One hot summer day a couple of years ago, I ran into an old friend from my CalArts days. As we were catching up, she asked, “So, what are you doing for fun?” Boy, was I stumped. Then she said, “Ann, did you forget how to have fun?” “Wow,” I thought, “maybe I have.” And since I didn’t really have an answer, we both just laughed.

BirthdayCakeWhy am I thinking about fun in mid-February? Well, for one thing, it IS my birthday month. (And I DID celebrate with a nice dinner out, followed by some cake and champagne at home, with the hubby.) But I’ve been wondering lately if I have too much going on in my life. Am I crowding out the joy? the beauty? the fun?

If I love doing something, is it automatically fun? Hmm…sometimes it’s both work and fun. I think my friend was asking what I do just for the pure pleasure of doing it. Maybe I didn’t have an answer for her because so many things I do feel like both work AND fun.

But this is the year of “Sea Change,” right? So, it’s time to turn down the level on the work side and allow a little extra volume for just fun.

So what do I consider fun? Sometimes, it can be fun to just sit and leaf through an issue of Martha Stewart Living. Or to get together with friends for some good food and great conversation. Or to go to a movie. Or travel to a new city. It could be so many things.

So now that I’m getting better at scheduling my time, here’s a short list of things I’m promising to put on the schedule, just for the heck of it:

Get a Beverly Hills Library card
Browse in thrift stores
That road trip with Jason
Eat Scoops ice cream
Catch a band at the Cinema Bar
Buy a ticket to the Long Beach Opera

What’s on your list? I’d love to know – so leave a comment.