Day One-hundred-and-thirty-five: To do list

Whenever I've found myself under time pressure or feeling overwhelmed with all that I have to do, I address it in two alternative ways: I make a "to do" list both to make sure I am not forgetting things and to give me the satisfaction of marking things off of it; and I go to bed, well, attempt to sleep. Nothing is more tiring to me than having a must do task. Several times in the past I've either stayed up all night doing an overwhelming task or gotten up extremely early after being unable to work the night before and unable to sleep when I needed to be working. Nothing concentrates the mind like a deadline, even an artificially imposed deadline. So, I did both today. I made my list and then went back to bed. I made my bed the second time up so I wouldn't feel tempted to going back into it. My list doesn't have anything on it about resume writing or job hunting. (I think they are related and reflect my reluctance to find another job. If one of the things I like to do don't start paying off, I will need to get a job of some sort by 2010.)

Now, while my must do tasks can vary, I do have a serious, if self-imposed deadline. Adding tasks to my list that must be completed before that deadline is a further time management problem, which brings me back to Comcast and their lack of cutting off my TV. Maybe that is their plan, keep stringing the addict along. I did find out that my son also canceled his cable. Further he now has a specific day for his return to California.

Yesterday, during my ride, I kept thinking about how it was Veteran's day and how my previous company, before it was acquired, gave its workers this day as a holiday. This was really useful when my children were young, and I enjoyed it and Columbus Day off, just not enough to take them off as vacation days when they were no longer holidays for me. Even the memories were pleasant since, once again, I had the day off. The memories didn't stop me from checking for mail when I got back home even though I know that there is no mail delivery on Veterans Day.

My prize for the raffle for making more than 100 calls for Obama came today: two bumper stickers, a button, and a Starbuck's gift card. There were millions of these things out there and these were left over, so I doubt that they have any real value, but I will save them, along with the November 5th newspaper front section, as best I can, except for the Starbuck's card. Maybe my great grandchildren will see some value in them, that is if my children start having children.

Endless "to do" lists appear to be a fact of Life after Layoff. I only wish the discipline to get them done were also a fact.