Fast Food Friday!

I don’t know about you, but Fridays are typically Fast Food Fridays in my house. After a long week of work, it’s time to kick up our feet, forget the diet (ack – lifestyle change!) and relax! What better way than to allow someone else to do the cooking?

Most Fridays in the summer are Five Guys Fridays. Awesome burgers made fresh on the spot with your choice of 15 – yes FIFTEEN – free toppings you can put on your burger!

You’ve got your choice of Mayo, Relish, Onions, Lettuce, Pickles, Tomatoes, Grilled Onions, Grilled Mushrooms, Ketchup, Mustard, Jalapeno, Peppers, Green Peppers, A-1 Sauce, Bar-B-Q Sauce, or Hot Sauce.

Wish I could think up a jingle to rattle all those off.

And let’s not forget Five Guys Fries. Totally awesome. Fried in peanut oil.

You can become a Five Guys Fanatic and download some wallpapers at the site. I decided to bling mine with a little topping of Caridad! Hope they don’t mind.

Photo Credit:  Five Guys Wallpaper

What about you? What’s your favorite Friday night ritual to help you unwind from the stress of the week?

Time Management Redux

work.jpgWe’ve talked about Time Management before (click here) since so many people wonder how it’s possible that I write as much as I do and still have a full time job. I should also add that family is important and I spend as much time with them as I can and I also volunteer at my writing group, the Liberty States Fiction Writers.

I discussed in that earlier blog how to make time to write, but also how you should plan to take time off. It’s that concept that I want to further discuss in today’s Tuesday Tip, namely having free time.

I don’t have much “free time” but it’s there in my schedule. I always give myself evenings off for various reasons. The first is that you do need time to recharge and relax. We all face tiring and stressful days, so having an hour or two to read a book, watch tv or just sit and chat is absolutely necessary to allow your mind to settle down. Especially for writers. It’s in that down time that our minds will rest and get ready for tackling the next page or chapter.

There’s also something else that’s really important about “free time”. When an emergency arises, like an unexpected deadline, having allowed yourself that “free time” gives you the necessary hours to deal with something unexpected.

For me, a change in deadline or new request can be handled in those few evening hours without the craziness of wondering, “OH MY GOD! HOW WILL I EVER FINISH THIS!” I don’t normally have those moments because I haven’t scheduled every second of every day.

So, plan for the downtime. If there’s nothing due, savor it and let your mind relax in order to destress and face the challenges of the next day. If something comes up, you won’t freak about not being able to find the time to do it.

I hope you found today’s Tuesday Tip useful!