Is This The Life?

I'm sitting on the patio at this little coffeehouse/cafe in Pasadena, just off Colorado Blvd., where there's tons of chain and independent stores, movie theatres, bars, the bleachers are being assembled for the Rose Bowl Parade, and...

Tons of people who, apparently, have nothing to do this week... Like me.

Well, I'm "writing," but doing more people watching than anything today. It's like 75 in L.A. so it's almost like summer. Big shades, shorts, shopping bags, etc...

There's a place a few buildings away where a group is having a party, complete with what looks like Pomegranate Martinis. Yeah, I can spot 'em a mile away, lol.

I'll be visiting my parents and sister later this week, and this week I've had it off. I've watched movies, shopped, lounged and lunched with buddies, driven around town looking at big houses and spectacular light shows on display. It's cool.

But then I wonder... is this the life? I look at the "desperate housewife/househusband" types who seemingly have nothing to do but buy sweater sets, drink cafe lattes, lunch with friends leading similar lives, and then pick up the kids from the daycare at three, dinner on by four.

I think it could be nice-- if it's your life by choice, not by circumstance (lots of race, class, gender issues at play in Pasadena and the choice/circumstance dynamic...) I think it could be boring at times. I'm concluding they haven't a care in the world, except for the family life they've created. Maybe I'm stereotyping. I've found that unless I plan what I'm doing during these free days I have, I just wander and wonder about.

What do you think? Could you live a "desperate housewife/househusband" life? Or a life where you don't punch in for a 9 to 5... of course if money were no object...
fs