Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay

Yesterday was a day with no wasted time, spent:

• running around Green Lake with a girlfriend from Library Land
• visiting and drinking coffee with the same friend
• drinking tea and playing Boggle with Trent
• brunching at Cafe Flora for a beloved childhood friend's baby shower (the biscuits and gravy were delicious, as was the cinnamon roll, though not quite tasty enough to end up on my list)
• visiting with the baby shower ladies at the nail salon
• sweeping
• power napping (okay, the nap might not be considered productive - but I don't know how I would have gotten through the rest of the day without it)
• dining on a decadent steak dinner at my dear college friends' house, where I spent much of the evening singing, spinning and tossing (and catching) their three year-old daughter in the air

Consequently, I am exhausted this morning - but definitely in a good way. With so much active time yesterday, I find myself in need of reflection today before I launch full steam ahead into another fun spread of activities.  And as I sat, drinking my morning cup of tea, that old Otis Redding song wended its way through my mind:

I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
Watchin' the tide roll away
Sittin' on the dock of the bay
Wastin' time

Now I don't know about you, but watching the tide is exactly the kind of time-wasting activity that I'd like to indulge in more often. In fact, I want to waste more time:

• sitting still in the morning and writing for the fun of it
• people watching at Green Lake
• gossiping with friends over a hot cup of tea
• strumming the same songs on my electric guitar over and over again - I'm sure the world never gets enough of my repertoire of Beetles and Bangles music
• dreaming new schemes
• listening to records in Dan and Jana's living room
• hula hooping in my own living room as I look out the window
• reading with only enjoyment on the agenda
• enjoying Bananagrams victory over Trent at Hiroki

I want to quit wasting time:

• waiting for someone else to post a life-changing blog article (yes, I spend a little too much time reading minimalist blogs, where the reader is encouraged to quit working and find their passion)
• worrying, even about things I can control
• lurking on Facebook
• complaining about my commute

Last night after dinner, Kim and I were discussing Lent and whether or not we were giving up anything this year.  It seems like such an artificial construct that I typically don't. If changing a small piece of your life is so empowering and meaningful, why go back to your old (presumably less healthy) habit after 40 days is up? But, I do believe it can be a jumping-off point for change, just like the New Year. So this year, starting just a bit before the Lenten season, I will waste both more and less time to see where it leads me.

How will you waste your time?