I managed to have “one of those weeks” lite. Well, the week technically isn’t over, so I’m hoping it stays “lite” and doesn’t enter the realm of “to the extreme.” So, yes, my life is something like a line of power drinks! Who knew? K. was home all week (although he’s away visiting friends and family one more time before he ships out) and somehow managed to avoid getting sucked into my stupidity vortex, lucky Teflon-coated bastard. And the kids and dogs were spared as well which no doubt has kept me sane. I’m guessing that this week was a bit like a pop quiz to see how I handle the bumps on my own. I aced it. Handled everything quickly and efficiently and was pleased to see that the people I needed to help me (super nice certified Apple repair guy and wicked fast AAA battery charger guy) were on the ball. So, my broken power cord was replaced in less than 24 hours which meant I got to finish a job I was working on, and the battery on my car (which died because I left the keys in the ignition after I had ejected all the CDs in the player…duh) was recharged within 20 minutes of me calling so that I was still able to get the bulk of my errands done before the kids got home from school. Phew. You have to love when an irritating series of events wraps up so nicely.
Like I said, this week felt like a test and it was a good reminder for me to have all my ducks in a row and remember to keep a level head when things go off course. I did get part of my emergency contact chain put together. Still need to line up the rest of the A-Team, but that should be done next week. I’ve pretty much decided that I’m not going to rely on just one person to be my back up. I’m going to have an entourage and spread the wealth so no one person is shouldering my burden. Our good friend V. who is in the Army with K. is going to be my primary “in case of emergency” contact if something happens to me because he can run through the channels quickly to get K. home. I’ve got two sitters lined up so far and a couple more I need to interview soon. I figure if I have a few to draw from, I should be good and no one will be tired out or hate the kids. I just need to put someone in charge of the dogs if I’m not able to be there for them and I’ll be all set. Oh, and I need an electrician and fix-it person on file. I’ve got the plumber, the lawn guy, the ever-important snow removal guy, and myself for those small DIY jobs that I’ve been doing for years. Operation Safety Net is almost ready.
Part of why I had a flaky few days is that I’ve reached that point in the pre-deployment wind up where my brain is in planning mode non-stop and my focus tends to scatter at this point. Not that I could help the broken power cord, but I knew it was going and could have taken care of it ahead of time. Lesson learned. I have several areas around the house I am hoping to get organized before K. leaves and those projects are either sitting out as a reminder, or they are jumping out at me every time I look in their directions. Some can wait, and some just cannot. Having our finances in order is not something I can let go for long but getting them squared away takes a huge block of time that I don’t have, won’t have, and haven’t had thus far. So stuff like that is taking up space in my head and causing me to leave my keys in the car and forgetting to fill out paperwork for school. It’s times like these I often wish I could be like CaseyJones, my dog. Whenever he gets…overloaded I guess is the right word, he shakes off from head to tail and then is righted again. I can just see it in him. He’s able to focus and listen after he shakes off. I am crazy jealous of that ability. I’ve been wanting a mental shake off forever, but now more than ever.
In lieu of a shake off though, I did my best to balance the week out with as many good things as I could. I reorganized my work desk and the desk in Monkey’s room that I use to put together the pre-teaching projects I do with him. I finished one paid job and began planning another. I read two Sookie Stackhouse novels in 2 days. They are fun books and quick reads (obviously!) and I haven’t read this much in years so that makes me infinitely happy. I made enough progress on a painting I started months ago that I’m almost done and my teacher helped me figure out the technique for one tricky spot. Yesterday B. and I took the kids to the playground and had a great time talking while the kids ran around like kids do, and Monkey claimed the major climbing structure as his castle and attempted to direct his vassals up and down the slide. It’s a good thing he’s a benevolent King, because none of his subjects listened to him. No be-headings yesterday! And last night while K. was away, I had a quiet night with CaseyJones and Zoe who love to snuggle on the bed with me any time K. is not around. Puppy-warmed feet when it’s cold outside are right up there with a smooth week and a lack of self-inflicted stupidity.
