is not surprising and I would feel as if there were a gaping hole in my life if I didn't have at least one book on the go at any one time. My current one is the book in the photo - the story of how one man single-handedly solved a centuries old mathematical problem. My last book was quite different -Jodi Picoult's The Pact. I love her work. It's so understated, so full of subtle emotional punch and so inciteful.

2) Writing. Of course. If I go a day without writing, I feel quite dissatisfied with myself. Since the current story is swirling around inside my head, it is quite painful not to get it out there on paper so I can move on. The story never leaves me while I'm writing it and so becomes a driving force through each day. It gives a pleasant structure to my life outside of family and work.


1) The Movies. I love, love, love going to the movies. Every Saturday, I go rain or shine and will even see a mediocre movie to have the experience of going to the cinema, buying my popcorn and diet coke, settling into my seat and letting myself get carried away into another world. Today's movie choice is The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson. It was either that or PS. I Love You but I can see that one next week. In fact I must go right now or I will miss the shorts, which help me choose my future viewings.

12 comments:

raine said...

I see we share a lot of the same rainy-day activities, lol (although one of my favs--napping--is missing). :-)

Let us know how "The Bucket List" is. I'm curious.

Suzanne said...

But I only had 5 choices,Raine. Napping was number 6.
I loved The Bucket List even if a little cliched and the dialogue wasn't quite as sharp as I would have liked but the concept and acting were great. Some yucky bits too - in the hospital.

My next blog is going to be my own Bucket List.

Suzanne

Nature Nut /JJ Loch said...

EGYPT!!! OOOOH, SUZANNE!!! How thrilling. What an adventure. Can't wait for the photos. If I were near you, I'd ask to see all of your trip photos. I am living vicariously through you as I tend my pets. :D

Your current read sounds intriguing. I'm still living through Spartan battles in GATES OF FIRE. Also picked up THE HERO WITHIN which is a book about archetypes.

"The Bucket List" is a movie I want to see also. Will rent it when it comes out on video.

Have a super beginning to a brand new week. Hope that storm stops soon.

Hugs, JJ/Nancy

Suzanne said...

Nancy, the wind has calmed down and it's only drizzling now. My first day tomorrow at my new job should see sunshine again.

Suzanne

Anonymous said...

Hi again Suzanne,

I've just been on your main website - I love your bio - your philosophy on life is wonderful.

I am sure you already find much happiness (for it seems to me you know where to look for it and how to find it), but nevertheless I wish you lots more...

Tanya

Suzanne said...

Tanya, thanks so much for dropping by and for your kind words.

Suzanne

rayearth2601 said...

I agree with you mom

Suzanne said...

Rayearth, thanks for dropping in.

Suzanne

Nature Nut /JJ Loch said...

How did your first day at your new job go, Suzanne? I'm excited for you!

I have gone back and added to some of the rough draft scenes and am also moving ahead with my mainstream ms. :D Hope to say the rough draft is completed within two weeks.

Hugs, JJ/Nancy

Suzanne said...

Doing great creative things at work so, good so far.
Great going with your progress. I sent you a chapter a few days ago but my computer has crashed and can't find your email address.

Suzanne

Heather Dugan Creative / Footsteps said...

Mmmm..."planning the next holiday"... That's an essential exercise for me when we get slugged by repeated snow storms (that "air and water temperature" thing -I need warmer air and water that isn't frozen)!

Suzanne said...

Hi Heather, good to see you in here.
You'll just have to organize your life so you leave your home during the freezing weather and go somewhere warm and tropical for a few months. Wouldn't that be a dream life? Travelling according to the weather.

Suzanne