Get Your Fluff On

In the past month or so, I’ve been working very hard not to get depressed, or panicked, or preoccupied with COVID-19 stuff. I figure…it’s everywhere, so why don’t I carve out a mental space where it isn’t?

So, like last month, I’ve been doing Fluff. What is Fluff, you ask? Fluff is exactly what it sounds like. Fun stuff. Goofy stuff. Funny stuff. The mental equivalent of jello and popcorn. One rule: It can’t be SERIOUS. And God forbid, no pandemic! (Only exception: Pandemic parodies, because, well, they’re parodies. That’s fun and funny, right?)

So here’s my list ‘o Fluff:

Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart miniseries – Okay, okay, okay. I’d never dream of watching this any other time, but combining music, romance, and drama together? Sign me up! That’s like the definition of Fluff right there. And, oddly enough, I’ve actually been enjoying it. (I think we’re in an alternate universe somewhere).

Romantic comedy novels – I do read these anyway, but I’ve been trying to read more right now. I’m about to start a boxed set about three friends who make a marriage pact only to be thwarted by a fortune teller who predicts that their weddings will be disasters. Sounds fun! It’s called The Wedding Pact Box Set by Denise Grover Swank And, in a similar vein, I am plotting my own romantic comedy novel. So take that, pandemic!

Chantix Turkey commercials – Okay, this is more my hubby and me, but what the hell, might as well add it. Anyone notice how cute that turkey is? And there seems to be a new commercial out every week. This week’s been the carnival employee turkey commercial. So cute! I have a stuffed turkey on my desk that looks a lot like him. I could stare at him (and giggle) for hours.

Bad poetry – Something I’ve been meaning to do is write poetry just for myself, not worrying about perfecting the words, or the rhythm, or the concept. Just…slinging words on the page like I used to back when I wrote poetry every day and had tons of pages of what I called “freewrites” that I’d then go through and make into poems. I did that for a long time, and still have those pages (and later, files) somewhere. I’d like to get everything out of my head in a way that hopefully bypasses my Inner Editor. This may not count as actual Fluff, but I feel it’s still in the ballpark because it’s not so serious.

Here’s a #badpoem I wrote in 2015 while reading a horror anthology (warning: might be squicky for some):

You ask me what’s happening?
What’s happening is I want to regurgitate
all the love I ever had for you
yank my intestines up through my throat
I love you but I shouldn’t, that’s true

Movies – I would also love to find some fun, comedic, silly movies to watch. Recently my family watched “The Son-in-Law” with Pauly Shore and that was hysterical. Any suggestions would be welcome!

The Office – Oh, yes, this is already a tradition with hubby and I. We have all nine seasons now and just recently finished. We watch four episodes every Sunday night. I suggested we start over, as it was a long time since we started watching it (and we went on a few years’ hiatus at one point) and we don’t remember much of the earlier stuff. So I’d like to continue that. It’s such a goofy, fun, interesting show. And spending time with hubby is always nice. That can be Fluff, too.

So what kinds of things are your Fluff? Anything to add to my list?

Join the #FluffMovement. Get your Fluff on. We have giggles, comedy, turkeys, bad poetry, reality show drama, rom-coms…and whatever else your mind can dream up.