I want my life back

Stations of the Cross by J. Binford-Bell

Since January came to a close my life has not been my own. It seems to be over scheduled with all manner of things to do and people to meet. Way, way busier than I am used to by a long shot. And not with a schedule of my making really. I have had to bend to the scheduling requirements of others.

I am a morning person. I prefer to get the majority of my major tasks out of the way before noon. Leaving my afternoons to work quietly on the computer or with sketch books or veg out watching streaming video. And by 6 p.m. I want to roll up my sidewalks, ignore the phone and wind down for bed. I will admit to sometimes hitting the bed at 7:30 with my kindle and the fur kids. As a self-employed artist this works for me.

But as a landlord trying to get my duplex rented it hasn't worked. I find myself sitting up and waiting for someone to show between 5 and 6 to see the place. And to make sure they don't miss the place I have all the lights on. The green me is upset about that. But tonight the new renter is to drop by the deposit to hold the unit. Money is a good motivator, but I thought they would be here an hour ago. Did they forget this was Super Bowl Sunday? They don't seem like the type that would have over-scheduled that.

I am really tied tonight as I worked all day moving things out of the duplex and either packing them up or stationing them by the door to drop at the thrift store tomorrow before I pick up a key to a house I am doing some caulking and minor repairs on. Monday and Tuesday look like full days on that project and then back to getting my duplex in shape.

Meanwhile my home is chaos. Reorganized my tool bags this evening to be sure I have everything I need besides what I have to pick up at the hardware back from the thrift shop. And the appliance repairman is to call about the estimate on the part for the broken washer. Transmission went out because of constant overloading he said. So in addition to my time not being my own neither is my budget. Which is why I am still up waiting for the check.

Next week looks oh so much better - well after Wednesday, or maybe Friday. But then I have to come up with 5 images to enter in a show with a deadline of the 15th. I am behind on that because of everything mentioned above. And three social engagements loom. Three in a week. I consider myself a social butterfly if there are three events in a quarter.

I am so busy I wake up afraid that something is falling between the cracks. Like my calendar. Just dug it out from under my stack of notes about repairs to duplex, and the other house, and the new renters, and the shows I am considering entering, and receptions for same. So my theory was if I wrote this blog tonight with all the crazy hamster wheel thinking when I do go to bed I will feel I have it all handled.

Well, it is a theory.

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