Flash forward seven years, I am living alone in Arizona and need to eat. Huh. That eating out thing gets expensive, especially when you no longer work in restaurants and can’t charm the chef into throwing the rejected filet, swordfish, or lobster tail your way. Snap! So, I started cooking. I even began to enjoy it, a little. A few more years passed, and I became a wife and mom. Now cooking became an imperative. Thankfully, I began to enjoy it, mostly, because I have a partner who cooks the meat so I could focus on the sides. Real mac and cheese (never from the box) is my signature dish, and I am fortunate to have dudes who eat what is put before them (or go hungry) so it was rewarding as well. But now eighteen years have passed, and I’m soooo over it.
No, seriously, I’m so done with the cooking thing -- I can’t even. I’ve discussed this with many of my mom friends and they feel the same way.
So, how about you, Reds? What’s something you used to love but now can’t stand?
RHYS BOWEN: Oh Jenn, I agree with you completely. I have never been a big fan of cooking. I like to eat well and we used to entertain for business a lot so I've learned to be a pretty fair cook but now it seems like such an effort. What I need is Mrs. Bridges so I can summon her and say "What do you suggest for dinner tonight?" and she'll say, "Oh, I think the quail in aspic followed by a nice steak pie, my lady."
Actually I don't mind the actual cooking part. What I dislike is the thinking about it. The planning. John doesn't mind doing the shopping but he always asks me, "What do you have in mind for dinner?" and I have absolutely nothing in mind. (And I’ve just noticed that I’ve used the word mind 4 times in one sentence. My copy editor would go bananas.)
Apart from cooking I still find joy in the things I've loved all my life: I still sing in a choir. I still paint and sketch. I still like to hike when my knee isn't playing up. I certainly like to travel. Oh, but something else I no longer enjoy... roughing it. No more sleeping in tents, fetching water from a tap two miles away, lighting campfires. Give me a Marriott any day please.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Well, gotta agree. I used to cook elaborately and experimentally, lavish dinner parties that took hours and hours to prepare. For just us, even, I reveled in wonderful combinations and sauces, joyfully creating, concocting, and presenting. Now--well, okay then. Cooking is just not my thing. It takes SO LONG. I do not have that long. I am still a great cook, and when I am inspired, I rock. Last night we had grilled corn-feta-tomato-and-basil salad with grilled shrimp and snow peas. It was so pretty, I took a photo of it. Tonight , we are carrying out from The Local.
Other things I've fallen out of love with...hmmm. The radio. Weird. I never listen to the radio-radio. Because, I guess, I'm rarely in the car. Long leisurely shopping. trips. Definitely over that. Just send me the thing. And I never write checks for bills anymore--everything is on auto pay. Running! HA. I used to feel like I was flying, I loved it so much. My knees did not. Totally over that.
HALLIE EPHRON: Out of love with driving. I wish I could just say Home, Jeeves... and get whisked to wherever.
I still love to cook for the people I love. I adore planning what to make when my kids and grandkids come to visit. They're so busy day to day, I know it's a treat for them to come here and get pampered... food-wise.
I used to love to swim in the ocean, and I was a passable body surfer. Now it's too cold. Too salty. Too scary. And was that a shark??
DEBORAH CROMBIE: I won't say I'm out of love with cooking, because I still love trying new things and I'm very interested in food. But there are lots of nights when I do feel like somebody's kitchen drudge, especially with a husband who does no cooking at all, not even grilling. To be fair, he always offers to get take out, but there are only so many times a week I want to eat that. Or pay for it. And I am TOTALLY over doing any kind of formal entertaining like dinner parties. Way too much work! When my girlfriends come over for wine these days, they're lucky if I put out a plate of cheese.
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Flying. I used to love flying (and getting a pilot's license is still on my bucket list) but oh, my God, flying commercially is SUCH a dreadful experience these days. I'm not even going to complain about the security lines. It's the percentage of flights late, or rescheduled, or oops, sorry, you can't use your miles after all (because the plane only allots three seats for mileage and you didn't make your reservation back in 2011.) It's shuffling into the Jetway with a hundred other people, some of whom seem to still be in their pajamas, everyone intent on getting their carry-on into an overhead bin, because the airline charges for every checked bag. And for snacks. And for pillows and blankets. I'm waiting for the rest rooms to become coin operated. Then the pleasure of squeezing yourself into a seat that's quite comfortable - if you're a ten year old child. A short ten year old child.
I flew a lot as a child myself, and thus can remember when flying meant dressing nicely, and men at the airport who whisked your luggage away for you, and meals on every flight served on china with real silverware (the food wasn't very good, even back then, but the presentation was much nicer.) Now admittedly, I wasn't paying for any tickets those days, and I understand it's comparatively much, much less expensive to get from here to there nowadays. But believe me, we're still paying for it. Just not in dollars. Nowadays? If I can drive, bus or train to a place within a day, I do that instead.
LUCY BURDETTE: I love thinking about food, especially for a special dinner. But the night after night can become drudgery, especially with a husband who can only think of "spaghetti" when asked what he wants for dinner. Luckily I love spaghetti too...
I am also over group cycling trips, though honestly, I only had to try one to realize that it wasn't my thing.
And over trying to read books that aren't grabbing me even if everyone else loves them...
And really over driving in snow or otherwise terrible weather. Though I realize I never liked those either:) but now I'll just stay home...
What about you, Readers, what have you stopped loving?
You are all not making me want to take up cooking.... Seriously, I have never gotten that enthused about cooking for just me. All that work and clean up after a day at work for one person to eat one meal. That would be all I'd do every night of the week.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am actually over that I used to love to do - I'm just not sure. If I come up with anything, I'll come back and post.
Mark, I'm not sure I would be as into cooking as I am if I didn't have a partner who LOVES to eat and especially loves anything I cook. When I'm alone I cook simple... Eggs and bacon. Lamb chop and an ear of corn and a handful of cherry tomatoes. Shrimp and fruit. There are some really good fresh pastas and jarred sauces.
DeleteI cook more simply too, if it's just me. I always get a little annoyed when the only time John cooks is when I'm away. What, really? You made that?? You should try it though Mark...
DeleteI’m with you. If I didn’t have people to cook for I’d live on cupcakes and pizza.
DeleteHhhmmm . . . I am definitely not over cooking, or pampering grandkids.
ReplyDeleteI was always a reluctant camper, so it’s probably not fair to say I’m over that, either, even though I like Rhys’s idea of staying at the Marriott instead of in a cold tent on the hard ground.
I’ve never liked driving, so I love Hallie’s idea of having someone to whisk me to wherever [or to have Scotty just beam me over there]. But I am trying to be over grumbling [okay, shouting] at those inconsiderate drivers who constantly weave in and out of their lanes just to get in front of someone.
What I am over is the idea that I have to do it myself. I am so much better at asking for help than I used to be; I no longer think that I’m expected to be able to do everything myself . . . .
that's a good one to be over Joan!
DeleteThat's a great one, Joan. I'm working on that.
DeleteAsking for help - I am just getting good at that!
DeleteI'm with Julia on flying. It used to not bother me at all. But after a couple trips with missed connections that required overnight hotel stays (that the airline doesn't cover, of course) and then spending all of the following day in the airport because the flight they re-booked you on was canceled and nobody seems to have a clue when or if you'll ever get out of there, I can no longer stand even the idea of flying.
ReplyDeleteHub hates flying. I may have to get an RV to get him to travel (which he loves) because he hates flying so much!
DeleteRVs are the best! That would be my preferred way to travel too. You can pull over whenever you want, and everything you need is right there.
DeleteThat is the myth of RVing....NOT the truth.... I have spent nights in tire store parking lots because we blew a tire that couldn’t be replaced... a week in a 0-star motel in nowheresville because the clutch went out. You have to watch every drop of water and every drop of waste because tanks are only sooo big.... It is nice to have your own bed & bath, but you can’t always find a place to park...most places it’s illegal to just pull over and sleep for more than a few hours. And if you’re not towing a car.... try going shopping or to anywhere other than Mega Mart....there’s no place to park. We had an RV for 10 years and threw a party after donating it to Click & Clack after it died....
DeleteYou are ruining the fantasy, M. Smith! Seriously though, you make some good points. I've been fortunate in that the rare times I've traveled in an RV we didn't have any problems.
DeleteNow that my husband is semi-retired, I've had to start having a regular supper meal again. I swear that man will ask as early as noon what we're going to have for supper. Well, actually he's a bit better about it lately because he finally caught on that it irritated me. And, I will have to say that he is willing to cook some, mainly grill out and fix his bean soup, and we will go out to eat and get take-out some. And, I do love good food, but I don't want to think about a supper menu every day anymore. Tonight we had bacon and tomato sandwiches and later fresh peaches for dessert, and that was plenty for me. So, I guess I'm over worrying about what we're going to eat daily.
ReplyDeletethat sounds like a WONDERFUL meal Kathy!
DeleteI would have that meal anytime, Kathy.
DeleteSounds delish! Yes, the thinking and planning of it...ugh!
DeleteI'm not totally over cooking - especially with all this delightful summer produce - but the daily thinking about it does get to be a pain. I was over running a while ago - knees and hips just won't do it any more. I'm over volunteering to do everything. I want and need to put my energies into the important things - taking care of dying friends, training to help with our local refugee sanctuary, and writing books, of course - instead of less important jobs.
ReplyDeleteEdith, that's such a good point. Prioritize. More and more I realize that my time is not in endless supply. Keeping up with old friends, just being present takes priority.
DeleteYes, priorities are key! There is so much that is unnecessary that bogs is down!
DeleteEdith, I hope you're not over cooking because I love reading about and seeing pictures of what you cook and bake on your FB page. Especially in the winter, I want to come and live with you so that I can partake of your wonderful dishes.
DeleteI love to cook and try new recipes, just not every night. There is a proliferation of places here on the shore that specialize in ready-made dinners, not fast food. It wouldn’t work for a big family, but for just the two of us we can dine on Chicken Saltimbocca or Grilled Shrimp Linguine, all fresh ingredients, a few nights a week and cook the other nights. Same for entertaining. I can clean, cook, or enjoy my company, but not all three anymore without paying for it in spades the next few days. So I have the main dish or dessert catered and then do the rest myself. And I have a lovely cleaning crew in just before an event. It is still personal, but not nuts. I am not over cooking, just dialed it down.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so smart Deborah!
DeleteAsking for help or hiring help - so smart!
DeleteFlying is so different these days. Once so special, such an occasion--even one worth dressing up for--now it's dreary, irritating, and anxiety-making. I would rather drive, even as far as 1200 miles, and be able to eat what I want and when, and not to have to suffer the indignities the airlines punishes us with.
ReplyDeleteI have a love/hate relationship with cooking, and always have. My mother never wanted anyone to "mess around" in her kitchen, but when I was in middle school years my dad and I cooked special meals together: Swiss steak, stuffed pork chops, muffins, biscuits. My mom was the baker, and I did "get" to help shred mountains of carrots for homemade carrot cake. But I never really learned to cook until I was married. Then I called my mother all the time to figure out how to make her best dishes: chili, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, tuna casserole.
However, thanks to eight years between marriages, my oldest and youngest are 17 years apart in age. Which meant 35 years of child-raising. And cooking nightly meals. And dealing with family members who rejected dishes that were their favorites just days earlier. I totally understand why some families default to takeout food; it's stressful to satisfy everyone, all the time. Or to fight the same constant battles over eating or not eating.
On top of that issue, my husband traveled on lecture tour, mostly by car, for over 20 years, and he detests eating out. Plus, he's cheap. One benefit of this revulsion is that I have become a very good cook. It's also a handicap, because I am hypercritical of restaurant food, so much of which is overpriced and of poor quality.
But I am so over being the decider of the contents of others' stomachs. Now that my husband is semi-retired we had a little talk. I told him I was also semi retiring, and that means less cooking, cleaning, and cooking on my part. I'll report back later on how this works out.
Oh please, the discussion about what to have for dinner! And the responsibility! Sometimes it even gets discussed before breakfast! And I honestly cannot think of any more new ideas. We had dinner with some friends the other day, at a restaurant, and the wife revealed that they always eat out. She does not cook at all anymore. Whoa.
DeleteSomeone I met recently said that she “retired” from cooking when she turned 80. So if her husband doesn’t want to cook, they go out or do take-out!
DeleteDebRo
I don't mind cooking the same thing more than once, Hank. But there are things I'd make for myself that my husband refuses to eat. And at the same time, he refuses to go out. Drives me nuts, frankly. Which is why I really enjoy girls' nights out!
DeleteI am not crazy about eating out, unless it's a special treat at someplace I know is going to be really good. Because I'm a good cook, I'm also hypercritical of restaurant food. Especially after all the research (and eating) I did for A Bitter Feast.
DeleteI will eat anything so I am the ideal restaurant diner. A few years ago, I told the Hub that I’ll cook Mon-Thurs and he can take Fri-Sun. So far it’s worked out.
DeleteI definitely have no use for camping anymore. When I was in Boy Scouts (yes, that actually happened) we went camping all the time in the summer. Now, I couldn't be paid to go camping.
ReplyDeleteI was never a big fan of cooking though after my dad died, my mother made sure that she showed me how to cook a variety of meals. I can still do it but with both parents gone and it being just me in the house, I barely bother to cook anything anymore. If it gets more complicated than a toaster oven, microwave or a can of soup, I REALLY have to work up the gumption to make something.
I have long since given up on fantasy novels. As a teenager, they were my main reading interest but now I just don't have time for them. I've given up on most science fiction novels other than Star Trek books and the occasional Honor Harrington series books by David Weber. The two genres just don't hold my interest like they used to. Plus, I'm a mystery (novel) man nowadays and that suits me just fine.
I'm sure there's many other things that I don't love anymore as well.
Isn’t it funny how our taste in reading changes? Luckily, there are plenty of books :-)
DeleteOh Jay, I am right there with you on the fantasy genre. I really used to love it, and there are several that I probably rank among my all-time favorite reading experiences. But I just can't bring myself to start any new ones. Somehow, they just don't appeal to me at all.
DeleteI walked away from certain types of thrillers. I just felt like I was reading the same book over and over. Enough.
DeleteHank, yes plenty of books to read for sure. Now just need the time to read them all.
DeleteSusan, I know exactly when I started to get burned out on fantasy. It was Book 7 of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series. I read 300 pages and absolutely nothing had happened. I stopped reading it and gave up pretty much all fantasy at that point.
Jenn, serial killer thrillers? I can read any kind of thriller so long as the story is good. However, I have a real problem with psychological thrillers since so much of it is just mind games. I definitely want to see more action and straightforwardness to my stories.
I love to cook but not every night. I dread the cleaning up after cooking. I do not not cook hot meals much in the summer. I buy salad greens and prefer cooked meat or use tuna and that is my meal and easy clean up.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I have a deal about that… If I cook, he cleans up. It is one of the best things in the world!
DeleteI clean as I go while cooking and the dishes belong to the Hooligans - I would dislike cooking so much more without the help.
DeleteI love to feed people, even if it's just us, so cooking is still one of my favorite things to do. Last night we had (again) that fabulous cheese tortellini and asparagus salad. Thank you whoever put that recipe up here.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am definitely over is "entertaining." I used to adore putting on big parties, all the way from formal get out the Spode and sterling to back yard barbeques. Now there is always enough for anyone who shows up at dinner time and is willing to have a plate of whatever on her lap while watching our current TV binge. I can promise a linen napkin, but that's about it. And an adult beverage.
I'm completely over shopping anywhere but online. I hate malls. I can deal with a couple of trips to Talbots and Lands End a few times a year because both are free standing, and I can park in front. Which brings me to driving. I have a live-in chauffeur, so that's really not something I ever have to do if I don't want to. Which is most of the time.
And Lord help me, I'm disenchanted with traveling, at least the part about getting there and getting home again. It's miserable, crowded, expensive, and often delayed. Driving is ok. Flying is not.
A long time ago I gave myself permission to put down a book that was boring me. What a gift. At my age, I've only so many shots left to shoot, and I'm not wasting a moment on something unworthy of a place in that rotation. I buy several books a week, mostly for my Kindle, and I return anything I don't like. That doesn't happen often because reading the sample is usually enough to tell me what I need to know.
Who do you think keeps Jeff Bezos in business!
I so agree! No reason to read a book that is not grabbing you…
DeleteAnn, I am getting annoyed with shopping online, especially for clothes, because I have to send it back so often. It's hard to decide what will look good on me. Obviously books, electronics are fine, both other things I need to see and try in person. My daughter does all her supermarket shopping online. I like to feel my veggies
Delete100% on the books. I will not sacrifice my time on a book that doesn’t engage me.
DeleteI never really liked cooking but loved baking. I was recently diagnosed Celiac Disease and now I hate food -- and I will have to learn how to bake all over again. Apparently baking without gluten is science and I'm just not ready for that. Maybe I will be when I feel better.
ReplyDeleteI agree complete with Julia: flying nowadays is miserable! I used to love it but planes are so uncomfortable (especially if you are tall) that I'd rather drive if I can.
Poor Thing! There are lots of gluten-free things… You can explore! Xxxxx
DeleteI feel ya! My nephew a former pasta junkie was diagnosed with Celiac - his diet is so limited! Very frustrating for him :(
DeleteI gave up entertaining 22 years ago, so that doesn't count. Food if the recipe calls for 8 servings, I cut in in half and eat it for 4 meals otherwise, microwave the heck out of oatmeal etc.
ReplyDeleteTelevision. I used to be excited about a new viewing season. About 2 years ago for no known to me reason I stopped watching. Now I have more time for reading. And like Ann, if a book doesn't hold me after 75 pages it goes back to the source.
I so agree about TV, Coralee! It's barely worth having one, at this point, the offerings are so pathetic.
DeleteWhich is also why I read so much.
I’m not much for TV. I’ll hinge something if it’s recommended but otherwise...meh. I’d rather read.
DeleteMe and the kitchen...I don't cook, I bake. And now that I'm no longer eating sugar, flour or oil I guess I don't bake either. Because there's just me, I find that those things that I'm "over", I simply don't do any more.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with Julia about the traveling by train, car, bus. I'll still fly but my attitude is akin to the Stanley Tucci line from "The Devil Wears Prada". "Gird your Loins!"
LOL! Indeed!
DeleteI ignore "I should": we eat leftovers, I don't finish a book that doesn't interest me, I scan the headlines instead of reading 20 editorials, and I never was a compulsive cleaner.
ReplyDeleteLeftovers! You know that… Is always a fun challenge. I really hate to throw away food, and I will be at my most creative in trying to make leftovers, even doggy bags from restaurants, turn into something fabulous.
DeleteYeah, cleaning doesn’t even come up in my world because I live in a frat house. What’s the point?
DeleteI've given up on big entertaining. Used to be holiday dinners for 20, now it's just the two of us and it's so much more relaxing!
ReplyDeleteYes! I quit hostessing when it got to be too much.
DeleteI’m at the stage where I’m thinking about all the things I gave up because of lack of time, all the things I want to get back to doing. I’d love to take up tennis again, though with my knees I’ll never play at the 4.0 level again. I’d love to take up skiing again, though I’d have to stick to the blue instead of the black slopes. I’m enjoying reading more books, traveling more for fun. As for cooking, it was my “job” the first 20 years of my marriage. It’s been my husband’s job for the last 17 years. Maybe in a few more years, I’ll cook more again. What am I over? Worrying so much about making everyone happy. It’s exhausting and impossible. Recently I’ve focused on kind. Though don’t secretly tape me while I’m driving in traffic.
ReplyDeleteI love it. I’m just getting to the place where I’ve stopped making everyone’s happiness my priority.
DeleteOh, the Director of Happiness position is exhausting, Chris. I agree with you and Jenn. I've decided to retire from that job.
DeleteI'm over the feeling that I have to defer to other's wishes instead of my own. I never loved deferring but I would, to keep the peace but don't feel that need as much now. Now, it's still hard to stand up to my sister which is extremely irritating - I'm the oldest. But I am getting better at saying no.
ReplyDeleteCooking for one is a pain. When I first moved out, it was fine but it got old fast. I love cooking and baking. There are some old family recipes I love making still just don't want to eat it for a week so I make them for office potlucks.
Good for you, Deana!
DeleteAny article, meme, column that begins with "Women Over 50 Should/Shouldn't..." I can make up my own mind, TYVM.
ReplyDeleteDaily cooking is such a chore! Why can't we be like bears and, once a week every month, live off our body fat and have no need to eat? I really want that. Apart from that, I do like cooking for special occasions but I'm over feeding other people. i was raised with the belief that, if you cooked your kids a healthy breakfast and you had a nightly dinner at the table, your family would be perfect. Haha! But I do still love to destroy the entire kitchen to put on Thanksgiving turkey feast and Christmas gumbo.
Same! My men wore me down with their gigs and activities so if we eat together 3-4 times per week - god enough!
DeleteI used to love cooking, and I tried out new recipes all the time. Then I began having serious back problems and it became difficult to stand in the kitchen for any length of time. My rule now is that there can’t be more than three steps in the recipe, and the fewer the ingredients, the happier I am.
ReplyDeleteI loved driving until I had a job that had me on the road for several hours a day, not counting commuting time.
Lately I’ve been going to the library less often and instead have been buying print books and books for my Kindle-I had a good tax refund this year:-) With the progression of arthritis it’ll become more and more necessary to use my Kindle. Sometimes I need to put a print book down for a day or two because it hurts so much to hold it in my hands. I am definitely NOT a person who “loves the feeling of a book in my hands!” (Thank God for options!)
DebRo
So glad you have an alternative. I’ve come to love audio books - especially at the gym!
DeleteThat’s so funny, I love cooking, always have. I am single though, and can imagine when having to cook for a family it becomes a different matter. If I am tired and can’t you-know-what I can just make myself a fried egg sandwich or a grilled cheese and be done with it.
ReplyDeleteI used to love wind surfing, and now I’m over it. Such a shame as it was such great exercise and so relaxing!
Wind surfing is hard! I am impressed but I hear you. I’m more of a paddle boarder than a surfer these days.
DeleteI still love cooking as long as I get to choose when, where and how much. I still love travel though yes, the commercial flight part of it is a misery. I definitely still love driving. (Good thing, because I do it a lot in my day job.)
ReplyDeleteLike several others here, I have totally fallen out of love with formal entertaining. The cleaning, the prepping, the planning, the people who won't RSVP, the people who won't leave when it's time to leave, the cleaning AGAIN afterwards. Phooey.
I have also fallen out of love with going places with large crowds. I used to really enjoy the vitality and high energy of a big festival or amusement park or concert. Now, I find it draining, often annoying and sometimes scary. I still attend a few festivals and concerts, but when I do, that's a sign that it is something from which I draw a LOT of pleasure -- enough to offset all of the above.
Phooey - good word! LOL! Totally agree on the crowds thing - over it!
ReplyDeleteI'm at an age where I decided if I don't want to hang out with someone or go to some social gathering where I don't know anyone I stay home. Life is short. Why be miserable when I can be at home happily reading a book and having a glass or two of wine? I just don't feel that obligation anymore. I don't even need to dream up an excuse. I just say no thank you. My husband is a big social butterfly and I am not. I haven't been to any live entertainment in a while. It is such a hassle to get there, park, and fight the crowds. I rarely go to the movies now. I just wait for it to show up on TV. I'm becoming a semi-hermit!
ReplyDeleteShalom Reds and fans. I don’t drive a car. Most of my life, I lived in New York City and having a car was expensive and you didn’t need one to get around. A little bit before I turned 40 I moved to Pennsylvania, first Philadelphia and then the rural suburbs of Bucks County. Several weeks after my 42nd birthday, I had a “mild” heart attack. The doctors patched me up and sometime after that I took up cycling. It was a way to commute but the exercise was much needed by my body. Pennsylvania is known for its rolling hills and so in the beginning it was a challenge. Every mild ascent, I had to dismount and walk the bike until the road leveled out a bit. In a short time, however, I lost inches off my waist; my legs grew strong and likewise my upper body became more muscular. Over time, it was no longer just a way to get around and commute and became a true hobby. After about two years, I came into a bit of money, and I bought a fairly high-end mountain bicycle and I road that thing all around our large county and beyond.
ReplyDeleteMove ahead ten years, my rear brakes weren’t working and one day coming down a hill much too quickly and I threw myself over the handle bars not remembering that my back brakes were not there. Luckily, I was not badly hurt. And the bike was not worse for wear. However, I think I spooked myself. I could have been hurt very badly. I moved myself back to Doylestown (the county seat of Bucks County), where I could once again sort of “get around” without transportation. My cardiologist for years after that would urge me to ride again. He offered to pay for whatever fixing the bike needed. At one appointment, he actually picked up the phone and called the bike shop and gave them carte blanche to fix the bicycle. I’ve tried to get back in the saddle a few times over the years. But I think I’m done. The thrill is gone.
I’m 20 to 25 pounds overweight. I still smoke like a chimney year round. I walk quite a bit but it’s not the same. I did rejoin the local YMCA just last week and perhaps I will use the opportunity to ride the bike, which sits locked up in the basement, to the Y and home. However, I think I’ve just moved on to other things.
I went camping with some friends last October and since I still have the borrowed tent, I think I would like to do it again this October and even with others more often. I do eat fast food out. I cook for myself, but simple and not always healthfully. I rode the bicycle for more than a decade but I think I may never regain the passion.
I’m so sorry that you had to give up bicycling... but if you don’t feel safe doing it then it’s a non- starter
DeleteI am so totally over anything with big crowds, not just concerts but things like cocktail parties and noisy restaurants. Partial hearing loss makes all of those things miserable and exhausting.
ReplyDelete... and where the only potties are Porta
DeleteI still enjoy cooking and baking, especially for company. I am so over shopping. I used to love to shop, but now have neither the patience nor the knees for it.
ReplyDeleteI'm over crowded places, drivers camping out in the passing lane, cell phones during face-to-face visits or dinner, people skimming texts/not listening to conversations (thereby
ReplyDeletegetting details wrong), non-pet friendly hotels and activities, politicans (and voters) on both sides thowing temper tantrums and acting like 2-year olds when they lose or don't get their way, robo calls, and the feeling of entitlement so many people express--don't they know I'm the only Diva allowed?! ;-)
What I love: books that let me escape all of the above.
I recently planned a road trip so I could stop at the Poisoned Pen. While visiting I picked up a couple sacks of books (they had "signed by author" stickers but when I got them home and looked, I found only one was actually signed--but that's okay, the signed copies were just icing on the cake, that part of my trip was about visiting the bookstore). The Poisoned Pen did not disappoint. Next trip I'll go during one of their author events. One of the many books I purchased was "About A Dog" and I became a new fan. I just purchashed two more in the series from Amazon.com and will start on your other series soon. :-)
I'm with Julia: I DO NOT fly anymore. If it's out of car range, even a couple of days of driving, then it's out of range for me. I also don't answer the telephone anymore. If it's important, the caller will leave a message, which I can choose to hear, or not. Too damn many spam calls!
ReplyDeleteI'm over oil painting and traveling (unless they invent the Star Trek transporter). I never cooked until my mother got sick and then died but I love throwing all kinds of things in the pan or pot. Baking isn't as much fun but I do fairly well with cookies and brownies. People with partners or family should make them help plan meals for the week. Mom complained that she was bored deciding what's for dinner several years before she died so we enjoyed planning them together.
ReplyDeleteI meant to answer this yesterday. When I was in graduate school, living with unmatched dishes from our summer cottage and the Salvation Army, what I dreamed about was matched dishes and flatware at a perfectly set table. (Cue the butler at Downton Abbey). That was then, this is now. So over that. Paper plates that go into the microwave, can be thrown away-- no suds in the sink. I'm eating off my lap in front of the TV or the computer anyway.
ReplyDeleteUsually I like to cook, but for just one it is sometimes not worth the effort OR the cleanup. Right now my area is under a mandatory boil water edict, so this week very little cooking. I adore baking though. I have a thing for muffins. I have to give a lot away or I would weigh 400 pounds!!!! I love to experiment, so last week I made pumpkin spice with walnuts, chocolate chips and dried cranberries. They were delish!!!
ReplyDeleteWonderful post! Baking and cooking is fun for me. I try to avoid using the stove, however. Trying to reduce my carbon print.
ReplyDeleteWhat did I love and now I don't? I used to love watching a lot of TV. These days I do not have the patience to watch television shows with so many ads! Once in a while I will watch a movie on PBS. These days I find myself watching movies on Streaming tv instead.
Diana