The things that you do when you are not working are called “hobbies.”

I have probably blogged about this already, but sometime last semester I had a conversation with an undergraduate student about my ridiculous schedule, and she looked at me funny and asked, “Uh, what do you do for fun?”

Blushing. An extended, “Ummm…” Then I settled on the following responses:

• I read on the bus
• I listen to podcasts while I run

This was not an adequate answer.

I suppose blogging could be considered a hobby, as well as enjoying fine wines with friends. But I didn’t want to reveal that to my undergraduate acquaintances.

By the way, did I mention that these undergraduate acquaintances who were so baffled with my lifestyle were honors students?

Also, by “enjoying fine wines with my friends” I mean “drinking Two Buck Chuck in my apartment, regardless of who else decided to join me.”

Anywaaaaaaaay. I finally have time to, you know, do some things in my free time. Things “for fun!”

I wish I could say I am doing much more than reading on the bus and listening to podcasts, but frankly, I am afraid that I am having trouble squelching my Type A tendencies. My free time is mostly spent blogging, drinking cheap red wine in my apartment, and micromanaging my life by the way of lists, charts, and cleaning and rearranging my apartment.

I am spending more time, guilt-free, with my friends, including occasional evenings cavorting around Boston without any homework taunting me at home.

I am watching occasional recreational television, and reading occasional recreational books.

I am cooking dinner every night.

I am mostly reading and writing, which is what I like anyway.

I have not begun working for charity, running long distance races, knitting, doing calligraphy, or writing The Next Great American Novel…

but thanks to my dear friend who moved to Seattle who loaned me her sewing machine in her absence… I have one crooked, red curtain in my kitchen.

 Give it another three months, maybe I’ll sew up the other one.