Word of advice from experience: Don't look into the cold can of soup or pork-n-beans. Just eat in the dark.That white floaty stuff is yuckO.

We Have A Plan :-)

WOW!!  I can begin to take a deep breath or three of relief!!  FINALLY goodness, gracious, we have a semblance of order and a Plan of Action!!! Just when I thought I needed an Alka Seltzer and Valium!!!

It is rough when a List Maker is in relationship with a Procrastinator!!!!   I may have lists telling me to look at my other list???? Slightly disorganized?   The polar opposite is a slug of a procrastinator that just ambles along, if Life happens it happens, eventually!!   I am a Shaking and Baking kind of person! Let's MAKE IT HAPPEN, FOLKS.... Angel is ... okay,,,, it will get done later, maybe.

URGH!!!

The trucking industry with its Feast or Famine method is always on my last nerve.  I like to have a plan, backing, up the plan I am already on.  One of the hardest lessons in trucking was "TRUCKING HAPPENS"  which translates to don't make doctor or dentist appointments, court dates, or plan to attend Life events such as weddings, baby arrivals, funerals etc. 

I have known for  a month the date of Angel's induction ceremony.  For this whole  month now, in my mind, I was off duty on Friday, drive the 250 miles across desolate Alligator Alley in my car to Tampa, spend time with the kids, attend the ceremony, go to Sunday church with them, then drive 250 back to SoFL so I can go to work driving my semi truck.  There is not much room for variation or delay in this PLAN which makes PERFECTLY GOOD SENSE to "ME".

Enter my job and Angel's schedule. Now that she is married?? Add Aaron's work schedule. (growl).  Then add that it is December, the slap craziest scheduling time of the year!!!! Did I mention it is end of semester, Finals, and all the assignments and deadlines are due???

Then Monday, maybe Tuesday,,, just 3 days before the PLANNED AHEAD VISIT, Angel comes up with, "Well, we haven't had time to clean the house. You need to get a motel room instead of staying here."  WTH!!!  OH!! And she also has 18 HOURS (!!!!) of Clinical Observations and reports to knock out!!!!!!!!!!!!   WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?

YES, I am almost in utter freaking out meltdown mode!!!!  

Somehow, it also became important to them that Aaron join us on our visit and they decided it would be a great thing if I drive them to a movie theatre so we can spend 2-3 hours of our visit sitting UNABLE TO TALK in the newest Harry Potter movie.. and "Oh won't it be so bonding spending "quality" time together as a family, Mom?"

HELL NO!!!   Movies as dates or Family Time is SUCH an oxyMORON because all the hours of driving, ticket buying, waiting in multiple lines, and sitting during the show are flushed down the toilet, when people could be having meaningful conversations, walking, talking, visiting together.  I am grumpy about this part of it too!

So what did I do??? Angel has 8 hours of Observation on FRIDAY "OUR" day together... she wont get free until 4:30pm. Now it is FRIDAY Tampa 5pm traffic!! They want the 7pm movie showing across town from their apartment!

 My work, actually DID get me off duty at midnight tonight.  I am declaring MUTINY!!! I am NOT, absolutely NOT driving to Tampa to sit in the parking lot of her apartment, or worse with Numb Nuts while she is at her thing across town!! NOT HAPPENING!!!  

I have decided to "be good to me"... I am taking the 9am-11am *Kundalini Class(see below) at the Yoga Connection.  THEN and ONLY THEN will I shower up and drive 5-6 hours to see my kid!

This is probably our "holiday" visit.  Last year??? I FLEW Angel from Tampa to Ft. Lauderdale and rented a hotel for a weekly rate!!!  It was worth the money to me to buy TIME to just BE with her!!!  She had the nerve then to lament that "vacation to me is not doing anything, you plan all our moments." (even plan in time to just NOT do anything, lol)

WHO DA PLANNER NOW, Kiddo????

After this?  I will need to go back to work to get Time Off.  To be fair, same goes for Angel with her school schedule.  And Aaron works retail, so December is feasting hours for him too.

"Mom, can you stop by the storage shed and pick up some of my books to bring to me?"

NO!! OVER THE TOP!!! OVERLOAD!!! BEEP BEEP BEEP!!! WARNING!!! RED LIGHT WARNING!!! MOM IS TOAST!!!!  BAck up!!! She's gonna BLOW!!!!

@#$(*&>?%&

sigh,,, "the most wonderful time of the year,,,,"

indeed  :-)

Jan M. Olsen
~J~

* KUNDALINI YOGA

Known as the mother of all yoga, Kundalini yoga combines postures, breathing techniques and meditation. Kundalini is a less physical form of yoga, which focuses on balancing one's spiritual anatomy so that the student can experience deeper levels of meditation. This very powerful technology has lasting effects that stay with the students helping them to feel a true sense of calm making them happier and more peaceful in their day to day lives. Julie's teaching style keeps its roots in India and is true to the method passed down by Yogi Bhajan.