Things I don't do

Last month two of my friends Maggie and Rachel did posts about things they do and don't do. I thought both posts were fun, so here is my list. I'll start with things I don't do, and then I'll tell you what I do (do do?).

1. Clean - this includes dusting, vacuuming, cleaning up clutter, changing sheets regularly, etc. I know how, I just don't like to. I do a good cleaning a few times a year if we're having company over. For 2 years my grandmother paid for a maid to come in and give it a real cleaning as part of my Christmas present. I hate to admit it, but there may be corners of my house that haven't been cleaned since December 2010.

2. Wear makeup every day. Partly because I don't have much time, but mostly because I just don't really care about it. I was a tomboy growing up, and I never got into doing my makeup. Or hair, for that matter.

3. Return emails. Or texts. Or real letters. I'm horrible about it. If I do it right away I'm good, but if I'm busy or I think I need to think about how I'm going to respond, I'll forget. So, if I don't respond to you, don't take it personally. Just send the message again (and again, and again) until you get what you need.

4. Cook big meals. I love big meals. I even like to cook them. Unfortunately, they require planning. They require making a list for the store, going to the store, remembering to buy everything at the store, finding time to cook, actually cooking, eating, and then cleaning up. I have time to do some of these things, but usually not all of them in the same week. I did, however, cook Thanksgiving this year, with a little help from my mother-in-law, at my house (which I partially cleaned) and it was a success!

5. Swear (or cuss, or curse, or whatever you call it). At least not often. I admit, occasionally I'll get really upset about something and something will slip out. But I don't use it in normal conversation. I don't like it, and I think it makes people sound uneducated when you can't talk to someone without using bad language.

6. Worry. I learned a long time ago that worrying doesn't actually do anything. If I catch myself worrying about something, I'll stop and evaluate the situation. If I can't actually find a way to make the situation better and be proactive about it, I'll put it out of my mind and leave it alone. I know that not everyone has the ability to do that, but it works for me.

7. Eat healthy. I love junk food - chocolate, pizza, burgers, chocolate, candy, steak, fried chicken, chocolate, ice cream, fries, chocolate. You get the idea. I have high cholesterol, but it doesn't seem to make much of a difference what I eat. The only thing that helps is medicine. So I eat what I want.

8. Gain weight. Yeah, go ahead and hate me. I would. I can't help it, but no matter what I eat the scale doesn't go up. Unless I'm pregnant (which I'm not).

9. Go to bed early. I'm a night owl. I've learned to function in the morning, but I don't like it. I like the quiet night hours when Tommy is asleep and I can read, watch TV, surf the computer, or cuddle with Sam without interruption.

10. Exercise. I'm on my feet all day and I have a 2 1/2 year old. Enough said. Also, see #8.

11. Worry about germs with Tommy. The kids a walking mess some days. He eats stuff off the ground before I can stop him. He licks windows. He touches everything. I carry wipes, but not antibacterial liquid. The kid's in daycare - he's bound to have a tough immune system.

12. Stay warm. I'm always cold. That's the main reason I moved from a northern state to a southern one. I wear layers, thick coats, scarves, and gloves. And I'm usually still cold. And can someone explain to me why restaurants and movie theaters are always so cold, even in the summer? Why do I need to bring a blanket and long pants when it's shorts and tank tops hot outside?!?

That's all I can think of right now. If I think of more, I'll come back and add them. What's on your list?