But I also have my guilty pleasures.
I think I feel less guilty when I remember one of the smartest guys in my college telling me that his favorite movie was "The Love Bug."
This was a time in the early 70's when no one would admit to anything but seeing the most sophisticated of foreign films - I mean we were COLLEGE students, for god's sake. After registering my surprise and disgust at his choice, that HE, a philosophy major for god's sake chose a Disney film, and a silly one at that, as his favorite film, his response was, "Hey, I work hard, I use my brain 24/7 so when I want to relax I don't want to have to think. I want to laugh, enjoy myself."
So as another smarty pants whose mind works overtime, I took that as a free pass to indulge MY guilty pleasures (I would say pleasures, but I am sort of guilty about them).
Lifetime Movies
I have already confessed to this guilty pleasure in my blog "Lifetime Movies," so I won't bore you again on that one, but, c'mon, who wouldn't want to watch a movie called "Mother, May I Sleep With Danger?"
Gossip Magazines and really juicy celebrity bios
When I fly, nothing relaxes me more than reading about Bruce Jenner's possible sex change or whether Jennifer Anniston will get married or not in the gossip rags. I would never dream of gossiping about my friends but hearing about the travails of the rich and famous? Well, I find it relaxing. And I feel I am doing a public service when I hand them off to the flight attendants and see how happy they are. As for the celebrity biographies, I have to review them for "Library Journal." That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
A Latte and a scone after going to the gym
I know. What's the point of going to the gym if I am going to negate it by eating a scone? At least it's a "skinny" latte and it could be worse. I could be going to McDonald's after the gym like some people I won't name...(but whose name starts with H and ends in ubby.)
Jackets
It all started when I was 12 and the rich girls had these cute little matching skirts and jackets that I couldn't afford. So now I have 75 jackets. So there, you rich girls!
Earrings
Do I really need 100's of them? No. But they never turn on you like your tight jeans. When I weighed considerably more than I do now, I couldn't fit into skinny jeans but my earrings always fit. That's comforting. When I'm feeling fat, I buy earrings.
Scarves
See "Earrings" above. I feel very Parisian when I am sporting a perfectly tied scarf. And they hide a multitude of sins!
Late Night Talk Shows
Not sure where I got this from, but it could hark back to my childhood.
My Dad was against late night talk shows. I think he thought they were too risqué (for all of my Dad's stellar qualities, he was a bit of a prude). So I think that was forbidden fruit for me. Remember Tom Snyder and Joe Pyne? Ah, those were the days.
When I was in college and living in married housing alone while my young husband was in Vietnam, Johnny Carson helped me feel less lonely. I would go back to my house late, after play practice, and sit up, listening to Johnny while I did my homework. What I loved about his show was you never knew when something really impromptu and funny would happen, such as when Johnny asked Frank Sinatra what records HE plays when he wants to get someone in a romantic mood and then Don Rickles comes in to surprise and insult him. Enjoy!
Reality TV
It all started with "An American Family" that played on PBS in the early 70's. That was classic cinema verite. The camera followed around the Loud family of Santa Barbara and captured one of the sons coming out to his parents and the wife asking her husband for a divorce.
That was followed by my all-time favorite documentary, the Up Series where director Michael Apted followed the lives of 14 British children from the age of 7 to present, with the presumption that social class predicts one's future. Does it?
Those two series are the epitome of excellent reality TV. I was hooked.
However, I can't really explain "Ru Paul's Drag Race" or "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" or "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" or "The Bachelor" or "Celebrity Rehab" or "Wife Swap" or..."Cheaters" or "Southern Charm" or..."Real World"...
Dining Out/Happy Hour
Here's how I feel about going out for dinner and/or drinks. It's the best way to get away from the distractions of the home and have real conversations. You can really talk when you are around a table, no distractions and some drinks don't hurt.
Sleeping in
I have never been a morning person. Hubby gets up at 6am even on the weekends. Ugh. I am amazed I was able to get to work on time all of those ears before I retired. Now most days I don't have to be anywhere early so I can indulge myself and get up when I please. Of course, it doesn't help that I am also a night owl. Ever since I was a little girl, I didn't want to go to bed. I think I thought I was going to miss something. Now I think it's just inertia.
Dressing up my dogs
It all started with my first blog where I thought it would be fun to illustrate classic books using my dogs as models. And it all went downhill from there. I am now hopelessly addicted.
What more could a girl want?
Arrrr!
Romeo, Romeo,
wherefore art thou, Romeo?
Fiddle-dee-dee
While I was working it was possible to rein some of these things in.
Now that I am retired, I worry I will spend my time watching Lifetime movies or late night talk shows, celebrity gossip magazine in hand, eating a scone wearing a new jacket and a big pair of earrings, scarf nattily tied, with a dog dressed up like Honey Boo Boo sitting next to me.
Or not.
Life is short and sometimes pleasures few. Enjoy yourself without guilt!
What are your guilty pleasures?
Dare you confess?
See you Friday for the
"The Week in Reviews"
Thanks for reading!
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