Productivity, Interrupted.

Today was going to be my Work Day. I had a Diplomatic Solutions meeting in the evening, so it made sense to use the hours beforehand to trundle through the rest of my To Do list. I'd reach 8 o'clock armed with checked off boxes and ready information! And it wouldn't just be business thing I'd get done, no! Laundry! Grocery shopping! Etc!

This is how the day went:

[o] Wake up. Slowly. After a fairly restless night of sleep.
[o] Spend a bit of time lounging in bed, with iPad, checking all my sites and feeds.
[x] Edit one of the articles assigned to me using the iPad and the small notebook in my purse!
[x] Cook myself eggs for breakfast! True, I unwittingly used a burner too small for the pan, so the eggs cooked unevenly, and I had a devil of a time with them...but still! I cooked!
[x] Work out! Weigh in and haven't gained anything!
[x] Shower!
[x] Start two loads of laundry!
[o] Ryan wakes up and agreed to a small, quick grocery trip, as he needs more Tylenol and I'm out of cheese.
[x] Call back Mom, as requested. We discuss money and such and hang up with goals to help me get out of the debt incurred from moving!
[x] Move the two loads from washer to dryer, and start a third load of laundry!
[o] Sameh and BJ both arrive home from work. BJ needs to go back to his Bux to collect his tips, and they decid to come with us.
[o] We wait for the washer to finish so I can move it over before leaving. As I go to move it, I realize that I can't, because I'm taking up the only two dryers. For the next 40 minutes.
[o] We go to Starbucks. BJ chats with co-workers. I buy myself and Ryan a drink and a small snack each. We leave Starbucks.
[o] We arrive at Meijer. BJ realizes he never got his tips.
[o] We shop. We leave Meijer. We go back to Starbucks. We go get lunch at Waka Dog.
[x] I fetch the dry clothes and move the final load into a dryer! This is after the dryer clothes have been finished for two and a half hours, the washer load for three, and I had to scrounge quarters from my car because I hadn't realized we were out of rolls of quarters until after I was halfway to the laundry room with a roll of pennies. But still! LAUNDRY ALMOST DONE!
[o] The four of us chat, flip through channels, end up watching the last half hours of both 17 Again and Mrs. Doubtfire.
[o] I realize it's 10 to 8. I hustle my butt to the computer and ask Ryan to fetch the last, dry load.
[x] DS Meeting!

So...yeah. Almost every single thing I did accomplish today, got lengthened through unavoidable events. There is a huge pile of unfolded laundry on the bed behind me, and Ryan realized a small while ago that we forgot to buy any gorram Tylenol. I did not accomplish a large portion of the things I wanted/needed to get done for DS. Fortunately, it was just a catch-up meeting, so nothing was "due." Still. Oy.

TOMORROW!
[o] Going to the bank to deposit the large pile of rolled coins I forgot we had, and change some of them into quarters so we can continue doing laundry.
[o] Editing the other two articles.
[o] Buying some Tylenol and looking into switching my prescription to a CVS here in Indiana.
[o] Looking into the cost of shipping my iPod Touch to Chris (part of the iPad deal)
[o] Researching credit card transfers to see if any would help me out.
[o] Continuing the creation of a budget. I am thoroughly enjoying this because it involves SPREADSHEETS!
[o] Watching some Avater: The Last Airbender Book 2 with Ryan, as promised.

Overall, the two days off will end up being half work and half play. This is fine. Actually, it's better than fine; it was helpful.

As previously mentioned, I was on a "hiatus" of sorts from Diplomatic Solutions during May and June, while I moved and got settled. About as soon as I "returned," it was suggested that I hand off some of my responsibilities to a new collaborator. I'll admit, I was a little put off by this; I had just come back, and it was already being inferred that I couldn't handle everything I needed to do. Give me some time, guys! And some credit! I appreciate that it was meant to be supportive rather than insulting, but still. Sheesh!

I...was wrong. The days off since that first meeting, I have attempted to see as days when I work for Diplomatic Solutions instead of Starbucks. None of these days have worked out as I hoped, especially since my Starbucks hours have skewed toward the late afternoon and evening shifts. I don't have time for chores or errands before work, so those things get pushed to my days off, as do the chances to spend quality time with my friends or boyfriend.

The initial problem I had with getting help with my tasks was that it was worded in such a way that I'd be giving up the jobs I really enjoy. At tonight's meeting, I brought the idea of a Marketing co-worker back up, but asked if she would be willing to do the things I haven't been able to do, but she would most likely be better at, being that she's a marketer and fundraiser for a non-profit. While she didn't attend the meeting, someone who did said he would contact her about it. She'll hopefully be getting back to me early next week.

Long story short: Today was the final straw to realize that the offer of taking some of my duties off my shoulders was an opportunity, and one that I really couldn't pass up because of pride. If this works out as I hope, she and I will be collaborating and getting the Marketing "department" off the ground in no time.

Tomorrow is another day, and I will get things done. What number of things, and which things...that'll be a surprise, I guess. And hey, at least I can spend the whole day on my butt if I want to. That's a win in my book.