Short Attention Span

I think I'm beginning to understand why I don't get any work done. Let's look at a brief snippet of Dena's workday.

YESTERDAY, 2 PM:
I'm upstairs working on the computer. I need to get a quote from someone for an article I'm working on, so I head downstairs to get my cellphone, which I left in the living room. I grab the phone but notice Lucy sunbathing and stop to give her a little backrub. Kitty love complete, I walk into the kitchen to get a glass of water. I notice the dishwasher has run its cycle, so I quickly empty it. Then wipe off the counters.

Since I'm straightening anyway, I dip into the breakfast nook and put the placemats away, return the open magazines to the magazine rack, and wipe off the table. Which is then I notice our plant, Bobo, looking a little peaked. Back into the kitchen for water for Bobo, which makes me realize I haven't watered any of our plants lately and I might as well take care of that while I'm thinking of it.

Lucy has wandered into the kitchen by this time and is meowing at me, so we play a quick game of "chase the kibble" where I throw her food down the hall and she races after it. Since we're in the hall (where the washer/dryer is located), it occurs to me I haven't folded the towels I put in the dryer last night. That will only take 2 minutes.

Enough. I need to get some work done. I go upstairs and sit in front of my computer. And realize I need my cellphone--left downstairs--to make that call.

Here we go again...

Work - It's Not So Bad

So I was the teensiest bit stressed all weekend. The reason is that I have an assignment due July 2nd that I was feeling a little guilty for not having started work on before we left for the beach and which I felt I didn't have time to fool with upon our return, given the computer meltdown and another big assignment that was due a week earlier.

I told myself I'd start first thing Monday and then did every task in the world to avoid working on it. Part of the problem was that I wasn't real clear on what I was supposed to be writing about, exactly, and instead of figuring that out, I decided to avoid it.

Yesterday morning I MADE myself sit down to work on it. In fact, I cleared my week to do nothing but work on this one assignment.

Which, as it turns out, is completely unnecessary. I knocked out about 3/4 of it yesterday in under 5 hours. Turns out my dread and fear of what the work would involve was actually much worse than the work itself. Which is so often the case. And which you would think, after 20 years of knocking up against this "fear it/avoid it" trait, I would have mastered by now. Picturing what might happen is almost always 10x worse than the reality of any situation.

So I'll finish my project today, ship it off, and have the rest of the week to start fretting over next month's projects.

I am nothing if not consistent. =)

That Funny Hubby of Mine

I've been having nightmares lately. The little kid kind, where I'm being chased by monsters through a dark house. I had a rather involved one last night, and woke up in the early morning hours on the verge of a scream. I lay in bed, getting my breathing and heart rate back under control and--as a means of comforting myself--reached out to my beloved, lying peacefully beside me. After all, what better comfort after a nightmare than the solid, reassuring presence of another human being?

That is, until said human being swipes your hand away in his sleep and then scratches the spot on his arm where you dared touch him. "Cooties," Blair said this morning, nodding solemnly, when I told him what he'd done.

He also checked out the reading material on my night stand. "Well no wonder you're having bad dreams," he exclaimed. "Vegetarian Times magazine? It's like you're trying to scare yourself."

He does amuse me...

20th High School Reunion

Guess what came in the mail last week? An announcement that my 20th (Dear God) High School Reunion will take place August 2nd in dear old Vandalia (claim to fame: 1st crossroads in America), Ohio.

Do I go? Not go? I haven't a clue. Upon receiving the invitation, I raced to my computer to e-mail the 3 people from HS I actually keep in touch with, only to find 3 messages waiting for me reading, "R U going???"

In times of stress, I fall back on list-making. So allow me a moment to clear my head.

Reasons to Attend:

* There are 3-4 people I wouldn't mind catching up with.

• I'm thinner and in better shape right now then I ever have been. (Probably the BEST reason to attend. Work it.)

• High school still seems just like yesterday to me. It might be fun to visit that world and see what has changed.

Reasons Not to Attend:

• What if nothing has changed?

• Not sure I'm up for the self-inflicted frenzy of perfect hair/dress/nails/perfume/life chaos that will ensue.

• Time and money. It's an 8 hour drive, $50 for a bad chicken dinner I can't even eat, and Blair will probably be bored out of his mind.

The due date to RSVP is July 15th. I suspect I'll be up late the night of the 14th, debating yes/no. Any thoughts on this? I remember being young and my mom talking about attending her 20th reunion and how old I thought she must be, to be out of high school twenty years.

That karma will come back to bite you. =)