July 28, 2009

Don’t you just hate it when you have one of those days when there’s only one crucial thing (as in it is time-sensitive) on your list of things to do, and it’s the only thing that doesn’t get done?! Well, today the one thing I needed to do was renew my library book…yes, the same one I have been trying to read for the past 9 weeks! It was 9:20 p.m. when I remembered (again) that it was due today. I realized it yesterday, and while I was in Hobby Lobby earlier today and the cashier asked what the date was. At the time it was only 5:00-ish and 9:00 seemed a long way off. Then a trip to Alberstons, waiting at the customer service counter for rain checks, returning to Tia’s, gathering up children and returning home took up some more time. Hunger prevailed when I walked in the door with my 8-piece (+2 pieces) fried chicken from Albertson’s. I put away the groceries and hurried to prepare some sides to go with the chicken: mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans, kool-aid. We ate, I returned a couple phone calls and checked e-mails. At 9:00 I got up from the computer to fix ice cream cones for Aaron, Alisa & Xavier & turn on the pool pump & filter. Never did I think of renewing that book the whole while I was online! Oh well, that oversight may have cost me 25¢.
The vast portion of my day was spent putting together a “baby girl” scrapbook for my mom’s friend from Milwaukee who is expecting her first great-grandbaby sometime next month. Mom was telling her friend “Billy” about pre-made scrapbooks where the pages are already decorated, and all you have to do is stick your pictures on it and it looks like you’ve done a ton of work. Naturally, mom got Billy all excited about the prospect, then mom couldn’t find a pre-made book anywhere-not Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, Jo-Ann Fabrics, nada; so guess who was recruited to help her put one together? Well, I agreed to the assignment thinking with the two of us, we should be able to knock it out in a couple of hours. Everything-decorative paper, stickers, letters, etc.-was included in the scrapbook; it just wasn’t assembled. It only had about 3 “sample page” ideas, though. So, mom and I were trying to get creative with the supplies on hand. We had oh so many distractions. Alisa was trying to do an edible fingerpaint (i.e., vanilla pudding with food coloring added) “babysitting” project with Leyla—“Tia, do you have food coloring? Where’s your blender? I need three bowls to mix the color. do you have paper?” Feeding time at the zoo (i.e., lunch time for the kids). Xavier & Aaron were busy feuding over the computer/internet to the point that stricter sanctions had to be imposed. Four-year-old Sasha wanted desperately to help out with the scrapbook, and asked questions every 60 seconds: “Can I glue that? Can I put this sticker on? Can I cut that paper?” When her efforts failed to get her what she wanted, and, furthermore, she was shooed out of the room to “Go play with the ‘big kids’,” she had to change her tack. Then, the issue became the big kids were being mean or refusing to play Barbies or whatever else would warrant a little attention and sympathy. My poor, poor little girl!
The remainder of my day is outlined above. Now, my eyelids are drooping, and I think I’ll turn in soon.
Yesterday, was a “down” kind of day. I have been feeling a lethargy like you wouldn’t imagine. I think I pinpointed the root of the problem when I was “chatting” with a classmate online earlier today. I told her that I feel like I simply don’t have the energy to do anything. A lot of it probably has to do with my diet and activity level (or the lack thereof-too much ice cream, not enough exercise). I can barely manage to get through the “daily grind” sort of stuff like laundry and dishes, let alone the big things around my house that need doing. My focus must now shift to Aaron’s birthday which is right around the corner. By the time it’s over, summer will practically be over as well. I feel all the more depressed because I see that I will be starting yet another semester (one where organization is crucial) with my house in the same state of chaos we’ve all grown accustomed (or resigned) to dealing with. That is not acceptable to me, but feeling depressed doesn’t exactly make one want to jump up and get in gear. On the contrary, depression perpetuates the cycle of nonproductivity: You feel a little blue so you sleep a little more; the more you sleep the less you get done; the less you get done, the more there is to do; the more there is to do, the more overwhelmed and less capable you feel to get stuff done, so you resort to your comfort zone: sleep.
I had decided not to blog because I was mainly going to fill you in on my adventures while grocery shopping in the rain (highlight of my day) and to complain about Mike’s snoring (despite the many expensive gadgets he has to prevent this phenomenon) and my having to sleep on the couch as a result. The good news was with groceries in the house we did eat well. Of course, I had to come in from the rain and prepare lunch for three able-bodied people who’d rather lie around watching movies and playing video games than fix themselves something to eat.
Yesterday was also my friend Jamie’s birthday, so I had another friend on standby until I could firm up a plan. We wanted to treat Jamie to a coffee or dessert or something to celebrate her special day. When I couldn’t get in touch with Jamie at home in the afternoon, I figured she and her husband were on a romantic date, so I didn’t bother calling her cell phone. Then, when I did reach her in the evening, she was about to eat dinner and go to the movies. She and her husband had been out taking care of homeowners-related business not on a romantic “date” afterall.
I spoke with my sister-in-law who lets me unload on her and who lifts my spirits late last night. After our conversation I was all ready to get busy blogging. I sat down at my computer and logged on. After typing a few sentences the electricity went out. I lit a couple candles and waited to see what happened. Within a few minutes the electricity was restored. I booted up the computer again, logged on and started over. When the electricity went out for a second time and didn’t come back on for a while, I figured it was time to call it a night.
It’s about time I do the same for today. Alisa has requested that I come and read to her. Aaron is having a meltdown because he accidentally saved Xavier’s video game activity over his own, and he had already beaten the entire game. Now, I guess that means he has to pick up wherever Xavier left off tonight and beat it again. Xavier is loving every minute of Aaron’s agony, and laughing like a hyena. I’d better go run interference. Good night. Until the next time…