5 THINGS TO DO ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON (more later)

{ August 19, 2006 @ 2:12 pm } · { Fun Things To Do }

After reading a post on WordPress by Mr. Lee Iwan entitled “10 Things to do on a Friday afternoon,” I felt inspired and compelled to write this little post.  Mr. Iwan’s post depressed me.  On a Friday afternoon, all I want to do is get home so I can start my two days of freedom from work, worry, and stress.  (That’s the initial plan anyway.)  Mr. Iwan suggests that a Friday afternoon should be spent cleaning up your comptuer, organizing your desk at work, making lists for the following week of work, helping out co-workers.  I suppose all of this might be helpful and reasonable, but, let’s face it, it sucks.  TGIF was not made describing acts like cleaning up your desk and getting rid of extraneous files on your computer.  TGIF is a celebration of the fact that for two days I don’t have to be a slave to the job that’s paying my bills. (and of course this does not apply to those who work fulltime jobs (maybe two at time), seven days a week, because our stupid country can’t get it’s head out of it’s ass and raise the minimum wage.  I fully submit to the fact that this post applies to a certain class-level, and I am excluding other issues involving class–my bad.) Now don’t get me wrong–I love my job (so far), but I like my free time as well.  So instead of spending the beginning, middle, and end of my weekend worrying about the next week at work, I am presenting my own version of “10 Things To DO” that is more of a celebration of being able to spend two whole days doing whatever I want (that is within my budget of course).

 Also, as a another disclosure, all of these things are things I like to do, and may not be appealing to anyone else but me.

1) Go Thrifting.  Thrifts stores are perfect for college/postgrads in that you can find relatively new things for your apartment/closet for cheap prices.  Thrift stores are myriad in most areas.  I find that most Good Will stores have a good stock of items.  I’ve found designer clothes with tags still on, furniture for my house, books I’ve wanted to read at very, very, very cheap prices. 

2) Treat yourself to a nice meal.  Now, I don’t mean go out and spend all your money on a fancy dinner.  I have found that all week, I don’t get to have a meal that I get to sit down and enjoy.  While I am working, I am always eating stuff I have in my purse, or running into places and grabbing something I can scarf down quickly.  Then, when I get home in the evenings, I usually cook or throw something together.  However, on Saturdays, I see it as a chance to go to my favorite place to eat, order my favorite thing to eat (there or to go) and sit down and enjoy the fact that I didn’t have to cook it. 

3) Be a Couch Potato. For some reason, most people have the mindset that they have to “do stuff” on the weekends.  The weekend should be full of all these fun activities.  I think it is perfectly okay to take a Saturday and do absolutely nothing with it.  For instance, instead of running around all Saturday, doing this and that, just get some comfy blankets and snuggle up on your couch in front of the TV or your DVD player.   Saturday is the day which most cable channels play movies all day, so just veg out in front of the TV and watch movies all day.  If you need food, you don’t have to go out.  Just order pizza, chinese, anything that can be brough to you, so you don’t have to move:).  If you feel guilty for being lazy, make someone else be lazy with you, and it will displace some of that guilt.

4) Actually give yourself as much time as you like to be active.  During the week, I find I am always squeezing in a walk, or a run, or some time at the gym.  I like to be active, but I find that the time is not always there.  So, on Saturday give yourself an hour, two hours, whatever you like to be active.  Take a long bike ride.  Take the dogs for a long walk.  Take your time at the gym.  When you know that you don’t have to be back any time soon, it makes the workout that much better.  Now, if it is extremely hot outside, as it has been recently in D-town, then I suggest taking another look at #3.  Nasty weather is the number one excuse for being lazy.

5) Make your rounds.  During the week, we may not get to see all the people we would actually like to see during the week.  Sometimes, after I come home from work all I want to do is sit, down and relax, not be social.  So, use the weekend to see all your friends/family.  They may even have better suggestions as to what to do on a Saturday afternoon.