Showing posts with label lazy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lazy. Show all posts

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Story 303: I Wish I Had Known It Was National Lazy Day


            “Hello everyone, you’re listening to Generic Radio Show, broadcasting live on W@!$ 1234.5, and in case you missed the announcement earlier, today is that greatest of holidays, National Lazy Day!  Yes folks, for one day only, everyone has carte blanche to do absolutely nothing, zip, zilch, nil, nada, niente, and, my personal favorite, bupkis.  Aside from the poor saps who have to work to save lives or care for loved ones or earn a living or whatever, today is also Saturday so the rest of you have the permission of the nebulous ‘They’ out there to lie around and not stir a single muscle for a solid 24 hours!  Unless you have a medical condition where you already have limited-to-zero mobility, in which case, my condolences.  For everyone else, revel in your best impersonation of a lump on a log!  I myself am broadcasting this show lounging on a float in the middle of my in-ground pool, soaking up the rays, watching the gently lapping waves, and being extra, extra careful with the equipment.  So laze on, my people, laze on!  And now, a word from our sponsors.”

            She hauled the vacuum, mop, broom, and bottles and bottles of cleaner from out of the seldom-opened supply closet.  It was a mild summer morning that threatened to evolve into a sweltering summer afternoon, so she started early enough at one end of the house, spraying, wiping, dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, and wiping again as she methodically advanced, room by room.
            Air conditioning and fans were turned on by Hour Two, but they could not keep up with her overworked sweat glands so she opened all the windows.  Alas, not a breeze stirred, and the sweat continued to pour.
            In the laundry room by Hour Three, she turned on the radio to distract from her battle with the dust bunnies and long-lost clothing, at last recovered from underneath the washing machine and dryer where they had mischievously hidden themselves untold ages ago.
            “– Day, continuing onward into the afternoon now, so I hope you’re all having a great time doing ab-so-bloomin’-lute-ly noth-”
            “What the blazes is this?!”  Using a clothes hanger, she pulled out what appeared to be a long string of dust-connected clothes from underneath the dryer.  She tried shaking it off into a garbage can, but the dust clung on mightily: “Ew, ew, ewwww!!!”
            By Hour Five, she had reached the last room and vacuumed the carpet nearly off the floor, having to stop twice to empty the dirt canister. 
Finally finished, she slumped into the living room and belly-flopped onto the couch: “That’s the last time I wait two years to clean the house.”
She heard a distant noise and realized she had forgotten to turn off the radio before vacuuming the last room.
“Well folks, that about wraps up this segment of the station’s programming.  I’ve been on the air almost thrice as many hours as I am normally, just to be with you all during this wonderful, fantabulous, majestic day of days.  About two hours ago I moved on from the pool and am now ensconced in my soft, cushy hammock, watching the clouds drifting by, the butterflies fluttering by, the bees buzzing along, the birds eating them all, and the grass growing.  I’m also breathing in the pleasant scent of lavender as a mild breeze wafts this way every so often, breaking up the comforting heat just a bit.  I also-also have a nice cool glass of not-too-sour, not-too-sweet lemonade that I’m going to set down right now, since I feel a nap coming on.  Welp, I see it’s almost 4:00, so this show is over, <yawwwwwnnnn>, I’ll be back on Monday with our regularly scheduled programming, but in the meantime, I hope you all continue to relax with me on this, National Lazy Day.  Bye, bye, bye, <snoooorrrreeee>.”
Her eyes flew open: “WHAT?!”

Thursday, February 21, 2019

Story 277: The Lazier I Am, the Lazier I Get


            (In a cafĂ©)
            Friend 1: (Slowly chews a muffin and watches Friend 2 working while surrounded by piles of paper and handheld devices) What’re you doing?
            Friend 2: Oh, work.  Work-work-work-work-work.
            Friend 1: The category was obvious – I was referring to the specifics.
            Friend 2: It’s prep for tonight.
            Friend 1: But you just got off your shift; you pulling a split-double or something?
            Friend 2: No, I have a class tonight.
            Friend 1: But you graduated years ago.
            Friend 2: I’m teaching a class tonight.
            Friend 1: Oh.  (Takes another bite from the muffin) I didn’t know you taught on top of saving lives all day long.
            Friend 2: (Stares at Friend 1) I’ve had this class for years, where have you been?
            Friend 1: Guess not paying enough attention.  (Finishes muffin and sighs) Sounds exhausting.
         Friend 2: (Continuously writing notes) Yeah, no kidding.  Deal with unhappy patients and unhappy doctors and unhappy staff members by day, lecture how great it is to be a nurse to the next generation of unhappy students by night.
            Friend 1: (Slowly sips a milkshake) Right, and then you got the spouse and spawn at home.
            Friend 2: Don’t get me started!
            Friend 1: OK.  So how are you – ?
          Friend 2: (Drops pen) You know, my kids never once clean up after themselves?  I tell them and I punish them and they still don’t do it.  I swear, a cuckoo bird snuck their children into my house and my real ones are out there somewhere, being tidy and proper.  Although I have to admit, they do work hard in school; I have some glimmer of hope to hold onto.
            Friend 1: (Staring in disbelief, then shaking it off) Yeah, I gave up after I finished school for good.
            Friend 2: Clearly.  (Returns to notes)
           Friend 1: Once I stopped being graded, I faced a big old “Now what?”  Did you know that I used to go to school full time, work part time, and was an active member in three clubs when I was in college?
            Friend 2: (Looks up over glasses) You?!
            Friend 1: (Begins picking at fries) Hard to believe, I know.
            Friend 2: So what happened?
           Friend 1: (Stretches a bit) Inertia?  I guess, deep down inside, there was a lazy lump just biding its time, waiting to emerge from the cocoon of me.
          Friend 2: I don’t believe it.  How could you go from doing everything to doing almost-nothing?
          Friend 1: Surprisingly easily.  Once you stop doing one thing for good, you find yourself less inclined to do another, then another, then another, until one day you’re lying in bed on a Saturday morning, staring at the ceiling, thinking “Hmmmmm.”
            Friend 2: Whatever; I think that was just what you let happen to yourself.
            Friend 1: Could happen to any of us [slurp].
            Friend 2: So why don’t you, I don’t know, go volunteer for a worthy cause?
            Friend 1: Don’t feel like it.
           Friend 2: Fine – why don’t you take up yoga or kickboxing or something else aggressive and healthy?
            Friend 1: Don’t feel like it.
           Friend 2: OK, why don’t you go travelling around the world and skydive and all that stuff?
          Friend 1: Don’t feel like it.  Plus don’t have the money, for obvious reasons.  (Begins crunching on potato chips and speaks through a full mouth) I’m surprised I had the energy to come here today – I was napping on the couch until about 10 minutes before I left.
           Friend 2: Then you have some issues going on that you need to work out – I’m just thankful this’ll never happen to me.
            Friend 1: Ha.
         Friend 2: I’m serious!  I’m so busy now I can’t even find time for me; there’ll always be something to do.
           Friend 1: Just you wait: the inertia creeps up on you and you won’t even notice you’ve been consumed until one day you’re in that recliner, too tired to go to bed.
           Friend 2: Now that’s just lazy; as for me, I – (Phone rings) Excuse me; hello?... Oh, that’s fine, sure.  You want me to – ?... OK, maybe next semester, then.  Bye.  (Disconnects)  My class is cancelled for the rest of the semester – they discontinued the course because it was redundant.  (The two stare at each other) My weeknights are now completely free….
            Friend 1: And so it begins.
           Friend 2: It does not!  (Begins frantically gathering supplies off the table and stuffing them into a messenger bag) I just have some unexpected free time for myself, at long last, like a normal 40-hour-a-week person!  And I can find another class to teach, but for now I can relax without turning into a couch potato like you!
           Friend 1: If you say so.  Next will be the kids finally start cleaning up after themselves and taking over more household responsibilities – then your work hours will get sliced due to budget cuts – then your weekends running around will have less and less chores to fill them – you better take a second job as a department store cashier or find a relative who needs 24-hour home care, else you just may become a sedentary sack of flesh.
            Friend 2: (Covers ears) No!  I will never be like you!  I have purpose and meaning in my life!  (Runs out of the cafĂ©)
          Friend 1: (Focuses attention on slowly slicing up a brownie) The lure of mediocrity sucks us all in eventually.