Just when I thought things couldn’t get any busier, galleys for “Dark Awakening” arrived yesterday. At least it’s a novella, so I don’t have to comb through an entire book for mistakes, but I couldn’t stop myself from reading through it once real quickly last night. I found a few things already that need to be fixed, but overall, it didn’t look too bad. I hope that first impression is right.
And tonight, I have a social obligation. My dad’s lodge is giving him an award. I’m happy for him since he’s all excited about this, but not happy for me because I’m obligated to attend this event. I seriously do not have time to do this, but of course, I have to go. The thing starts at 5pm. FIVE! Gah! So I’ll lose the entire day of writing because as soon as I get home from work, I’ll have to start getting ready and by the time I get home, I’ll be ready for bed. That means the only work I’ll get done today is what I manage on my lunch time. Living out of state is looking pretty good right now. 
The timing on this party could only be worse if it were the final month of a book deadline, so this is pretty damn inconvenient. The thing is that there really is no convenient time for anything any longer. I’m busy almost all the time. The only stretch where I have some spare time is right after I turn a book in. Of course, then I’m in recovery from the push I had to make to meet my deadline.
Guess I should stop complaining about how much I have to do. Sometimes, though, when I think about it too much, I just get overwhelmed. And when I feel like I’m drowning, I tend to go into avoidance, which means I fall farther behind because I’m not doing what I’m supposed to be doing. Like yesterday. Instead of reading the galley, I should have been writing. I’d had a really productive lunch hour and things were going well. I should have picked right up where I left off. Of course, by the time I finished the galley, I didn’t want to do any work at all.
I’ll have to make a To Do List today. That always helps me focus and I feel better when I cross items off. So that’s my goal for the day. 
And about all I have time to write.
Tags: Misc
Wow, Patti, I’m not published yet, but I feel your pain. The time thing. I, too, tend to get overwhelmed when I have several things to “get out”, or just get in the groove again. And the living out-of-state thing is nice. We relocated about 9-10 years ago, and there isn’t that obligation thing waving. Not that we don’t love our family, but it seriously becomes a, “what should I do, versus what I want to do.” There’s got to be a solution. I never miss a grandchild celebration, or daughter. It’s just the family gets so big, and we are after all just one person!
LaDonna,
Family is great, but some of the things we have to do for them….Sigh. Most of my extended family is in Chicago and they get together constantly so I always considered it a good thing that I lived 400 miles away.
I seriously need a clone to do all the things I need/want to do. I’m so ready to quit the day job!
Patti