May 22, 2008

• Too busy!

  I am so glad Memorial Day weekend is coming up. This week, I've had three offsite meetings in three consecutive days! Today, I drove back and forth from San Diego ... that's 240 miles; five hours of driving in one day. Johnny was sweet and insisted that I take the RAV4 instead of the Beetle, so that I could see traffic more clearly and be more comfy for the long drive. I almost fell asleep at the wheel on the way back. It wasn't late at all -- I left SD around 1:15 p.m., but my day had started at 6 a.m., and I had stayed up until midnight the previous evening to finish prepping for the meeting. I had taken a couple hours' break when I got home from work so I could spend some time with Jack, and then picked up again after he was in bed, and by the time I got done wearing my Mommy hat, eating dinner and preparing for the meeting, it was today.  On the drive back this afternoon, it seemed like the more I tried to stay awake, the more my eyelids wanted to close, even when I was pinching my leg and singing loudly in the car. I made it safe and sound, though! My meetings all went well, so all the prep and traveling was worth it.

  When I was talking to my mom on the phone today, she told me -- and rightly so -- that I should get to bed earlier. Most nights we're not in bed until 11:30 p.m. or midnight -- late for people who get up at 6 a.m. That's probably my fault. Johnny always waits up for me so we can go to bed together. I know I could get more sleep if I let some things go around the house or skipped working out. Does anyone else get weird when it comes to chores, though? Johnny's always offering -- even insisting -- on helping with more than his share of chores (he's in charge of doing dishes, putting them away, taking out the trash and vaccuming. Since I started back at work, Johnny has also often taken on laundry and ironing, things that used to be exclusively "mine." (I adore doing laundry -- I feel so in control, what with the piles and the sorting and the putting away. And, oh, ironing ... if only I could apply an iron to life and smooth away all the wrinkles!) Because of this, I've gotten rather territorial about my remaining chores -- all things related to Jack, usually, plus cooking and general straightening, and laundry, if it falls on a weekend. Last night, Johnny kept offering to make dinner and do Jack's laundry, but again I was reluctant to have him do things that are on "my" list. I'm especially possessive about cooking. It's not a male/female thing, it's a -- you guessed it! -- control freak thing. My kitchen = my domain! Don't mess with it! The more Johnny offers help, the more stubborn I become. Sometimes Johnny points out to me that in the time I've spent trying to dissuade him from helping, he could have gotten the chore done. I am making progress, though. Last night, I managed to tell myself that if I'm working late and my sweet husband is offering a helping hand, it is only logical to accept it. Equal partnership and all that, not a dictatorship run by Beverly, right?   In the end, Johnny did Jack's laundry and made his bottles for the next day, in addition to his usual dish washing. I made dinner and selected Jack's food for the next day (I truly relish that "chore" and will never give that up! Well, until Jack starts eating meals with us. Then I have to relinquish control as Master Menu Planner for the prince). My goal is to unabashedly accept help in the name of getting more sleep.

  Wow, that was a long tangent! Back to the topic at hand. I'm taking Friday off, and I'm really excited. My only plans are to spend the day with Johnny and Jack. We're going to head to the Third Street Promenade. Johnny wants to look at some shorts at Old Navy. I love going there and getting trendy things that I know I probably won't wear for more than one season ... I don't feel as guilty because it's pretty inexpensive.  So, while the trip is really more for Johnny, I can't say I won't at least peek at the women's stuff. But even better than the shopping is the prospect of four whole days with Johnny and Jack, and family and friends. 

  The rest of the weekend will be pretty packed. Saturday morning, Jack and I are going to a playdate at a friend's house, then later that evening, we'll go pick up my dad from the airport. He's coming back from Taiwan for a couple of weeks. Sunday, we have a family reunion on my dad's side of the family, and Monday we're going to a barbecue. I think I'll make my cream cheese brownies to bring to the barbecue. Somewhere in there, I've got to find time to shop for the brownie ingredients and make some more food for Jack. He's running through my frozen supplies like nobody's business these days. I also need to make a Target run. Wish me luck on getting those things done.

  (I promise that very occasionally, I do things that are more interesting than going to Target, baking brownies and cooking baby food. )

  I hope everyone has a relaxing, fun Memorial Day weekend! Off to bed I go to recharge for my last workday this week!

  • 1:19 am
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