Friday, May 14, 2010

The Road Much Traveled

Here I am sitting in front of my laptop privately cursing another lost opportunity to get in a run—and it’s only 5:30 in the morning.

Such have been my weeks for a while now, and I am suspecting the pattern isn’t breaking any time soon. I get up at all hours for what I consider important work—the freelance stuff that helps pay the bills and keep me sharp. (Well, as sharp as you can be at 4 in the morning.) Then there’s my position at a non-profit, which is threatened by the state due to California’s budget crisis. And this time it truly is a crisis if voters want to throw the elderly with dementia effectively out on the street, and right now they do. If I am up all night worrying, I cannot imagine what the families of our Alzheimer’s patients must be thinking.

Meantime, daily living lacks its usual diversity. Calories get consumed but no longer counted. The gym bag remains in the bedroom corner. Laundry piles up, as do dust and bills, and my car is starting to resemble my closet.

So today is my deadline to get my act together. Today I will truly catch up on projects and tonight I will put some order and lemon oil to this house. Tomorrow morning I will go for a run and make it to yoga and not burn through that hour at home, hunched over my computer. We will not be late for a birthday party in Mission Beach, and I will not sit through Sunday night’s play at The Old Globe preoccupied with everything I failed to accomplish over the weekend.

There, I said it. Now, I need to just do it.

18 comments:

GeorgiaSnail said...

Just do it...one foot in front other the other, it will seem familiar...

Kenley said...

Anne, your post seems a bit familiar to my surroundings as of late. You know, once you get going though with the whole organizing process, you can't stop. As you said,........Just do it. Cheers to a nice run tomorrow!!!

TNTcoach Ken said...

As Nike would say it........... 'just do it'.

Glenn Jones said...

I am having many of the same life problems (calories, gym bag, laundry and the like). Help me be accountable Anne!

teacherwoman said...

Yes, sometimes you just need to say it, er, I mean post it, and then it's easier to get going and do it! You go girl!

Asha said...

You can do eet!

momof3 said...

"just keep swimming"... yea, I totally relate.

I really wish that beyond relating I could actually offer some words of wisdom or something... but, I suck as a writer, which is why that's not my major in school.

Irene said...

Wow, sounds just like me, the getting my act together part.

You have a lot on your plate, but it sounds like you'll complete it all. There's a sense of determination.

prairierunner said...

I can sure relate Anne.....just do it for yourself because you're worth it!

JohnF said...

Sometimes the hardest part to completing a task is getting started.

Black Knight said...

It's sunday afternoon and I am sure that you did it and you enjoied a relaxing run.

onelittletrigirl said...

I relate...more at times and less at others. I think you have to get through it...one step at a time. All you can do is what you can do. :)

Terri said...

It sounds like you are very stressed, Anne. I hope you were able to take time out for yourself as planned. Even if you didn't get to yoga, I hope you were able to take two moments to take a deep breath in, and then exhale. Or take a 5 minute walk outside, without headphones, on a nice typical soCal type of day.

Anonymous said...

Louise says...And...did you do all you said you were going to do?

Miglena said...

so how did it go? the next day, I mean :)
when I get to that point I am usually good for few days and then somehow go slowly back to the chaos called life ... lately, I have part-time help and don't have to worry about the house while I am running or working on paying the bills

iJuls said...

Huge THANKS! I needed that too.

Deene said...

i hope you got your "to do" stuff done. sometimes when i get in those ruts i have to make an actual list and start checking off.

Triteacher said...

Ahhh... brilliant resolutions, Anne. And a brilliant line... "my car is starting to resemble my closet" to which I happen to relate. Aren't cars made for living in??