Anyone have after work rituals?

[Brian Sheridan]

My dad used to come home from work, change, and then sit down with a Manhatten and read the newspaper before dinner. Today, there isn't an evening paper anymore in our town.

Does anyone still have an after work ritual? Or are we all on high speed, rushing home, taking the kids to sports, getting to the gym, scarfing down dinner?

And does anyone stay dressed up after work? I've seen lots of old movies where the guy comes home and never loosens his tie while he relaxes after a busy day. Heck, some of the characters never removed their suit jacket.

 

[Edward]

On a slight tangent, we all talk on here a lot about how society has become more casual.... I wonder has our attitude to work attire become, by implication, paradoxically more formalised. I mean to say, back in the day when a suit was the default day to day outfit for any man, does that mean office attire was considered to be more casual than it would be nowadays when people consdier themselves to be "dressing up2 to go to work? Hmmn.

I don't tend to change when I get home most days, but typically I'm tidy-casual (slacks, blazer, cravat) in the office. On days when I wear a suit I'll often change at home because I don't want to wrinkle the suit lounging around in it. I'm getting more and more into dressing more formally when I go out in the evening, though.

My own rituals usually invovled throwing together my own dinner when I get in, and the TV.... though more recently, I've alternated between gonig to the theatre of an evening, and ending up staying in the office til all hours. Time i developed some positive rituals of my own!

 

[Undertow]

I work four days a week, and of those four days I go to a gym three. So I would say my After Work Ritual is getting off work, hitting the local YMCA, working out for about 2.5hours, going home, turning on the computer, making dinner (usually just a ham sandwich, maybe I'm lucky to have a pizza) type a few emails and go to bed. Really very mundane and very routine.

The three day weekends are quite different.

 

[Archie Goodwin]

1. Spend an hour driving home.
2. Get hug from 2 year old son as sooon as I walk in the door.
3. Let dogs out.
4. Let dogs back in and feed them.
5. Pour something strong to drink.

 

[PA Dancer]

I've got to say I am pretty boring for nightly rituals.

I get home from work, shower and eat and watch the local news.
Evening activities computer, phone, dance for excercise, and maybe watch a little prime time television, brush my teeth then go to bed.
Unless of course I am going out for a night on the town, then my routine is thrown right out the window.
: )

 

[K.D. Lightner]

When I worked, my ritual was:

Get the mail, pay attention to the dog and then give him a walk, open the mail, crack open a can of beer at the same time turning on my computer to check emails. Fix some dinner, then eat it, usually while watching the news with the little dog on my lap.

Before the dog, I had a lovebird and, while I didn't walk her, I would whistle for her as I came in the door, then let her out of her cage. She sat on my shoulder while I prepared dinner, then sat on the edge of my tray and helped me eat dinner.

Now that I am retired, I can't say I miss work. But, I do miss some of the rituals, mainly the dog and bird. Someday, I hope to have another dog or maybe a bird.

karol

 

[Lady Day]

Delicious, delicious sleep

LD

 

[ssubialdea]

my after work routine consists of
10-15 min. commute
get home, get mauled with love by my dogs
wind down maybe turn on the tube
hanging out w/ the BF
(almost always) go to the grocery store
cook
eat
I might watch a movie or more tv, sew, read, clean or surf the net before bed.

And like PA dancer, if I'm going out I have no ritual except maybe squeeze in dinner, shower, dress and head out the door again

 

[scotrace]

When I get home, I may change or not, depending on the weather. If it's hot, yes. Chilly or cold, no. Sit down with My Mrs. with a manhattan on the West Patio and chat about our day. Then make dinner, which we all eat together in the dining room every night.

 

[LizzieMaine]

1. Arrive home (around 10 PM, or 11 if it's a long film)
2. Put in my pincurls, put on my nightclothes
3. Go to bed, read a chapter or two of some useful book while my cat sits on my arm
4. Fall spasmodically to sleep.

 

[Atticus Finch]

...Strip of the coat and tie, throw on an old pair of shorts, grab my snake stick, boonie hat and water bottle, and then go for a five-mile hike.

 

[KL15]

Mix a good martini and usually watch the news before dinner. Afterward, usually have a glass of scotch or brandy and a cigar.

 

[Rosie]

Usually,

get home, play with puppy, take puppy for a walk sit on couch and run my mouth with friends, complain about stuff. Make dinner, eat, play video games on cell phone, watch some news or tv show, stay up like a child until I'm too tired, go to sleep.

Or, go home, call beau, make him take me out, come home sit on couch and talk most of the night, go to bed.

I usually don't change when I get home. I may take off my restricted underthings though.

 

[LocktownDog]

Well, I get home at 1am each night. So my after-work rituals are very quick and to the point. I mean, I may be an insomniac but a 2 hours sleep or so would be a nice thing. So each night I let the dogs out to pee. Then I change and walk through the house to check that everything been closed up and taken care of. The boys are really good at this, so I rarely find anything out of place. Then I go into each of the rooms and rub their heads and wish them good dreams. I do that for my wife too (even though we're amicably separated and sleep on opposite sides of the house right now). By 2am, I'm out cold. Awake at 5.

Richard

 

[LocktownDog]

4. Fall spasmodically to sleep.

I don't even wanna know.

Richard

 

[jgilbert]

Come home and run so I can have fun on the week end!

 

[pretty faythe]

Yes, I change, to sweaty after work not to, stinky, and dirty, yuck.
So my basic routine is coming home, making sure the children have done thier home work, getting something done for dinner, shower, dinner finished, eat, quality time with children, zone out on computer.

 

[Mid-fogey]

Say "Lucy, I'm Home!!!...

...Play with the dog, play with the daughter, play with the wife. Perch in the man chair, drink a beer, read the paper.

 

[staggerwing]

I have to change as soon as I get home, or I end up with cat hair all over my good suits. Unwind for half an hour while my wife brings me up to date on what was on Court TV. Then, we go out back on the patio and build a fire in the firepit, start up the grill, and grill something. Unless it's raining, or really, really cold.

 

[Quigley Brown]

I only live four blocks from where I work and the Goodwill is about three more in the opposite direction so after work I hit the Goodwill and then head home to walk the dog. I used to vary the walk, but she's going blind (she still has energy) so we now keep to the same route. It's funny how I run into the same folks at about the same time each evening as they have there own after-work routines, too. Every once in a while I may be late because of work and the next evening one person I run in to will say 'I didn't see you last night' or something like that. While the town I live isn't small I live in the town's Historic District and most of the residents and shopowners are familiar with each other...so it's like living in a small town.