Another thing I like to do is "remodel" a room. It can be kinda fun when all you need is a light fixture, a bit of paint, a picture or two and your closet is now a fun place to be, kind of remodel. Something that would take three or four days to do.

Does HOUZZ still keep totals on who posts the most each week? That might be a goal to strive for. Ha-ha!

Hope that the remaining days of your vacation go by quickly so that you can get back to your normal routine. May the next vacation time bring warm weather that will allow you to tackle those outside projects. I can relate to your frustration as I started working on a new flower bed last fall and have been unable to finish it because the weather will not cooperate. Ugh!

Go to the library and bring home Wishtree and The One And Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate - something you wouldn't normally read and both so, very, completely vacation worthy! (I read each one in a day so they're not a huge commitment.)

I have a very hard time conceiving of boredom :-) I can't consciously remember ever being bored.....unless stuck somewhere without any reading material!! Learned that lesson long ago and now go nowhere without bringing something along to read should I be delayed or have to wait. IME, at home, I have too many interests and there are too many things to do that there is not enough time for to ever become bored.

Sorry....I am no help at all.

I love being at home, too, but I think I'd want to schedule lunch with a friend or family member. I'd also jump in my car and just drive and see where I end up. Some nearby town or park or something. I also would cook and freeze a few meals for when I go back to work. Finally, I have a million organization projects I'd like to do... like cataloging my houseplants. Good for you for spending so much time on the treadmill. I'd use vacation as an excuse not to do that.

I didn't see any activities that include anyone else. I found my social life much neglected when I was working and was delighted to be able to rebuild it upon my retirement. I've joined a couple of knitting groups, make a weekly visit to a dear friend in her 90s who can't get about any more, I've joined a reading group, tried line dancing and enjoy it very much. But perhaps another class would be good such as yoga, or pilates or tai chi. Whatever, but make an effort to try something you've not done before so you can stretch your horizons.

One of the first things I explored upon retirement was quantum physics which I thoroughly enjoyed! The world is so full of things beyond your imagination, all you need do is explore it.

Volunteer? Animal rescues need people to walk the dogs, clean the cages, groom the dogs. How about a nursing home? Go to a thrift store, buy little vases, put tulips in them and take them to a nursing home and give them out.

Meetup.com. Go for a hike or out to lunch and GET-To-KNOW people, just for a day.

Go to the zoo. The museum. Art gallery. Sign up for a cooking class and lean to make sushi rolls....for instance.

Get of piece of old furniture FREE off CL. Sand it down, refurbish it.

Go to a city park, wear gloves, bring a trash bag.....and clean up trash.

Go to a park with a pond and feed the geese, ducks, squirrels.

Watch a Utube video....learn to make a fabric rope basket

Since you are done with yours, I think you should come over and help me deep clean my house. That'll keep you busy and I'll provide lunch, dinner, and tasty snacks. :)

If it's cold out, maybe visit a local mall, for many people go there to walk as exercise: more fun than on a treadmill at home, I figure. The treadmill won't answer back, though, or give you an argument.

Maybe make some new friends.

ole joyful

Thanks everyone. Joyful, I actually enjoy exercising outdoors when it's cold out. I won't do it if it's hot or even warm. But, SO bought me the treadmill (unasked for) for valentine's day a few years ago and I think he really likes for me use it. I bring my kindle in with me and watch YouTube or movies or listen to music and it goes by quickly. Sammy used to come and stretch out right where I can see him and take a nap so I could watch him relax while I toiled away on it. The stinker.

Feathers, I actually joined a workout challenge at my job where we are in competition with our parent company headquarters on who can log the most workouts. My Fitbit syncs with the wellness programs website and keeps track. The winning team gets lots of points. Points=Amazon gift cards=more frivolous floofy historical romance books to rot my brain with. Of course I did not realize that the challenge started while I was on vacation. The first day of the challenge I actually remembered at 9am, and got on the treadmill to get 10000 steps in. So I got on for 90 minutes, way more than enough to get 10000 steps, only to realize when I got off that my Fitbit was On. The. Charger. Instead of on me,where it belongs. So it didn't even count for the challenge. Or it wouldn't have, if I hadn't decided to make up the steps on my Fitbit by clipping it onto the fur heathens collars one by one and playing fetch with them. I would feel that I was cheating,had I not gone for an hour and a half on the treadmill earlier. They were thrilled to help the cause. Today, I should note, that it only took 74 minutes to get 10000 steps. But I stayed on the extra 16 minutes. It cant hurt anything to get a few extra steps in right?

Kadefol, sure.....you go wait by the door for me...I'll be right there. ;)

If I were on staycation I would watch a movie for 2 hours clean for two hours walk the dogs for an hour and watch another show then clean some more and then cook. All those things are relaxing to me.

The next day I might go to Chinatown then go to Little Italy the next day after that and whatever other ethnic areas there are. If I were doing a puzzle I might spend a whole day doing a puzzle or two or three so I don't get bored just doing one.

In generalI can't imagine being bored either particularly when dogs and cats remind me that they need me to pay attention to them.

I always feel when I'm home that there isn't enough time in a day to get everything done. I would love it to stretch day on day on end. And yet magically still have money coming in. :-).

PS. Apparently some boredom is good for you. Take that with a grain of salt. However it is supposed to help you regenerate your creative juices.

Jigsaw puzzle? I'm sure they come in pink :-)

How cold is too cold to start on your flower bed? Since it has been raining so much, I have lowered my standards in the temperature to go work outside in the yard. There are just so many drawers to organize inside. I was bored, too. Maybe you could look up what plants you want and start some seeds inside?

Get out of the house and play. This is your vacation. Enjoy it. Something just for you. Go to the movies, see apply visit with friends, take a day trip, try a new place for lunch. If you enjoy exercising outdoors do it. The treadmill will still be there for the times when you can't get outside.

Sometimes leaving the house has no appeal until you take that first step out the door. You may surprise yourself. There is more to life than just being the (not so) happy little homemaker. If you were truly happy doing what you are doing you wouldn't be bored.

You need less busy work and to love yourself enough to allow yourself to have a little fun.

Was on vacation week before last. First week spent traveling across the country, second, spent at home doing almost nothing. I stayed up late watching on line shows and playing stupid computer games. Lost a day somewhere in there, thought it was earlier in the week when it was Thursday! Finally went out into the world just to do something. Last year I had 3 weeks in a row off and made a post about how bored I was. lol

You need to develop hobbies/activities that you really enjoy; after all, someday you will retire. When I retired I wondered how I ever found time to work.

Really, it is important to be comfortable with yourself, your time and how you fill it.

Walk the dog outside.

watchme said:
Sometimes leaving the house has no appeal until you take that first step out the door. You may surprise yourself.

I second that.

But I also understand the want to be home... however, to get "un-bored" you may have to really venture out, and do something different.

I don't know what area you live in. Planting bulbs is really to late for the most part... unless you know of some that are strictly warm weather plants.

Here it is/was da*n cold, and I just realized yesterday I am WAY behind. Yesterday was a voting day, and as I work as an election worker, it meant sit there all day bored.... we only had 16 people show to vote. Of those, two were within 10 minutes of closing time!

I have known for a while I will be taking care of the grands during spring break, but it just hit me, THAT IS NEXT WEEK! Yikes, I am not ready for it.. and now, don't have the time to do all I wanted to do before April.

But life goes on, and somehow I will manage... and I wish you the same for the rest of your vacation.

Moni

Well, this was today's activity. I got a notification from lifelock that someone was trying to take out an online payday loan with my info. So after doing all that I could do in regards to that, I was/am irritated and worried. So I headed outside to paint a couple bird feeders my uncle made for me. Even with Muffin trying to "help" and ending up with a purple nose that had to be cleaned, I think they turned out well.

Nice work, AmyLou! Very cute. I am sorry for your trouble. Glad you got a notification.

I know you don't want to leave the house, but do day trips anyway... a museum, drive and see scenery if it is too cold to walk in it. Save vacations if you can for warmer seasons, or at least for at the temps you enjoy being outdoors.

Hang out on Gardenweb. I was here a lot more often just for pleasure (instead of house building) upon retirement!

I like your creative projects!

Boredom is a negative cycle. The less you do, the less you want to do...the less you want to do, the less you do...

The only way to break it is do something different, even if it doesn't seem to appeal at first. Try it...you might like it.

I can remember being a child, and if I complained to Mom that I was bored, she'd threaten to put me to work cleaning the house or weeding a garden...funny how quickly I came up with fun things to do then!

Here's a different idea, if you're still looking for an "at home" activity. Do you dance? Have you ever line danced? I took an ultra-beginner's class at the rec center and enjoyed it. It's a way to get me off my (seat), learn a new way of moving (which can only be good for my aging brain...), and appreciate the beat of all sorts of songs. There are lots of you-tube videos set up to teach the individual steps and whole dances.

I took a week off in January to relax after the Christmas rush. I spent the week deep cleaning my kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. So in reality, I worked just as hard: but still got paid. :) I haven't had a 'real' vacation in years. Last time I took a week off to leave the province to do anything was almost 3 years ago, and we took our then 2 year old grandson with us so it was still work. Last time before that was 5 years ago in April, but that was because my sister in law had died from cancer and we went to be with his mother who was already there. So again: not 'vacation'. We are planning a trip to Cuba in January next year. We are finally 100% debt free so I want us to go somewhere hot where there are palm trees and beaches. And my husband wants to see all the old cars. I can't wait!!! Our first ever REAL vacation. The only place we usually go to is the lower mainland in BC because my parents and sister live there.

Well, SO is home today so that helps. Laying around the house with him is not boring to me. And he booked us a room for either tonight or tommorow night(I cant remember when) at a resort/casino a few hours away. I used to really enjoy going to casinos. But not as much anymore. But who knows? I might have fun. No, I WILL have fun. I might as well anyway.

I was poking around the property this morning and discovered to my delight that my olive tree that i thought was dead is coming back! It was only 3 feet tall when I planted it, it "died" shortly after. Last year, nothing but a dry stick poking out of the earth.This year, whoop whoop, new growth!!

I hung the newly painted bird feeders up this morning in the same tree as my pink one. I keep moving the blue one because I can't really see it from the house. Well, I can, but not how I want to. Funny thing: Even though all 3 feeders are FULL of bird seed, the 2 new ones are largely ignored,while the old,faded, 3 year old pink one has birds fighting for a spot on it! Dozens and dozens of them. Weird little critters aren't they? I also have 6 hummingbird feeders in the tree. They like to fight over the same flower on the same feeder too. Mean little boogers. Can't wait until its warm enough to attract dozens of hummingbirds to my tree.

Oh my!! I would be at the gym every morning, then to see a movie, visit my mom, cleaning out the attic, putting new flooring in the exercise room....no end to what I could do. I can't WAIT for retirement!!

Love your bird feeders, Amy! The birds just need a bit of time to get used to the new ones, they'll be all over them in a few days.

Good luck and have a great time at the casino!

Rusty

I would encourage you to develop some interests, hobbies, friends, etc, outside of just your SO. I knew a couple of women who didn't have any friends other than their husbands, and never did anything with anyone else other than their husbands. They outlived their husbands, and when they became widows it was very difficult because they had never cultivated anything as a separate individual. It's not healthy to be so extremely attached to one person that one can't function without that person. Both of these women didn't live long themselves after becoming widows.

Well, thank you for that. But,me and SO have separate interests. He likes his race cars. I like crafty things and growing things. We like each other though. ;)

I love him and miss him when he's gone. I dont know if that qualifies as extremely attached and unable to function without him......

I know that a lot of people hold friendships and such connections to other people in high regard. That's great for them. I have always been and will likely always be one of those that is totally okay with my own company. I was like that before I met SO and never felt like I was missing out on anything. I still don't. Indeed, I have often felt more bored while enduring the company of others than I have this week home alone. When I was younger and it was expected that I have tons of friends and an active social life, I often found myself yearning to be home by myself, relaxing in front of the TV. I find that I enjoy certain things more solo. Now that I am a bit older and more confident in my own company, and with zero you-know-whats to give about what other people expect in my social life, I have never been happier. I am just a little bored this week. NOTHING on TV of interest. Well, not until today. I found a few things to watch that I enjoyed. I am also amused by the activity at my bird feeders. Otis (my pit bull/great Dane mix) graced me with his presence in the house today for a whole hour before nagging me to go back outside and I enjoyed his company.

I asked SO. He booked the casino thing for tommorow. I'll spend a little time packing an overnight bag for us later. And I will have to go to the store to get some stuff to cook later on. For now, its time for my daily trek on the treadmill. So far, I have put my socks on, that's enough for now I think. Maybe in an hour or so I'll think about putting on my shoes too.

Maybe.

Sephia, I know of several very social people who had a similar outcome as your less social acquaintances. So even being a social butterfly is not a guarantee. And for those who find themselves alone, there is still time to cultivate friendships and hobbies, as long as the person is interested and willing to extend effort.

• I don't think Sephia was saying Amylou had to be a social butterfly. I also prefer being alone more so than with others. I've always like my solitary time. I need it. But I do have a life outside my home without DH. I do all sorts of things alone when the mood strikes, go to movies, eat out in sit down restaurants, take day trips, have season passes to parks, zoos and aquariums, even go on get away vacations by myself. I have friends but prefer doing a lot of activities alone. I take riding lessons and when I book recreational rides at various stables I try to choose times when it will have the smallest group. I don't take friends along. The trail guide is enough company. So it's not so much about doing things with people but experiencing life outside your home and family. Not being dependent on others to set your happy time clock.
  
  But I think it's denial to say that Amy isn't more dependent on DH than not. It seems he makes the decisions for most recreational things. There is a lot of he is taking me, he bought me something, he wants me to in her posts. Even when she was planning her cruise with him when he said decisions were up to her she couldn't let herself relax and just do it without stressing out a bit over it.
  
  It's not about having a lot of friends or doing things alone or with someone. It's about being first and foremost a good friend to yourself. Then you can be a better friend to others and your partner.

I
wasn't trying to say that Sephia suggested Amy should be a social
butterfly, just that even being a social butterfly does not necessarily
protect from the outcome Sephia mentioned. I don't know enough to
comment on any dependency issues, but I agree that one has to be a good
friend to oneself! And how to do that varies from person to person.

amylou, I'd love to see a picture of a dane/pit bull mix. Any chance?

Aww! Hope you are having fun today. And good luck! Hope you win some money to keep him and the others in dog bisquits.

Well, I won around $1900 dollars in the first 10 minutes or so, so I sashayed my happy a$$ back to the room and relaxed for awhile. I went back down after a little while and SO ended up winning around $800, then we both gambled about $200 of that away. I actually found the same machine/game I won on on my cruise. It was not as kind this time around,what I called my "fat baby" machine, because it had two fat little Asian babies on it. Oh well. It was really fun,and we both won a little. SO will probably want to play a little more this morning before we head home. This was nice and I am glad he planned it for us.

Well, I gave my fat babies another chance before I left this morning and won another $200. Whoop whoop!!!!

Congratulations! Glad you had fun.

Wow, you're on a roll!

I was doing 1 cardio class per week, and I've increased it to 3.....and in 2 weeks, I'll be also doing a Zumba Gold class. So that keeps me busy. I work evenings, so my days are getting a bit fuller.