Thursday, December 11, 2008

My Slacktacular Day

I had high hopes for yesterday. Really, I did. I completed my last painting gig of the year on Monday, with the exception of a couple of at home projects that don't need to be finished until the first of the year. Heck, I've got weeks to procrastinate those! (If you're reading this Roberta, I'm only kidding - kind of.) My schedule was clear. My DH worked from 7:00 am to well after 10:00 pm the day before so that he could devote time yesterday to help me install the base moulding over the new laminate floors in my studio. We've been meaning to get this finished for weeks, but we've both been super busy with work.

I woke up resolved to finish the task at hand. I got the kids to the bus stop and walked back home. By the time I got back, he was already on the phone. I should give you a little background here. My husband works for a company that owns and builds natural gas storage facilities, pipelines, etc. He has been managing a pretty big project for the better part of two years. They are in drilling mode right now. This means drilling several natural gas wells to supply the facilities. Having worked in the operations (drilling/production) segment of the oil and gas industry for several years (that's how we met), I have a true appreciation for Murphy's Law. Once you get a drilling rig (especially a horizontal drilling rig) on location, every time something goes wrong (which is often), it is costing the company money -- big money -- $100,000 a day for the rig alone not to mention the numerous subcontractors involved money. This project has been kind of, as he puts it, "snake bit from the get go". Adding to the frustration is the fact that he is trying to manage the location from home and communications with all the players involved has been less than awesome. (That's my terminology, not his.)

Still, I waited patiently for a break in the phone action to ask how I could help with our little project. It's not that I can't do home improvement projects by myself -- I've done my fair share. But when it comes to figuring out angles to miter woodwork and running a compound miter saw, I have to pass. WAY too much multi-step action going on for my little ADD brain. To occupy myself while I waited, I started a load of laundry, plopped down at my laptop and checked my email, my blog, and everyone else's blogs. Eight o'clock passed; then 10, then 11. By noon, he was still on the phone and I could tell by snippets of overheard conversation that things were not going well. He reluctantly made the decision that he needed to be on location -- the sooner the better. He was extremely apologetic and I totally understood. While we have very different personalities, we do share a common work ethic. You do what you need to do to insure the best possible outcome - whether it's painting a metallic gold and orange dining room for a guy who doesn't know what he wants but knows what he "doesn't want", or managing a multi-million dollar gas storage project. I was disappointed, but not upset. I helped him get his things together and he was out the door within an hour.

So...what to do? It's been so long since I've not had anything scheduled and I was relishing the fact that I didn't have to be anywhere until 3:30 in the afternoon. Can you guess what I did? Yah, huh...I spent almost the entire day glued to my computer. I did manage to get a few loads of laundry done, empty the dishwasher, briefly visit with some friends (live and in person) and take the dog out occasionally. I am, after all, a multi-tasker. But for the most part, I sat on my butt and surfed the blogosphere. If it wasn't for the fact that I have carpool duty this week, I might have never pulled myself away. I gotta admit, it was a guilty pleasure being so completely unproductive. And it's not as if I got nothing accomplished. I was able to help Helen with some technical issues and provide Sherri with some much needed spiritual counseling. Plus, thanks to the lovely and talented Jamie, I found out that my profile view was blocked so nobody could access this site from other sites. (If you've tried before and failed -- sorry about that! Hopefully, I won't accidentally block my profile view again.) And while it's not something I would feel good about doing on a regular basis, I'm feeling relatively guilt-free about my self-indulgent, slacktacular day. However, if by chance I ever do decide to become a full time, lap top couch potato, I really gotta get me a slanket!

Here's how I looked at yesterday at 6:00 AM, noon and 2:00 PM:

(Please don't hate me because I'm beautiful.)
(and as a matter of fact I DID wear this to the bus stop!)

26 comments:

Mary Ann said...

Sounds like a refreshing day! Good for you Katdish!

I bet your daughter loves it when you take her to the bus stop in your "fancy" outfit.

katdish said...

Ah, yes. Embarrassing your children in front of their peers is one of those little joys of parenting. Plus, when she was being particularly snarky to me last week, I threatened to wear it up to school when I read to her class, "Whose Your Daddy" shirt and all! I should probably be shopping for a child therapist right now.

Did your digestive system survive the okra soup, or is it still touch and go?

Sherri Murphy said...

Yeah, thanks you SO much for the "much needed spiritual counseling" I received.

Is that what you call that?

I've been spiritually counseled before...for some reason, this felt...different.

Oh well, glad to know YOUR day was "slacktackular!"

Kris said...

so, why up so early?

ed and i have been up since 3:30... don't ask

kw

katdish said...

Sherri - your welcome.

Kris - I don't know, I've been getting up early lately. Is Ed's tummy feeling bad? (Sorry, you said not to ask...but you know me!)

Kris said...

no tummy issues...just both our minds were racing, about different things, then everything was super funny, then you may as well get up and have coffee...

Anonymous said...

I came across this site on someone else's blogroll (yeah, I'm nosy that way) and thought of you.

It just seemed like one you would enjoy.

Tell her "Sherri sent ya'".

suburbanturmoil.blogspot.com

(of course, I can't link it)

Mary Ann said...

It was an okay night thank God! =)
Not feeling so hot today though. However...

"you'd think I'd crumble
you think I'd lay down and die
Oh no, not I
I will survive"

Annie K said...

I am making one of those shirts as soon as our clothing line logo is done. (Yes, you heard right...we will be launching our totally cool logo in mere days!) Someone (I will refrain from naming who because I am big that way) implied that I only got my current job because of who my father is. And maybe two people where I work knew who my dad was out of the 100 or so - so it was just someone being snarky. But when the occassion arrises, Jon and I joke about 'whose you're daddy.'

Good stuff. And I think you're a great example to all of us hard workers that we should call in sick when we're not and have a lazy day!

Sherri Murphy said...

Mare, I WILL SURVIVE IS MY FAVORITE!

I sing it at Karoake, any chance I get.

I tried to get the church to put on a musical and put that song in it- like when we first became a Christian and we were singing it to the tell the devil/bad habits, etc. that we will survive without them!
ya' know...

"First I was afraid, I was petrified, kept thinkin' I could never live wihout you by my side...

OKAY everybody! Go to you tube and find Gloria Gaynor's "I will Survive" and sing it out to the devil and any sin that's giving you fits!!!!

Corney as heck, I know, but I'm tellin' ya', THAT SONG IS ANNOINTED! tehe

veriword is "pollyho".
Take it Katdish.

Beth said...

Sherri! I do a mean I Will Survive karaoke, too! No more short jokes ever just for that!! :)

So...most of my days are relatively unproductive....because when I try to get "projects" done at home....they are always interrupted by the little people...so pretty much my days are on the computer...then I take care of kids...on the computer...take care of kids...I know, I know, taking care of the kids IS a very productive thing, I know that, but I thought that somehow I would actually keep my house clean if I was home all the time.

Ironically, yesterday was the most "productive" day I had in a long time. Taught preschool, donated some stuff, did some Christmas shopping, the kids took a nap and I actually spent some time praying BY MYSELF! But I am very happy to be in my big fuzzy robe and purple sheep pajamas and be on the computer this morning. :)

Stephanie Wetzel said...

That's a slacktacular day for you?

Normal day here. :)

Beth said,
"but I thought that somehow I would actually keep my house clean if I was home all the time."

I'M home all the time, and the kids are AT SCHOOL. And my house is less than clean. (understatement of the century)

Katdish, My alternate self, you have a snarky kid TOO? And a hubby with a personality opposite yours? I guess I should've assumed...
And of course I'm in my jammies all day too. I wear fuzzy slippers to carpool and hope I don't have to get out of the car.

There is no spoon.

WV:
loging: vogueing for losers.
"Seymour, would you turn off the Madonna song and quit loging?! Momma needs you to clip her toenails!"

Sherri Murphy said...

I'm not a house cleaner either.
Big Al will always drop subtle hints like "Have you seen the vacuum?"
I'm like "Yeah, it's in the closet."
(Big Al) "Oh, I was just wondering if you knew where it was."
(me) "Yeah, it's in the closet if you need to use it."

What was HE thinkin'?

veri word: FACEON

"Big Al, do I LOOK LIKE I've got my cleanin' faceon? No, this would be me with my bloggin' faceon ...again. You might need to hire a housekeeper!

Helen said...

My dust bunnies are multiplying like rabbits!
And my pantry is the closet that leads to my attic, which of course had to be emptied so the cable guy could have access, and who wants to put all that stuff away? I say leave it all on the counter until we use it up...
Just kidding. Actually, I have to start cleaning. I'm having company this weekend. If I wasn't, I might've actually let the above scenario play out.

Mary Ann said...

Dust bunnies and a need to vacuum?! That's not a dirty house.

Cobwebs in the dining room... cockroaches and lizards in the kitchen and flies in the tub. mmmm.


THAT'S a dirty house.

Don't get the wrong idea please. It's not me...it's living in Nigeria. Okay, well it's mostly not me.

Anonymous said...

Mare, I don't mind cob webs, dust, ora bit of dirt on the carpet, But I CAN"T/WON'T share my house with critters! It's Not even an option! I would be hyperventilating-I would NEVER sleep! You would even send me packing---I'm serious. It's a PHOBiA! it's not pretty.

Helen said...

Sherri, Did I ever tell you about the time a mouse got in the house and I made my family move...

katdish said...

Oh, wow. I've missed so much...been gone all day...so much to say....must leave for son's choir concert...but I'll be back to give my 2 cents (or 75 cents) in this conversation!

Annie K said...

Katdish, I have thrown down a challenge on my latest post and need some sarcasm. I thought of you. You could win something really cool and be even more famous than you are. Tell all of your sarcastic friends. http://buzzbyannies.blogspot.com/2008/12/no-fair-wear-is-here.html

katdish said...

Oh...

Where to begin? Reading comments as they roll in one at a time is tons of fun. Reading them all at once is, as Sherri's peeps would say - "Fagettaboutit! Capeesh?" (Sorry Sherri, I think Marlon Brando just rolled over in his grave.) and BTW, I checked out that blog - HA-larious!

"I will survive" -- Eh!

What you need to do is have Sherri sing vocals. Beth: you get your freak on and shake your lamb emblazoned, fuzzy purple covered, muffin top booty to this bad mamma jamma!

katdish said...

I've had pretty much the same vacuum cleaner discussion verbatim.

Steph - It's not that this particular day was any more slacktacular than some others. It's just that when I have a painting job, I CAN'T allow my inner slug out -- no matter how much I want to! It's kinda hard to go blog hopping while standing on a 9 foot ladder with a paintbrush in one hand and your blackberry in the other. (Not that I haven't done that, but I'm just saying...)

"There is no spoon".....Beee-cause I ran away with it? Did I get that right? And seriously -- coffee table book.

Mare - Ewwwh!
Helen - I wanna hear about the mouse, and
Annie - you are all my sarcastic friends (besides Jon Acuff and Hucklebuck -- I know, shameless name dropper...)

katdish said...

Oh, and one more thing...

In the past two days, this blog has had 860 hits. (and wow...look at all the new commenters!)

So it occured to me that there are a bunch of lurkers that may be saying to themselves,

"I wonder if they all met in rehab or something..."

Mary Ann said...

Katdish you are out of control! I LOVE it.

So I'm curious about our respective needs for rehab. What was yours? =)

Stephanie Wetzel said...

Rehab WAS a blast, wasn't it?

Sorry to hear about your relapse tho.

Spoon? Spoon? And you call yourself a Matrix fan? I'm appalled.

Coffee table book? Are you proposing that you and I create one telepathically from our opposite sides of the universe?

Also? When are all you people gonna get on twitter so we can have these snarky conversations in real time (and in 140 characters or less)?

wv: cancony
A symphony of canker sores and cankles

JML said...

Holy comments, way to be! I envy you and your free time more than words (at least ones that I'm willing to use) can express! I think I'm back and doing stuff again.I graduate in a week, but have finals to worry about before then. I have a movie list and a weekend off, and I might not change clothes or bathe the entire time. This my friend, will be incredible. Glad to hear you're doing well.

katdish said...

JAKEY!

Yay! I figured you were covered up with school work, but I remembered you saying that you were graduating this month. Enjoy your weekend of slothenly delight! If you get a chance, read "Diary of a Mad Black Wiener Dog" -- some of my best work...

Great to hear from you. I'm going to read "Wish You were Here", I mean "Very Much Later". Later!