Weekends

Weekends are a contradiction.

We look forward to them all week because they offer so much potential and so many possibilities.

Then the weekend arrives and we feel torn. Torn between catching up on all those things that never seem to get done during the course of the week, socialising, or just resting.

Weekends consist, of two lists, the lengthy to do list of the enthusiastic home keeper and the actual list of the well it's the weekend let's just relax home keeper.

List number one looks a bit like this:
paint the fence
dig the garden
mow the lawn
tidy the shed
clean the pool
go to the shops
catch up with friends
go sailing
bake an amazing dinner
polish the silver

list number two ends up being list number one, but ever so slightly modified:
sleep in
have a relaxed and lengthy breakfast/brunch
wander outside and see what needs doing
pick up newspaper and come inside and do the crossword
wander over to the computer and check Facebook
goob on the computer for a while
search the cupboards for something to eat
have lunch
linger over coffee
afternoon nap
oh beer o'clock
crack open a beer and wander outside again
water the garden whilst wondering what to have for dinner
duck off to the shops to pick up a few things for dinner
get home, open another beer or pour a glass of wine
cook dinner
eat dinner
watch TV
go to bed


This is the problem with weekends, there's always an excuse to just take it easy.
The house really needs a good clean, a noble thing to do on the weekend. But well it's not much fun cleaning up when the family are at home traipsing over the newly mopped floor, or messing up the kitchen after it's just been cleaned. So better leave the cleaning for another day.

The garden needs digging and weeding and replanting. But it's a bit hot in the middle of the day, and it's important to be mindful of not getting too much sun exposure.

The weekly shopping is a good thing to catch up on, but the shops are always so busy, everyone seems to be out doing the same thing.

I could write that job application, but it's the weekend, and weekends are all about having a rest from thinking about work.

We could spend all day sailing, but really there's so much to be done at home, we really should stay home and make sure we get it all done.

The lawns needs mowing, etc, etc, but hey weekends are the time for relaxing, I really should be taking the opportunity to catch up on rest and sleep.

And so the tug of war continues for two days, between achieving something and just having a jolly good rest. By Monday morning, no matter which path you took, the rest and relaxation, or the busy social life and catch up on house work path, you feel vaguely dissatisfied that weekends just aren't long enough, and maybe you should have chosen a slightly better way to spend your two days off.

Meanwhile you can start your lengthy to do list for next weekend.........