Work and Reward

While I am immersed in and loving my new venture (The Gilmore Guide to Books) it is work. Reading for pleasure is a simpler action—I  don’t have to pay close attention to as many details nor do I have to mark pages to remind myself of dialogue or plot points I found to be especially interesting (and I don’t ‘mark’ the books because that would be wrong; I use a lot of Post-it flags).

Then there is the need to find a way to express what it is about the book that meant the most (or the least) to me. Either a lot of words come or none at all and neither is good. It’s like The Three Bears, I need the amount that is just right.

What all this means is that even for me, reading and then writing for the majority of the day can be a grind. Even worse is the fact that I don’t shut it down at 6pm. I read at night and in the mornings and sometimes even find evenings to be more conducive for writing. Bottom line: my hours are very fluid. What this is leading up to is my rationalization for ways to reward myself. It used to be shopping was a treat but how many new clothes do you need when you seldom go out? And if you have a closet full of hardly-worn clothes anyway? Plus, there is the lack of income/money issue. I’ve largely adapted but am still of mind that a ‘reward’ involves cash spent. So, my treat these days is lunch twice a month at one of my favorite sushi restaurants, Sinju. It’s in one of those trendy outdoor malls but I park in the back to avoid the stores and head right to the restaurant. I am a huge sushi fan and while this may not be the best ever sushi restaurant I can always count on the fish being fresh—which is the main reason you eat sushi, right? I’m also a roll person. Elitists (my husband) may say only nigiri and sashimi are a real sushi experience but I like a mix of tastes and textures so rolls it is. My order is virtually the same every time: one roll, one nigiri (usually salmon or yellowtail), and one tekka (salmon and rice wrapped in seaweed).

While I wait, I settle in and read (don’t act surprised). When lunch arrives I may continue reading and eating but even if I multi-task I try to slow down, savoring every bite. Sushi is a real treat but it is not fast food (or cheap) and so needs to be enjoyed slowly. Ultimately, reading is as well and so these lunches are a marvelous reward.

How about you? When you've had a long day or accomplished a less-than-fun task do you reward yourself? If so, what's your favorite? Chocolate? Bad TV? Something healthy (go ahead, make the rest of us feel bad)?