Friday Night Fuzz Buster
Somewhere between the ranch dressing and the silence, it hit me. What in the Dull Women's Club have I become?
I had the house to myself, unless you count dog-sitting for my son's agreeable golden retriever. My husband was working late, and after eating a few gluten-free chicken nuggets dipped in ranch dressing, I was about to kick back in my favorite chair when I noticed the pilled fuzz on the fabric.
And that’s how I found myself squatting in front of my electric recliner with a fuzz shaver on a Friday night.
What in the Dull Women’s Club have I become? I thought. Is this the official start of old age?
Midlife. It's a Vibe.
If you had told me fifteen years ago that I’d spend my Friday nights shaving upholstery with a tool I’ve owned since the Home Shopping Network glory days, I’d have laughed. Or cried. Maybe both.
And there is the chair itself—actually, two mismatched recliners in the living room. One of them electric, because my bum elbow prefers not to wrestle levers. It’s not exactly House Beautiful, but it’s ergonomically fly (I heard the cool kids use that word). No, I didn’t forget it’s a recliner.
The snack-as-dinner strategy feels like a win because no one’s asking what’s for supper. Silent-house, solo eating habits make perfect sense in this season of life. Gone are the chaotic Fridays filled with two teenage boys and their friends raiding the fridge and filming random home movies involving invisible ink on basement walls. That ship has sailed, and the fridge is oddly empty, save for the milk that always curdles before we can drink it.
Now? I sometimes forget what day it is. And I kind of like it. Staying home on a night when others are at football games and bonfires or having a burger at the drive-in once sounded like the boring end of everything. Now, it kind of feels like arriving.
Lowered Expectations. Raised Satisfaction.
Maybe midlife is when the bar drops in the best way. Dinner doesn’t need a side dish. A Friday night doesn’t need a plan. A chair can be functional instead of fancy.
Honestly, it’s kind of wonderful.
So if you find yourself on a quiet night doing something ridiculously mundane and thinking, Is this who I’ve become?, the answer might be yes.
And it might also be exactly what you need.
I feel all of this. Great article. Not too deep… simply accurate. 😘
Here’s a hint to avoid curdled milk: oatmilk or almond milk. They last a long time! Or, if you must have the real stuff from a cow, FairLife has a much longer shelf life than others. (Obviously, I have an exciting life too…studying milk expiration dates. 🤣)