Aficionados of obscure Canadian bands from 1988 will certainly be singing along to that title: …shouldn’t be a problem. One day in your life, shouldn’t cause you pain. Because it’s one day that you might never be around here, and I’ll never ever see you again.
Well. That got a little dark for a minute.
My favourite day of the week is Friday, or, as I like to say to my sons’ extreme consternation, Fri-YAY. My older son says Mom in that certain way that our offspring have to say that we are unbelievably lame creatures, us mothers, whereas my younger son merely closes his eyes to indicate the psychic pain I cause him for using a term like Fri-YAY.
But it is a Fri-YAY to me, I save special treats for that day and I minimize jobs and chores, and here’s how last Friday, the final Friday of November 2024, went down.
3:56 am. I wake up and think about things until the clock strikes four, and then I get out of bed and stumble to the kitchen, where I start that pot of ambition. I drink two glasses of water, perform my morning ablutions, and get dressed in the clothes I have set out in the main floor bathroom the night before. I turn on the Christmas tree and get Rex out of his crate, which is a true highlight of my day, since he behaves as if it’s been years since we’ve seen each other. He’s like the Mary Oliver poem about starting the day in happiness come to life.
Friday is a great day in Rex’s life, because it’s Garbage Day. I grab my flashlight and coat and we go to the shed where the bin is locked up away from bears. As I drag it up to the road, he runs back and forth excitedly. After that, we go inside where I fill his food and water bowls, fill my own coffee cup, and start my laptop. This is my designated blog reading time, so if you’ve ever had an incoherent comment from me, probably the coffee hasn’t kicked in yet.
5:21 am. Yoga time! I read a poem first and then meditate on it while I practice.
This is followed by a Peloton ride.
7:15 am. The sun will be coming up in 15 minutes, which is perfect timing as I don’t like walking in the dark. I rehydrate and change my clothes, put on mascara and tinted lip balm, and we are ready to go! For a change I decide to hike up Knox Mountain. There’s no snow at our house but there is a bit on the mountain, and that adds many, many minutes to our walk, as Rex eats, rolls in, and frolics through the scant snow.
9:31 am. We finally get home and I am ready for breakfast. I make a smoothie, tidy up the kitchen, and decide that I cannot abide the state of the floors – side eyeing Rex – and so I give the main floor a quick vacuum and wash.
10:20 am. I shower and scrub out my shower – I do this while my hair mask is absorbing, hot housekeeping tip – and then moisturize, apply makeup, and get dressed. I practice my Spanish to let my hair dry a little before taking the blow dryer to it. I’m on a 1006 day streak!
11:43 am. I don’t usually write on Fridays, but I’m on a self-imposed deadline to finish my second draft before January, which is when my Revise and Edit course begins. I set my mental timer for twenty minutes, and after that I treat myself to reading a couple more blogs.
As Laura and Suzanne know, once the glasses are on, it’s Business Time. (HI LAURA HI SUZANNE). Does anyone remember the Flight of the Conchordes? When you get down to just your socks, it’s Business Time. Anyway, it’s not THAT kind of business.
12:21 pm. Lunchtime! Yesterday I had made a vanilla ice cream mixture and so I put that in the ice cream maker to churn while I eat lunch. I add chopped up Oreos and consider myself a contender for Mom of the Year. I read a chapter of my current book, which is Real Americans.
1:30 pm. I have a pedicure appointment at 2, but I need to stop at the library first. I do this and later discover after I left another of my holds came in. I had put all my holds on pause when we went to Italy, and I currently have eight library books at home, plus three at the library, plus TWO MORE in transit. Oops. I have a lovely pedicure, and come home to see my husband and son in the yard putting up the outdoor Christmas decorations. Rex is out with them too and he’s pretty excited to see me. He comes inside with me where I brush my teeth, call my mother, and then come back out to be a consultant for the decorations. Should the walrus and the penguin be together? Where does the llama go? Should the snowman go under the overhead vines as a welcoming committee?
3:59 pm. This is it. This is the day where the sun sets before 4:00. I’m mainlining Vitamin D at this point. We go back inside and have Cocktail Hour: first, a chilled shot of Limoncello to sip, reminding us of Italy, and then a glass of Chianti.
5:00 pm. A knock on the door, and it’s a delivery from UPS. My dear, sweet friend Elise has sent me a package and it’s absolutely incredible. Does she know me or what?
5:30 pm. It’s time to make dinner, and it’s my favourite, the one I could eat on repeat indefinitely: Greek salad with hummus and pita. What better day to have my favourite dinner? Since I (always) make dinner, the guys clean up the kitchen.
7:00 pm. While they are cleaning up, I change into my pajamas and do my dental and skincare routines. Then the three of us watch an episode of NYPD Blue. It is a ROUGH one. If you know, you know. After that we are all kind of silent, and I read a few more chapters of my book while my husband watches hockey and my son disappears.
8:47 pm. Bedtime! I’m calling it a day. A Fri-YAY.
Weekly Reading
To The Women. I have been reading these poems in the morning before yoga and let me tell you, this uplifting collection could not be better timed! has words of wisdom about body image, aging, and loving yourself more and more as time goes on. For those of us side-eyeing our wardrobe as it relates to our newfound perimenopausal tummy, this is a really inspirational look at aging.
The God of the Woods. About halfway through this mystery-thriller about a young girl who goes missing from summer camp is this quote: “She read Walden out of sheer boredome and found herself annoyed by Thoreau: his self-regard, his tone of superiority, the way he doled out advice so obvious as to be insulting. Here was a rich person playing, thought Louise. There were poor people far more resourceful and self-sufficient than he was; they just had the grace and self-awareness not to brag about it.” HELLO. Seldom have I felt so seen. I don’t think I’ve ever had my feelings about Thoreau encapsulated so well, so that boosted the book for me right there. But more interestingly, that paragraph basically sums up the whole book. It’s a foreshadowing and a thematic statement all in one and I AM HERE FOR IT. I love when authors leave little hints like that. Anyway, this is not my usual genre, but I picked it up because it’s so buzzy right now. And even though I don’t love mystery-thrillers, I really liked this, I found it a nice twisty entertaining read that kept me guessing until the end. Damn if I don’t feel bonded with Liz Moore right now, too. Living deliberately my ass.
Real Americans. This was an interesting reading experience, a book about three generations of Chinese-Americans that deals with wealth, class, assimilation, fitting into society, and, wildly, the ethics of genetic modification. It’s also about family and making the best choices given the circumstances. I really loved the first third of the book and then I liked it a bit less as it went on. As literature, it’s quite a remarkable accomplishment, spanning decades and generations and weaving historical events into everyday life. There are some interesting questions raised: what role does fate play in our lives, what does it mean to be part of a family, is wealth incompatible with living an ethical life? It’s a thought-provoking and very well written book.
Congrats to all my friends who participated in NaBloPoMo! I saw quite a few “day in the life” posts and was inspired to do my own – waiting until December, of course! I’m always a bit reticent to do these posts – is anyone really interested in the minutia of my life? – and then I realize that I myself am fascinated by them, so why not. Next up: an AMA! Happy December, friends. xo
I loved your day in the life, Nicole… In fact, it’s one I’d love to have! Lots of movement, reading, writing, REXIE, and Greek salad!!
That Thoreau encapsulation in _God of the Woods_ could have been written by you! So apropos!
Hahaha I know right? I was like “I FEEL SO SEEN”
I loved God of the Woods. I am not a mystery reader in general, with the exception of Louise Penny, your Canadian national treasure, but I will read anything Liz Moore writes because she is such a great write! That Thoreau quote is so perfect!
Your day in the life was delightful. Truly a Fri-yay kind of day!! And I love the down to business Nicole with glasses! I would love to read your novel!!!
I hope you will get to read it someday, Lisa!
I don’t enjoy mysteries generally either but I agree, Liz Moore is a gifted writer!
Big thumbs up on DiTL posts!
Thanks Jamie!
Yes! Yes! More DITL posts! I love them, and I love your day. Rex made many appearances, which you know makes me happy. I love your festive mug, wine glass, and pajamas!
I think I’ll check out To The Women. I think my post-menopausal tummy would enjoy it. And, I liked God of the Woods. That Thoreau quote is pretty funny, and I liked your reaction to it.
I thought you would like my festive items!!
OMG YES WE’RE INTERESTED IN THE MINUTIA OF YOUR DAY!!! Fri-yay 4Life!!!
My favorite part of the day is getting Doggo out of her crate first thing and taking our first outing of the day. My second favorite part of the day is every other doggy minute with my ferocious cuddle bug.
For whatever reason I couldn’t get into GOTW and DNF’d it, and if it wasn’t for you I would have missed out on the Thoreau dis. You gave me the best part! What you said about Real Americans – I adored the first third of the book so much so that I continued to read the other two thirds of it while I increasingly skimmed and said WTF.
Hahahaha the Thoreau dis totally made the experience for me.
I like day-in-the-life posts, too, both other people’s and looking back on my own once several years have passed. It always seems like so much has changed, but I’m guessing there will be less change now that we’re out of the parenting minors phase of our life.
Beth’s alarm goes off at 6 on weekdays and I usually go back to sleep for a half hour or so, but even so I only go to bed an hour later than you. I have always needed a lot of sleep.
Walden is just insufferable. I remember laughing about it with Noah when he had to read in high school. (Have you read Texts From Jane Eyre? It’s a parody book consisting of text conversations of characters in literature. The Thoreau section is hysterical.)
I haven’t read that and I’m going to look it up RIGHT NOW. But don’t let me put it on hold yet, I am drowning in library books. THOREAU!!!!! That fucking guy, I always think when I see someone quote him. Arrrghhhhhhh. Well. We feel similarly on this topic!
I re-read a DITL post from when the kids were in preschool and it was so different from my life now, I’m glad I wrote down the details.
What a great day your FriYay was! Yoga beside the Christmas tree must be extra special. And— having an option to hike up a mountain for your walk is awesome. We don’t have those choices here in Ontario. I enjoyed Real Americans, but when I read your amazing reviews I often feel I should go back and re-read a book as I missed so many nuances.
Thanks Pat! I miss the vicinity to the Rockies, but having mountains IN town is pretty cool!
You always inspire me! I used to be so organized and kept to a schedule but I find myself doing it less & less and I’m not meeting my life goals as a result. This post reminds me that consistency is key. As far as your glasses go, you’re like a reverse Clark Kent-put them in and suddenly you are a Super Author!
Awww you’re too sweet!
I agree that consistency is key! Also having a hard deadline (JAN 7TH!!!)
Your Friyay sounds just perfect. I always say that I’m THANKFUL THAT IT’S FRIDAY in a big oprah voice during prayer time on the way to drop off the littles at school and I get the eyerolls but I know they love it 🙂 Moms just gotta mom, ya know? Is there any lettuce in the greek salad?
Moms be momming!
No lettuce in the Greek salad, I keep things old school traditional around here (although I DO use vinegar instead of lemon juice in the dressing!) (and no onions!)
Lovely!
Thanks Sarah!
I love all those photos of a happy Rex! How do you get a happy dog instead of a neurotic one? Just asking…for a friend.
I thought God of the Woods was so good. I just couldn’t stop turning the pages. I also really thought the timeline at the start of each chapter was genius. I always say I’m not a visual person, but then something visual like that happens and helps me understand and suddenly I am a visual person!
The timeline was great, it was so helpful to see where we were in the story!
I love reading about your day! Your walking view is so beautiful. 🖤
This sounds like a perfect Friday.
Thanks Kari, it was a lovely day!
Ah Flight of the Conchordes. My husband and I still frequently say “that’s not part of it, but it’s still very important” and “business hours are over baaybeee” Will never stop loving that song.
Am going to put The God of the Woods on hold for that Thoreau quote alone. Absolute gold.
STILL VERY IMPORTANT! I love that you love it. Oh, and any time I’m anywhere where there are a lot of men, I instantly think “There’s too many dicks on the dance floor.”
I really like this kind of post to get a sneak peek of others life. I also wait until 4am to get up. I like your long morning routine with silence, dark time for one self, and exercise! Please do more. I also enjoyed the gods in the wood, especially the ending.
Oh yes, you’re an early bird too! I love the early mornings.
The ending of that book was really satisfying!
Nicole. I loved everything about this post. Every. single. thing. I loved seeing how ridiculously early you get up and thinking: My, that is one badass woman. I loved seeing your walk. And your supper. And I loved reading all about Rex. And I love that you wear PJ sets to bed.
I would show up here 365 days a year to read DITL posts from you.
I have a confession. While I think Thoreau is largely insufferable and Walden is a real slog, there are a lot of quotes I found really inspiring and helpful over the years. It’s one of those “I take what helps me and discard the rest” sort of ideas. But…can we still be friends?
Of COURSE we can still be friends!!!!
You’re so sweet, thank you so much, I’m glad you liked it!
Loved god of the woods and I love the ditl posts!
Where did you find that poetry book? It sounds like the kind of thing I love for morning reading… I can’t find it at our library or available at mosaic books 🤔
Leneigh, I’ve had that book for a while and I just went to look it up – and it’s not available anymore! I have no idea how or why that happened. I also have Wild Hope by that author that I’m going to start soon, it looks like that one is widely available. Do you follow her on IG? I’ve had good luck with getting Mosaic to order books for me when they don’t have them, maybe they can try that?
I am here for the minutiae of everyday life. And WHY library? Every single time I pick up a hold at the library, I get a notification a few hours later (or the next day) that another hold is ready. I mean, I realize they can’t realistically get all the holds in at the same time OR keep the holds back until all the holds are ready – but it would make things easier on ME.
Hahaha Gigi, I’m glad someone else has that problem too. I mean, I just get home AND THERE’S A NOTIFICATION? And I’m just drowning in books which isn’t BAD but it does mean I’m going to be frantically reading!
Of course I want to read all the details about your day! I loved every minute! I would like to know more about your ice cream maker. Yes, you are mom of the year! I loved seeing you in your glasses and knowing that you’re still working on your book, which I can’t wait to read. Another super adorable gnome has come into your life. I love To The Women. I should re-read it, and I love your idea of reading a poem then meditating on it.
I’m so happy you have To The Women too! I have Wild Hope on my bookshelf and I’m just waiting for the right moment to read it – very soon, I think! My ice cream maker is a Cuisinart and Michelle, if you like ice cream, I cannot recommend it enough. It makes it so easy. You just blend cream, milk, sugar, and whatever flavourings together and let it chill and then you just pour it into the ice cream maker. Easy peasy.
Your wake up time is so impressive!! And your discipline. I have the new Donna Ashworth as well and I’m waiting for the right moment to dive in.
Anna, is it Wild Hope? If so ME TOO. I’m not quite ready to dive, but soon.
Your day sounds exhausting to me, but it’s probably the 4 am wake up call. Friday is my favorite day because we almost always do date night. And I was born on a Friday, so there’s that 🤓
I’ve read Rachel Khong’s books and enjoyed them. I seek out Chinese American authors to better understand my DIL’s culture.
Haha, but it goes the other way too, Bijoux – when people stay up to some crazy hour (LIKE TEN O’CLOCK! Did you know there’s a ten o’clock AT NIGHT?) it seems exhausting to me! I’ve always been an early riser.
If you haven’t already read Do Not Say We Have Nothing, I recommend it! The author is Chinese Canadian, and the book is excellent.
I love DITL posts! I find it very interesting to hear what other people do all day. I also had a phase where I would watch Costco hauls on YouTube, don’t judge me. But seriously, I also (you could probably guess this) love watching “cost of” videos on YouTube, like how much it costs to live in city X, or what people spend on travel, or what they spend on every day life, or how much it costs to bikepack for a month…etc. It just fascinates me to see the different ways of living, and I don’t feel like I watch to judge, but just because I am curious. And the same goes for DITL, so keep them coming.
I love that Rex loves you so much. I am dog sitting right now, and she is an English Setter, which really doesn’t mean a lot to me since I don’t know much about different types of dogs, but she loves to run, which I love, and often will try to be in the same room as me, which is pretty cute (unless it is bed, which I don’t really like). Rex also always looks so happy! His expression just screams joy.
I am now seriously tempted to video and send you my semi-monthly Costco hauls! I fear they’d be boring and repetitive though since I buy the same things over and over. No judgement, I didn’t know those existed, and I find that kind of thing fascinating too! I also am interested in how much it costs to live wherever, or lifestyle costs.
Rex is definitely a happy dog!
Oh, this was a fun read, Nicole! I enjoy DITL posts — maybe I’m nosy? LOL But it’s fun to get glimpses of what people’s days are like! I’m amazed at how much you do and how organized/adhere to a schedule you are/do. I am quite the opposite — despite my desire to be better scheduled. Sigh….
It’s funny because here we are, with daily temps from 45-65 degrees and I’m all like, “It’s too cold to get up early!” Or “It’s cold so I need to eat warm foods”. It makes me feel like a real wimp when I read other people still eat salads, drink cold smoothies and ice cream in the winter. Ha!
I love the idea of doing floor exercises by the lit tree! And I love that Rex is your sidekick all day!
Thanks so much M! I also love reading DITL posts, maybe we are both nosy/ curious! I do adhere to a schedule, I find it very grounding. When I don’t I feel really “off” if that makes sense.
I don’t find it really cold here at all but it’s definitely not in your temperature range!
Me!Me! I am eternally interested in Day in the Life posts, and yours was a banger! (Speaking of: I now have Business Time stuck in my head. Such a bop.) Loved your recap of the Liz Moore. It was a very readable book and that quote you shared hits the whole theme right on the button.
Your selfie with Rex is adorable. I feel like you are two of the most joyful creatures on the planet. Should you ever manage to be in the same space as my child, I think the world might implode into rainbows and fireworks.
Aww thanks so much Suzanne!
Yay to Flight of the Chonchords! We sometimes use ‘I’ve got hurt feelings’ around here when we are sad.
I don’t think it ever occurred to me to crate a dog overnight. We crated Mulder when we weren’t home when he was young, but once he stopped chewing on things we put it away. What is the benefit, do you think? Not being woken up by a dog scratching themselves at night? Not waking up to the sound of a dog barfing? Not hearing the toenails on the wood floor while you’re trying to sleep? It seems like I can come up with quite a few reasons all on my own.
That Rex sure is a happy, darling boy. I love his white paws almost as much as I love his Muppet face.
Hi J! We have crated both our dogs overnight. Part of it is the reasons you mentioned, but also both Rex and Barkley before him liked their crates, they use(d) them when they wanted a cozy place to sleep. I mean, yes, we have dog beds around the house but that’s just where they sleep. I’ve never had an issue and they both seem perfectly happy doing it. They get treats in their crate. At a certain time of the evening they both put themselves to bed, and just go to their crate on their own. I think it feels safe and snug to them.
Well Rex is clearly a very happy dog, I didn’t mean to suggest otherwise. When we had Mulder’s crate, he would sometimes go in there to sleep on his own, but at night I don’t think he ever did. I know Birchie’s dog is in her crate at night, and I’m curious if that will be forever or just while she is destructive; and I know Engie puts her dog in her own room at night. I’m just nosey and want to know about how everyone lives their lives!
That’s what DITL is all about, J! I love being nosy too! I didn’t think you were suggesting anything, no worries!
There was not a single copy of the Donna Ashworth poetry book available in our entire dozen-library system, and it looks like it might be very much my thing, so I ordered an inexpensive copy from eBay, and I am going to tuck it into my own Christmas stocking.
This is the second positive review I’ve seen TODAY ALONE for the The God in the Woods book, so I’ve added it to my library To Read List, which honestly this point I should just call my Nicole List.
I love that, Swistle!
YAY! More DiTL posts, please and thank you. I love the minutae of people’s lives. That’s why I force everyone to read about mine. Muahahaha.
I am in awe of your 4am wake-up time AND NO NAP IN THE DAY. I guess that’s because you go to bed before 9pm, haha.
Yes going to bed early is the key here!