“It’s so nice,” I said sitting in the comfortable chair at her kitchen table. “I wake up, read from my book, stretch a little bit, then have a bit of coffee with some hot chocolate.”
“I envy you,” said Marrianne.
It was just another day. I made a trip to Brisket, Mac & Cheese. Neither of us were in the mood to cook but we both knew we needed to eat. The kids were with their father for the next two weeks so she was in pure work mode. We didn’t really have too much time to hang out.
When her kids were around her schedule was as follows:
1. Wake up
2. Coffee
3. Kids off to school.
4. Work until the kids get home.
5. Soccer, karate, basketball, track, etc.
6. Home for a late dinner.
7. Kids to sleep.
8. Clean up whatever was left over from the work day.
9. Two glasses of wine
10. Off to sleep.
When the kids weren’t around her schedule was as follows:
1. Wake up.
2. Coffee.
3. Work until she’s blurry eyed.
4. Unknown amount of wine.
5. Food, if she remembers.
I tried to stop by at least once a week when the kids weren’t there so she could remember to do something other than sit in front of her computer. This was a general pulse check. We usually made a quick dinner and decompressed. It’s amazing how conversation and dinner with a friend can release stress.
That night was Brisket, Mac & Cheese. We had pulled bbq chicken, biscuits, greens, mashed potatoes, gravy, and of course some brisket, mac & cheese. This was pure comfort food. I got enough so we could each have lunch and dinner for the next few days. Plate half. Eat half. I typically only ate enough so I could make the drive home and not fall asleep on the way.
“So, you aren’t on anything?” she asked, thoroughly enjoying the pulled chicken.
“Nothing. No Fakebook. No twitter …”
“Don’t you mean X?” she interrupted, with a smile on her face.
“Fuck X and fuck that clown,” I said with a mouth full of tasty beef brisket. She laughed out loud. “Where was I? None of this twit/face/insta/space is on my phone, computer, or iPad. As I said, it’s so good. There’s no doom scrolling.”
“Ugh. All of the kid’s updates are pushed out via ‘Fakebook’. They have the local Mom group, soccer group, karate group, you name it. If I want to keep up with my nieces and nephews or friends across country or back up north, I just pop on and pop off.”
I looked at her and my eyes turned to slits.
“Yes,” she admitted. “Yes, sometimes there is doom scrolling but I try to get back to life as soon as possible. I’d never get anything done if I didn’t set a timer for myself. I try to keep to 5 minutes.
“I would like the freedom that comes with being away from it all for a little while.”
“It’s amazing. I got off fakebook in 2016. It was twitter for a while but then went to the shitter. It wasn’t that I wanted to step away, I was just tired of being disappointed by people I really liked.
“Now if I could just clear out the rest of these apps and narrow down my address book, life would be much easier.”
“As long as you don’t lose the number for Brisket, Mac & Cheese, my life will be much easier, too.” She opened a bottle of wine and poured us both a glass.
“To friends and food,” she said raising her drink.
“To friends and food,” I echoed.
“We should get one for the Gram.” She had a smile on her face.
I looked at her and my eyes turned to slits. She laughed out loud and took the picture anyway.
“I envy you,” said Marrianne.
It was just another day. I made a trip to Brisket, Mac & Cheese. Neither of us were in the mood to cook but we both knew we needed to eat. The kids were with their father for the next two weeks so she was in pure work mode. We didn’t really have too much time to hang out.
When her kids were around her schedule was as follows:
1. Wake up
2. Coffee
3. Kids off to school.
4. Work until the kids get home.
5. Soccer, karate, basketball, track, etc.
6. Home for a late dinner.
7. Kids to sleep.
8. Clean up whatever was left over from the work day.
9. Two glasses of wine
10. Off to sleep.
When the kids weren’t around her schedule was as follows:
1. Wake up.
2. Coffee.
3. Work until she’s blurry eyed.
4. Unknown amount of wine.
5. Food, if she remembers.
I tried to stop by at least once a week when the kids weren’t there so she could remember to do something other than sit in front of her computer. This was a general pulse check. We usually made a quick dinner and decompressed. It’s amazing how conversation and dinner with a friend can release stress.
That night was Brisket, Mac & Cheese. We had pulled bbq chicken, biscuits, greens, mashed potatoes, gravy, and of course some brisket, mac & cheese. This was pure comfort food. I got enough so we could each have lunch and dinner for the next few days. Plate half. Eat half. I typically only ate enough so I could make the drive home and not fall asleep on the way.
“So, you aren’t on anything?” she asked, thoroughly enjoying the pulled chicken.
“Nothing. No Fakebook. No twitter …”
“Don’t you mean X?” she interrupted, with a smile on her face.
“Fuck X and fuck that clown,” I said with a mouth full of tasty beef brisket. She laughed out loud. “Where was I? None of this twit/face/insta/space is on my phone, computer, or iPad. As I said, it’s so good. There’s no doom scrolling.”
“Ugh. All of the kid’s updates are pushed out via ‘Fakebook’. They have the local Mom group, soccer group, karate group, you name it. If I want to keep up with my nieces and nephews or friends across country or back up north, I just pop on and pop off.”
I looked at her and my eyes turned to slits.
“Yes,” she admitted. “Yes, sometimes there is doom scrolling but I try to get back to life as soon as possible. I’d never get anything done if I didn’t set a timer for myself. I try to keep to 5 minutes.
“I would like the freedom that comes with being away from it all for a little while.”
“It’s amazing. I got off fakebook in 2016. It was twitter for a while but then went to the shitter. It wasn’t that I wanted to step away, I was just tired of being disappointed by people I really liked.
“Now if I could just clear out the rest of these apps and narrow down my address book, life would be much easier.”
“As long as you don’t lose the number for Brisket, Mac & Cheese, my life will be much easier, too.” She opened a bottle of wine and poured us both a glass.
“To friends and food,” she said raising her drink.
“To friends and food,” I echoed.
“We should get one for the Gram.” She had a smile on her face.
I looked at her and my eyes turned to slits. She laughed out loud and took the picture anyway.
