I actually stole the idea for this post from Katrin at Landy of Candycanes… it seemed somehow appropriate seeing as I am, in fact, currently home alone. Katrin did it is part of Random Thursday, but I obviously can’t do that seeing as today is, in fact, not Thursday.
Things I do when I’m home alone
Not cook proper meals. Unless I’m really craving something, when I’m home alone meals do not involve any chopping, peeling or crushing. If it can’t a) be heated up in boiling water (hello Kartoffelknödel!), b) be shoved in the oven, c) be poured from a tin into a saucepan and then heated or d) be made in the toaster I ain’t eating it!
Watch TV. We’ve only had a TV since this year – and we only bought it because in Germany you now have to pay for a TV licence whether you actually have one or not, so I still haven’t got used to having it around. Also, when Jan’s home I’m usually too busy doing bloggy type stuff, cleaning and cooking after work to switch on the TV, so it tends to only be on if we’re watching a DVD or if Jan switches it on to watch the news or some history/nature programme. But when he’s away, I will occasionally look for some programme that doesn’t require the use of my brain (no history documentaries here!), make a cuppa and then sit back and enjoy.
Leave the dishes for a few days. When I’m not cooking full on meals, I don’t use as many dishes… and I also don’t need to wash half the things in my kitchen just so I can get started on cooking! One small saucepan, a cup and plate don’t need to be washed up straight away, right?
Eat peanuts. Jan is allergic to peanuts, so usually I try not to have anything containing them in the house. He’s not severely allergic.. so it’s not like he’s going to die if I open a packet of peanuts near him… but the symptoms he gets are pretty annoying, so to be considerate I simply don’t buy anything with peanuts in. When he’s away, all that goes out the window. Peanut M&Ms? Gimmeeee! (And yes, I will eat an entire large bag in one sitting. Who knows when I’ll next be able to eat peanut M&Ms?)
Go to bed early. I knoooow, totally pathetic. But when Jan is home, we don’t even eat until 8:30 p.m. at the earliest (I actually have a rule that if he isn’t home by 8:30, I will eat by myself, but often enough I misjudge the time cooking will take and it’s not even ready until closer to 9). If I try to go to bed on a full stomach, sleep is not going to happen, so I usually don’t make it to bed until around midnight… and I have to be up at 6. When I’m home alone, I occasionally manage to be in bed early enough to get a whole 8 hours of sleep!
That’s all. It doesn’t seem like much, but with the hours Jan works I’m basically home alone most of the time anyway. The only difference is, when he’s in town I do expect him to be home at some point so I will actually cook real food and wash the dishes ready for his arrival (leaving me no time for TV!).
What do you like to do when you’re home alone?
Confuzzledom 