Schedule? What Schedule?!?

I am an organized person- at least in my own mind.

You need a certain book? It's under this pile over here...you need that paper you printed out last week? Don't look in the file cabinet- it's in this pile, over here in the kitchen. I even made myself a schedule, so I'd know what I was doing this week. It's that paper I left somewhere under the table with all the scribbles across it.

Most times a schedule does work for me (provided it's not a minute-by-minute list), but this week was like being hit by a ram on a rollercoaster- the moment I finished one task, another popped up!

Why is it when I'm at my busiest, people want to call me and ask for favors? Why do people whom I haven't seen since before birth decide to call me right before I'm walking out of the door? Why is it, when I make a perfectly sane schedule, everyone but the cats decide they need something? Oh, eventually the cats do come to me too, but only when I'm using the computer mouse- then they want to sit on my clicking hand, rub their tails over my nose and get all growly-purrin' and friendly.

And why is it that when next week comes around and I have nothing scheduled, I won't get a single phone call- at least until I'm in the bathroom! Even the cats will ignore me, unless I bribe them with treats.

It's a lot like the 'job' thing- you get a better job if you already have a job. but try and get one after you quit, and it's like you have employment leprosy- no one will hire you. Scheduling is like that. When it's full, it's really full. When it's not, you can decipher the outside temperature by all the cricket chirps.

So here's today advice- if you want to stay busy, only fill your schedule half full to allow room for chaos. If you want a nap, don't schedule anything that day.

And lastly, the disclaimer- if you happen to tell anyone your schedule is empty, the universal vibes will resound with a need to fill that void with callers, emails, and doorbell-ringers, so if you want some time to yourself, keep your yap shut.

I am not responsible for relatives coming to move in with you because you told a cousin you were going away that week, or for the baby rewiring the vacuum so all it does is spew dust everywhere when you wanted to take a nap, and I am certainly not taking any responsibility for all the food in your house getting eaten and your couch slept on because you told me you were gone for the weekend, and I needed a break! Nope, not one iota of responsibility, because you just had to tell someone. Shame on you.

In the meantime I have a lot of emails to answer, then make dinner, wash the house, paint the carpet...you know, the usual stuff.

So...what's on your schedule?