A Rainy Saturday

I secretly enjoy rainy days. Even rainy Saturdays. There's always something cozy about gazing out the window at the stream of water running down the street while you're wrapped up in a comfy blanket on the couch. Rainy days are an excuse to be lazy for a change. I'm usually doing something all the time and if it's sunny out, I feel the need to be productive. I should...mow the lawn, go for a walk, plan a picnic, sweep the deck, shop at the outlets, etc. Although I suppose you could say the same for rainy days. I guess I should be motivated to do something productive INdoors like...unpack boxes, clean the floors, dust the furniture, organize the junk drawer, get rid of old clothes. But for some reason it's not as pressing for me to be productive on days like today because, eh, I just want to relax. I feel like reading. Like watching The Travel Channel for 3 hours straight. Like hanging out in my shorts and sweatshirt and not bothering to do my hair. For those of you who know me well, you probably know that I would never leave the house looking unkempt...but on rainy days, who really cares? I am productive 96% of the time, and rainy days offer me a reprieve.

Last night I went to the Book Barn after work because this week I blasted through yet another $14 book which was only halfway decent. Lately I've had pretty mediocre luck in the book choosing department. I've read about five in the past month and a half, and not one was worth telling a friend about. Seeing as the only fun activity I've had time for recently has been reading, I find that sad. So if anyone has any suggestions for me, by all means, please let me know. I'm not a huge fan of actual chick lit unless it's also well-written (such as Bridget Jones's Diary, The Reading Group or something similar); however, I am up for any type of interesting fiction or a decent memoir.

They are currently rearranging their teen section at the Book Barn so after I picked out two books from the adult fiction section, I decided to peruse the titles for young adults. I laughed out loud upon seeing the "Point" books from my teenage years--the murder mysteries by Christopher Pike and Richie Tankersley Cusick...then I moved down the aisle and saw the "Freshmen" series I loved to read in high school...and even further down were stacks and stacks of unalphabetized books just waiting to be organized. It was comforting to be in that environment because as far back as I can remember, book stores have been home to me. When I was 8 or 9, I would literally become giddy with excitement when we entered the (very tiny) Waldenbooks at the Naugatuck Valley Mall in Waterbury. Obviously it can't compare to the present-day meccas known as Borders and Barnes and Noble, but at the time all I cared about was buying my one Baby-sitters Club or Sweet Valley Twins book a week. I remember rushing into the store, basically saying "See ya" to my parents and hightailing it to the back where the young adult section used to live. Wringing my excited little fingers all the while.

This week was a stressful one for me, but as soon as I surrounded myself with those familiar titles, I began to relax. That is my method of escape. As nostalgic and silly as it may sound, it brings me back to a time when I had no real worries, and it truly makes me happy. I could sit in the young adult section at the Book Barn (because it's less embarrassing than pulling up a chair to read a book for 13-year-olds in Borders!) for an hour and not get bored. If I'm reallly lucky, a cat might just wander up next to me to hang out and then life really would be perfect.

Seriously, though, rainy days and books go together. All I need to feel content today is a good book, a soft blanket, a mug of coffee and comfy clothes. Looks like I'm all set.