Sunday, January 17, 2010

Deleting The Truth

Three day weekends are pretty awesome. They are also just a little bit deceptive. They seem bigger than they really are, the ultimate optical illusion. You think you can fit lots and lots of stuff in there. And you can. However, you have to be honest with yourself about how many hours are truly in a day and how many of those can be spent sitting on the couch playing computer games.

If you let yourself get fooled by the illusion, you might start thinking that sitting and playing computer games is a fine thing to do. You'll tell yourself that you have plenty of time in which to do all the things you put on that list you made back when the weekend was all fresh and new.
Suddenly, you will glance up at the clock and cry out in horror, "6:00? How the heck did that happen??? I just got out of bed...I think."

The fact of the matter is that I did not just get out of bed, although I did sleep in a bit today. I had plenty of time to do a few things on my list. Instead, I failed to account for the fact that clocks move in a forward direction and I let the hours slide away while merrily playing computer games.

A few things got done. I can honestly say that I didn't waste the entire day. But I'd be lying if I said I used my time well. Mopping the kitchen floor? No. That is not done. Finding my favorite brown sweater that disappeared a week ago? No. Didn't even bother looking. Knitting one whole mitten?



Well, you tell me. Does that look like a whole mitten?


Even using the loosest possible definition of "mitten," this does not qualify. It's not even a fingerless mitt, really. It's a thumbless thing and lacking most of the features one looks for in a hand warming accessory. It is also of a singular nature, but I don't want to compound my feelings of failure so we will not dwell upon this any further.

Fortunately, I make my lists using a computer application. I can delete stuff and there won't be so much as a trace of my failure unless they bring in a data retrieval team. Further, I am using a trial version until I can decide which program I want to purchase. Even if I don't delete my scheduling flights of fancy and failure, the whole thing goes away in fifteen days. Again...like it never happened. Sort of like the hours disappear when you are playing computer games on a gray, snowy Sunday.

Plus, there's always tomorrow. The pressure of the last day in a three day weekend sometimes spurs me to greatness. There is every reason to hope for shiny floors and finished thumbs. It will just take some concentration and the will to turn off the laptop.

Unless, of course, I fail to finish the game before bedtime. Then I'll have to put in a few more hours tomorrow. After that, though, I'll be the most efficient doer of stuff you've ever seen!

SA

11 comments:

sheep#100 said...

We knit no mittens here.
We did fixy stuff this weekend.
And ate too much chocolate.
Fortunately, we are now out of chocolate.
Only the exercising remains.
We can start that again tomorrow - the third day of this three day weekend.

Beth said...

It looks like MOST of a mitten. You can do this and get it done for gifting on Tuesday!

=Tamar said...

If bound off it would be a fingerless mitt. I have discovered that if I blend cocoa and coffee and then melt a chunk of chocolate into it, the blend is improved.

Donna Lee said...

No three day weekend here. Back to the salt mines bright and early tomorrow morning.

Anonymous said...

Did you know that if you set your computer clock/calendar back a year, you can keep that program for A YEAR and fifteen days? Of course, if you use a calendar program it will be totally useless. Still, worthy of a thought.

Georgi said...

Gee, what game do you play that is so mesmerizing? I am ready for a new one.

Mia said...

we need to know WHICH game??? hehehe

Knitting Linguist said...

Hmmm... Good luck with that. I spent my day knitting a shawl. The shawl that isn't the project I need to finish (that project would be my daughter's sweater, which I studiously ignored). And now I'm going to venture out in the rain to spend money at a bookstore. Productive? Not I!

Jeanne said...

Have you heard of Teux Deux? It's a To Do list/calendar and it's free:

http://teuxdeux.com

You have more of a mitten knitted than I do.

I cocoa my coffee by adding a scoop of expensive gourmet chocolate coffee grounds to the generic store brand. It works.

Anonymous said...

Here it is, Tuesday morning already and I didn't finish the body of my sweater as planned. I also barely accomplished anything on my second sock. How is it that a long weekend can fly by so quickly? Now I must force myself to go get in the shower and get ready for the long 4 day work week - UGH.

knitseashore said...

That's what winter weekends are for...doing nothing but fun things! Glad you enjoyed your game!