The Procrastination Queen

While the rest of the world discusses Bruce Jenner and other oddities of the universe, another noteworthy event took place today that would otherwise go unnoticed except for me and this marvel of a thing called blogging at my fingertips...

A scrapbook was finished.

I've never been one to boast about being an "on time" kinda girl. Slow and steady wins the race, as the saying goes. I definitely fall into that category. It's who I am. Of course, the downside of all this procrastination is that this scrapbook for the oldest was finished just in time (?) to start the one for the middle so I can try to get to the one for the youngest. Keep in mind the middle graduated last year and the youngest graduates next year.

That's 2014 and 2016, in case you're keeping track-
And puts the finish line somewhere around 2020.

At least I've got a game plan.

Surrender That Ship!

Well, we're gonna go ahead and knock a few things out of the way. I've got a stack of school work and lesson plans and bills to work my way through and anyone who properly knows me understands that the key to procrastination is taking care of things now that could be taken care of later.

Or something like that.

To even stand a chance of getting around to what really needs to be accomplished today, I must first take some virtual time to think about one of my new favorite quotes. Consider this,

When I meet a wind I cannot fight,

I can do naught but set my sails

To let it take me where it will.

That is taken from a book I've been reading called The Rose Garden. It's not a bad read, but I won't give it my full recommendation until I finish it. If it ends in a way that makes me want to throw my nook across the room, well... it will fall short from getting my five stars. That particular quote, however, caught my attention and made me pause what I was reading the other night to write it down. In the last thirty-six hours or so, I've been thinking about the truth and wisdom steeped in those words.

How many times have I fought that wind? How many times have I grown weary from struggling with the sails and fighting the current and cursing the direction it is taking me? How many times have I given up the fight, exhausted, after coming to the conclusion that there really is no fighting that kind of wind. The course before me has been set and no matter how hard I may try to steer it the other way, I only end up losing time and energy and find myself right back to that original course.

If that makes any sense at all.

Today I am thankful for the course that has been set especially for me. This thought brings to mind Psalm 139:16 (The Message):

Like an open book,

 You watched me grow from conception to birth;

All the stages of my life were spread out before You,

The days of my life prepared before
 I had even lived one day.

God has answered my prayers more than once in the midst of strong winds in which I have no control. He steers the ship with His very breath even while I doubt His direction. Without Him, I would have surely perished already by my own hand. No, that is not a suicidal thought... it's a factual statement. My ways and my thoughts and my plans would have already been my own demise. Do you get that? We were never meant to survive on our own. We were meant to follow the plans of a perfect Creator.

So anyway.

That's what has been on my mind and now that my peace has been said, I can move on to those other things like presentations and state standards and electric payments.

Then again,

It might not be a bad time to mop the kitchen floor.

Obituary Of A Laptop

It's been six months since my laptop was put out of commission due to an uncooperative power button, a sincere attempt to fix it that only made things worse, and lots of....  well, I'm gonna stop right there. No need going to into all the statements that have been made to look at it or fix it or get the parts ordered. If you read my last post, then you know that we, as a family, are getting along uncommonly well. I'll spare the names and promises to prolong the peace and good humor that currently exists in my home.

However.

If I had known that my beloved laptop would still be collecting dust while taking up space behind my bedroom door, I would have gladly paid the questionable computer-fixer-guy at the flea market his requested one hundred and twenty-five bucks to fix the darn thing back in July.

Then again, it is only a laptop. Maybe I shouldn't place so much stock in the crazy gadget. I mean, it's only holding prisoner a resume or two, pictures, family fun stuff, essays, power points, and a working version of Microsoft Office. It's really not important to anyone but me. Surely my patience should be greater.

I used to think things like When I start getting a regular paycheck, I will buy a couple of new pillows and some rugs for the kitchen and maybe some jeans for the kids and definitely stock up that freezer.

Now I think to myself,

When I start getting a regular paycheck,
IF we haven't had our internet service terminated,
And the lights and water are still connected,
Assuming the refrigerator still contains a gallon or two of milk...
THEN I will have that blasted laptop fixed.

And everyone said, Amen.

Carrots And A Poem

The Law of Parenting says that if you have something else you need to be working on, the kids will pick that very moment to want to hang out.

Particularly if they have friends over and the beautiful weather makes the screened-in porch the ideal place to be.

And if you have two papers to write (and the fact that those two papers could have been finished last week is irrelevant)... well, that just makes the temptation to smother the mother even more appealing.

Now I have a kid flicking carrots at me all while trying to flatter me. Seriously?

Mom, you're so great,

I wish I could be you.

So beautiful,

Oh, you know it's true.

I love my life.



The Third Try

Okay. I am going to try this again.

This is the third time I've faced this same scene this morning.

The third cup of coffee. The third shot of caramel macchiato creamer.

(This, however, is not the third cookie. I do have the rest of the day to pace myself through, you know).

I feel like I have so much to get done today, I have mentally shut down.

One more paper to go for a homework-free weekend.

One kitchen to clean. One dinner to make including two extra guests.

One middle school play to attend starring my daughter.

Well, technically, she's not the star, but she might as well be as far as I'm concerned. I honestly don't know how much stage time she will have. The script has been a closely guarded secret. All I know is that she's in it and we had to make a very fast trip to Walmart this morning before school for needed shoes. I'm good at planning that way.

It's kind of gloomy out today and my electric blanket was calling to me earlier.

Come back and get warm.

You can't think anyway.

Ten minute power naps work wonders.

Except I didn't nap, but I did get warm.

And ten minutes turned into a little over thirty.

And I mentally added about five extra things to my to-do list.

So here I am again. Procrastinating and taking pictures of my cozy little desk and reminding myself how good I'll feel when I finish and hit save. I have a thousand words to write in one hour. I can do this.

Just not while I'm doing this.

Thanks for the warm-up.

This Was My Thursday

Today I spent a lot of time trying to stay busy

 and not really getting a lot done.

I worked on school papers and listened to internet

 radio and was just generally distracted.

I played with the cat.

So let's recap.

 School work.

Internet radio.



Distractions.

Did I mention I played with the cat?

The Great Book Debate

I start two new classes today which for me means a whole new attitude. Again.

• I will read the assigned text, all of it.
• I will read the optional material because I know that when it's all said and done, it's not really optional. It is very much needed.
• I will answer all of my questions thoroughly and on time. I will post the proper replies.
• I will complete my assigned work before the weekend. No more procrastination.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm a pretty good student. My husband brags on my GPA to just about anybody new he comes in contact with on any given day. He is my number one fan. He's also the one that keeps bring up the word master's and doctorate. I'm no fool, though. I know just what he's doing... preparing for his retirement. He has grand dreams of kicking back once I'm pulling down the big bucks. What a poor, delusional man.

He's got my back, however. And for right now, he's paying the bills. I'll let him dream whatever he wants.

Having said all that, though, I do tend to put things off. Maybe I work better under pressure. Maybe I like the time crunch I put myself in weekly. Maybe I'm just lazy.

Whatever the reason is, anytime new classes start, I give myself this big pep talk: focus, Focus, FOCUS! And then everytime, something comes up that challenges that pep talk.

It could be this blog.
Or pressing matters on facebook.
Maybe just one more load of laundry needs to be done.

Right now, it's my library book. My newest book which I am about five or six chapters into and absolutely hooked. I read too late last night. I woke up thinking about the main character. Just ten minutes earlier I was reaching for my nook when I reminded myself I had a textbook to read.

So how did I end up here? I have no idea except I was thinking maybe if I wrote about it, I would see the futility of it all. Then maybe I won't be so hard on myself.

Because let's face it, there's more excitement to tracking down a serial killer using schizophrenic and bi-polar patients than it is reading about the fall of Rome and the introduction of the Roman culture into England's mainstream population. I know, I know. I'm a history major. I'm suppose to love this stuff and I do...

Just not when there's a killer on the loose.
Or a husband calling to take you to lunch.
And there really is one more load of laundry to do.

It will all be there when I get back.