Nice Life Reminders Pip-Life

Pip’s Holiday Diary | #01

April 19, 2019

It’s my first day off work. Well. To be more accurate it’s the first time I’ve taken a break from work in three and a half years. 

When you are a writer, you tend to grab at all the work days you can get. The fact that you are a writer feels insanely lucky, so you daren’t take your eyes off the work lest someone realises you are not a proper writer after all and you have to go and do something else like work in a shop which to be fair I have done as well and don’t think of as a bad thing. (That said, I do prefer not having to talk to strangers all day long. It suits my temperament not to.)

Also? I have to work most days because the bills won’t pay themselves girlfriend. So there’s that.

Anyway, it’s the first day of my holidays and I’m staying home for the whole break. This is now called ‘staycationing’ but I like to call it ‘staying home’.

I stayed up late last night in an effort to dive into my break with unbridled enthusiasm. It was quite hard and I kept falling asleep but luckily Ari came in from a night out with his friends at The Evelyn at around 1am and we had a long chat as he sat on the end of my bed. That perked me up and I even had a glass of wine so that I could feel EVEN MORE holidayish.

After he went to bed I stayed up until 2 and tried to finish binge watching The Act but had to admit defeat halfway through the final episode and snap my computer shut in a foggy daze*.

No matter though because next minute it was 6am and the dog was barking me awake and I could not have been happier.

Firstly, it gave me an excuse to plan something for the first day of my holidays – an afternoon nap – because four hours sleep is not ideal. 

Secondly because it meant I was up early enough to address my list of holiday want-to-do’s.

So far, I have fed the dog, patted the dog, made a pot of coffee, had a hot bath, read a chapter of my new book, finished watching The Act, looked at the dirty dishes, watched the trailer for the new Nick Cave tour video AND done yoga. And it’s not even 9am.

Next on my list is doing the dishes, walking the dog, doing some crochet, reading more of my new book, watching the Nick Cave tour video, brushing the knots out of my hair, cleaning the fridge and thinking about cooking something delicious to eat. Maybe I will go to the Asian grocer and get things for Mee Goreng? I am not quite sure yet. I’m crazily spontaneous now that I’m on holidays.

I DO have a firm-ish plan to start writing a new novel – after putting the one I half-wrote last year aside – too. But that has to wait until I do the edits from my current book because I don’t want to shift into a new writing space while I’m necessarily deep in a different one. If that makes sense. The new novel is NOT on my holiday to-dos but it IS on my list for AUGUST which is not very far away.

I want to write a book that will sit in an airport bookshop and go on the plane with people to THEIR holiday destinations, you know? One for the sort of people that might holiday away … although it will be a staying home sort of book too. It will be inclusively commercial, chatty and feature a satisfyingly winding storyline and several hero girl and lady characters. I hope.

I looked into a commercial fiction masterclass with Fiona Macintosh, but I can’t quite manage the deposit at the moment. In the mean time I bought her book and I’m going to get stuck in come August.

So look, that’s what’s happening right now. Just in case you were wondering. And look to be honest you probably were not and that’s okay with me.

What are you up to for Easter? Do you have ten days off, like me?

x pip

PS: My friend bought me tickets to see Nick Cave and the MSO for my birthday and I could not be excited!


Notes:

Watching: The Act on Hulu (using a VPN and a Hulu gift card, before you ask!)
Listening to: Nick Cave all the live-long day
Reading: Reasons To Be Cheerful by Nina Stibbe
Watched: The Recording Studio – so so so good.


3 good things for today:

Puffin love story
Allo Vera the cow
A sweet friendship


* But not without checking one more time if the royal baby is here. I am guessing it is and they will tell us after Easter once all the religious stuff is given its time to shine. After all, Charles and Will would not be leaving the country without being around for that baby, and they both have just announced that they are heading off next week (Will)/the week after (Charles). So I think the baby is here already and they have met it and given Harry a giant hug and are ready to have an egg and bun filled Easter and move on with their lives. Also has anyone seen Doria?

7 Comments

  • Reply Dani Netherclift April 24, 2019 at 9:06 AM

    I love your holiday diary, Pip. I think it might just inspire me to make a blog post (it has been forever, uni and creative, as in, story and poem writing, has taken priority), Thank you for the reminder to listen/watch the Nick Cave tour thingy while it is up. I am going to Warren Ellis, Nick Cave film music thing (so eloquent is me today) too., with my sister. I found the In Conversation with Nick Cave night at the Town Hall to be something quite transcendent. Floats my boats, anyway. I am so sorry about your friend’s passing, Mrs Curlypops sounds like someone whose presence you will treasure for the rest of your life x

  • Reply Rhonda Hetzel April 23, 2019 at 7:51 AM

    Hello dear Pip. Your post had me all over the place. I loved your staying at home plans, your late night talk with a glass of wine, the Nick Cave tour, your enthusiasm for life and your world in general. But the TV! I have no clue about all these streamings and even less of a clue about the royals and potential babies. Pfffft!

    But what I loved about reading this post was the feeling I got from it and the memories it dragged up for me. I wrote in one of my books that I loved waking up every morning and that I was always catapulted out of bed ready for the plans I had made for another day at home. Reading your words reminded me of that wild enthusiasm I had for everything back then. I still have a mild and slow version of it but it’s not the same.

    Good luck with your books – the one you’re writing now and the August one and enjoy every second of your holiday. xx

    • Reply Pip April 24, 2019 at 6:15 AM

      Gosh. You can’t know how much I look forward to your comments, RH. I feel like we are so similar in so many ways, so it means a lot to get a little missive from you. I feel like you are a bit ahead of me in life, so it’s bolstering to see what you are up to, and how much you know. I’m just at the time in my life where I am thinking about where I really want to be now that my kids are grown up … and honestly I am not quite sure, but seeing where others are at helps to provide some touch points, you know? So thank you for that … and all your beautiful books! x

  • Reply kate April 20, 2019 at 7:02 PM

    Sounds like a perfectly lovely way to spend a few well earned days off Pip.
    I hope it is everything and more that you want.
    We too are having a holiday at home, except ours so far has involved 2 full days of a years overdue garden overhaul and blackberry eradication. I’m not having fun. I did say to hubster today we are selling up and moving before we have to do this again. I wasn’t joking!
    cheers Kate

  • Reply Edie April 20, 2019 at 9:03 AM

    I was TOTALLY wondering! And now I feel like we have had a good chat on the telephone!
    I have been up since 6am too and I made your breakfast curry which was well received. I’ve got 4 days off and then back to work. Happy bunny time to you xxx

  • Reply Cheekie April 19, 2019 at 5:47 PM

    I’m working all of Easter which is fun( patients at home are nicer and extra pay is good), the roads are quiet. Downside is missing out in some fun stuff with family and friends. Upside I get given heaps of chocolate as I go about my day. I love staying home holidays- last year I did a week in early September and a highlight was a early walk around and in Botanic Gardens then a takeaway coffee and pastry! Have a lovely Easter holiday Pip.

  • Reply Donna Bridges April 19, 2019 at 1:05 PM

    I have done the one day workshop with Fiona MacIntosh . I met her years ago at one of her early book launches ,Odalisque . She was so funny and entertaining. So when the chance came for her workshop I really wanted to be able to soak up her talent . Life wasn’t helping so an amazing thing happened . I received a random act of kindness . I got to go . I learned a lot it really sparked me although that book has stalled ( it’s gritty , dark and hard to write ) another has bloomed . Go it’s worth it , plus you get writer companions

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