Well, I'm Still in My Pajamas

One of the great things about being a Fake Housewife is that you're not always on camera, so nobody expects you to dress up just to flit around your house on a Prozac-and-Cosmopolitans high. But hey, I made the effort to at least coordinate my pajamas outfit--these fuzzy leopard pants match my pink robe perfectly, dammit. I've even got matching slippers. How's that for fancy?

I'm still in my pajamas because one of my standing rules for a successful day is to never do any work before breakfast. You may be wondering, "Who the heck works before breakfast, anyway?" Scattered housewives who've always had to adhere to a pretty regular schedule and have no clue what to do with themselves now that they're home all the time, that's who. Really, I think the biggest adjustment to "Work From Home" life has been having to set my own schedule, all day, every day. I know, I know, "Oh, boo-hoo, you poor thing, you mean you get to do what you want, all the damn time? Call the ACLU, it's a human rights violation!" But, like many people my age, given an inordinate amount of free time, I will do fuck-all with it. I will sit and dither and realize that the entire day has gone by and I have accomplished absolutely nothing. So I've had to start making rules. And I've discovered that if I pop out of bed and just start working on things, I get bogged down in little details, lose my "big-picture" focus, and forget to eat at all. No work before breakfast.

Speaking of breakfast, here's y'all a simple recipe. You can make it in the microwave, so you know it's extra-classy!

Mama's Mexi-Mocha Mix:
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp baking cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Cayenne pepper
1 cup milk, or something like it (soy milk if you like, or straight half-and-half if you're feeling decadent)
Freshly brewed coffee of your choice.

In a substantial mug, combine your sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and cinnamon. I use just a dash of cayenne when I make this, but if you want more, have at it. Pour your milk in and give it a little stir. Your cocoa's going to float to the top pretty much no matter what you do, but it's fun to watch, so that's all right. Put your mug in the microwave on a middlin' setting (if you've got a "Beverage" setting, use that), and nuke it for a minute at a time, stirring in between. If you've got a small whisk, that works even better, because it breaks up the cocoa. Once you've got that hot, spicy chocolate steaming like you like it, add some fresh, hot coffee and enjoy the hell out of it.

You can also use a milk steamer if you've got one, or you can put your ingredients in a small saucepan instead of a mug and slowly heat it on the stove. You'll have to stir it pretty constantly to keep it from sticking or forming a skin, and that's where the whisk comes in handy again, but you end up with a very smooth mixture. I like the kick that the cayenne adds to it; it's a real eye-opener. Mmm, delicious spicy coffee.

Now that we've had our coffee, here's what's on the To-Do for today:
Well, it's Thursday, so that means I'm heading over to reddit/OneParagraph to do maintenance. I co-moderate this great little forum dedicated to very short stories--only one paragraph long. On Wednesdays I publish the "Weekly Challenge" feature, where I give the writers a subject, technique, or idea to incorporate, and on Thursdays I update the master list of all the challenges we've had. It's a great place; lots of good reads in there.

There's always an ongoing cleaning and organization project at the old homestead, of course.

And I'm going to try to figure out a crochet pattern for an amazing bacon and eggs scarf I saw online, because it kicks ass. (And hey, it's breakfast themed!)

Then I've got to start cataloging the art pieces I've got lying around; I'm set to do a big scanning project later this week or early next week, and that stuff isn't going to organize itself.

Anyhow; wherever you be, and whatever you're wearing, pajamas or otherwise, I hope you have a kickass day.