Relaxing the QB Way

Winter Weekend Bumming

By Belle Byrd
QuailBellMagazine.com

Office life does not allow for the adrenaline rushes of Quidditch games. The feeling of satisfaction that saturates you from feathered cap to pointed toe after finishing a research paper hardly outweighs the feeling of satisfaction you'd get after completing a magic quest of epic proportions. At the end of the typical day, you're drained and perhaps disappointed. You could've been the heroine in a Jane Austen or Diana Gabaldon novel. Instead, you barely earn the recognition of the other entry-level employees at work and your overall passion for life is pretty much non-existent.

But why gripe about how far your daily routine strays from high fantasy or raunchy historical fiction? The weekend has arrived. You need to thank yourself for surviving another forty hours of paper-pushing hell. Relax and pamper yourself the QB-way:

•First off, you are spending the weekend alone at home all snuggly-cuddly-wuddly with no interruptions. You are the dragon, this is your cave, and you will scorch anyone who attempts to steal your treasure chest, i.e., precious free time.

•Change into your favorite, most frivolous attire. The more costume-y, the better. Even if you're hanging out by yourself, you can still look like a siren (or intergalactic medieval babe) doing it. Dress yourself up for the joy of it, not because you have to “look presentable” or “impress” anybody. 

•Brew some black tea, add a wee bit of sugar and milk, and blow off a couple of hours listening to bagpipe hits and letting your thoughts wander. 

•Get your hands on a bunch of old books from a library discard pile, local non-profit, or thrift shop sometime during the workweek. When the weekend comes around, rifle through all of the books in search of awesome or coo-worthy images. Then make a collage or simple stop-motion animation. You can even turn the endeavor into a scavenger hunt. 1950's shaving cream ad? Check. 

•Watch The History Channel for waaaay too long and don't bother thinking about any of the shows until you've vegged out for at least an hour.

•Go through all your old photo albums. Tell yourself how beautiful you looked during the ages you always considered yourself incredibly unattractive or at least awkward. Maybe photocopy pictures from that era and découpage a mirror frame.

•Surf Etsy.com for a while and build an imaginary Christmas list or wedding registry in a spreadsheet or Powerpoint.

•Teach yourself an obsolete craft or skill and master it. Repairing typewriters? Fencing with a Shinai? Why not?