January 30, 2013

Loose Ends

A month ago, when I was booking the flight to the Dominican Republic, I sat with my sister and my mum, and we scoured over the calendar, looking for the best dates to come and go.  Mum had the spot booked starting the 2nd, and I had to be in Seattle for Madrona on the 13th, so I said I'd book to come back on the 11th.  I'd land, wash my clothes, sort out my family, do a load of laundry, gather the stuff I need for all the classes, and then relaunch in the other direction, continentally speaking.

Erin talked with the travel guy on the phone and a few minutes later it turns out that it is grossly less expensive to come home on the 12th. That's a tight fit, I think. That's going to be really hard - I have a lot to do for Madrona, I should take the more expensive ticket to come home on the 11th, and then suddenly it hit me like a bag of hammers. What kind of idiot pays more money for less time in the Caribbean?  Not this gal.
I told Erin to book it, and she did, and forwarded me ticket and on closer examination, while my flight leaves the Dominican on the 12th, I don't get home until the 13th and man - is it going to be one tight turnaround. 

I have been trying to figure out how to manage this for weeks. In my heart, I have always believed that I can pull off just about anything if I get the organization right.  I believe this in the face of tragic and repeated evidence to the contrary, but at the core of me I am an optimist, and the few times that this has actually worked has driven belief into my heart that all this is going to take is a really great list, several colours of post-it notes and a spreadsheet.  Yesterday morning I got up, made my list for the day and realized that if anyone else had made that list, I would tell them they were completely out of touch with reality.  This morning I got up and made my list (with the carry over from yesterday- because it was actually impossible) and felt a wave of nausea.  I know it's going to be worth it, but man. It's killing me.  I'm determined to get a pattern up - it seemed like good timing, now that I'm knitting Old Joe's socks (for My Joe) again...

and I am determined to finish Little Lou's sweater...

although all that needs is buttonbands (and I don't have the buttons, but let's slide right by that one, there's no need to cloud the issue with facts and logic) and on top of that I have to wind just slightly more than 300 ten metre balls of yarn for class materials, print off my handouts (after beating the ¢∞§¶•ªº¡ing printer into some kind of ^&(*&^$∞¢§ing submission) and pull together a charity event and buy sunscreen and crap I forgot the laundry and prescriptions and ...  I have to pick what knitting I'll take. 

Somehow... that's the hardest thing. Despite the crazed number of things I have to accomplish, I keep finding myself drifting to the stash and poking through, and I'm on the edge of having someone change my Ravelry password for me to force me to stop cruising the patterns.  I need something small (has to fit in a suitcase) and something interesting for when I have time to focus (plane, beach) and something plain for when I can't - though I think I have that covered with a pair of plain socks, and the Old Joe ones I've just got on the go. They're simple. Beyond that, the world is my oyster. I have 18 days of knitting to plan. 

Suggestions?

Posted by Stephanie at January 30, 2013 2:29 PM