It's Happened Again

Gary calls it my “tri-annual reality check” – and I’ve done it again. This is when I suddenly and often painfully realize that the list of things that I was planning to accomplish in a given period of time is just ludicrously absurd. There is just absolutely no way it’s gonna happen. Kind of an ‘eyes to big for my belly’ problem. You’d think by now I’d have learned. In a way though, it’s not so bad .. no one really gets hurt from my over-committing – I don’t really let anyone down but myself (or maybe Rob but he really only seems to mind the half day of panic that accompanies my reality check). To give a clearer sense of what I’m talking about, I’m including here the list of things that I thought I could get done all before January 1, 2007. This is in addition to working full-time, eating, sleeping, and general upkeep (groceries, laundry, vacuuming, keeping in touch with friends and fam, snuggling my honey). The list was prepared in no particular order and specific deadlines are noted.

• Go with Rob to buy a washing machine and dryer and get it installed
• Buy the tub, the sink, the faucets, counter, cabinetry and remaining odds and ends for our 3rd floor bathroom
• Find the necessary people to do the renovation for our 3rd floor bathroom and get them to actually do all of it.
• Fix the muffler on the car (before we drive to Montreal)
• Paint the den, the guest room, and the office
• Visit my brother in Huntsville
• Go to Meredith’s party in Montreal (Oct 27-29)
• Make 50 candy apples and a pumpkin cake for the party (Oct 27 – 29)
• Finish knitting Nathan’s sweater, finish knitting my mum’s sweater and knit some mitts for Gramps
• Buy a zipper and sew it on my felt purse
• Produce and perform in a dance show (Oct 26 and Oct 30)
• Teach 3, one-hour dance classes (one a month at scheduled times)
• Choreograph and teach a 4 minute beginner tap piece (over 4 weeks from Oct – Nov)
• Choreograph and teach a 4 minute modern duet (over 4 weeks from Nov – Dec)
• Learn 3 new dances (for next year’s show)
• Submit an application for FIDA
• Attend dance class 3 times a week (improve flexibility)
• Fix the fence
• Fix the drain in the kitchen
• Fix the heating on the 1st floor
• Bake Christmas cookies
• Make Christmas presents for 5 friends
• Buy Christmas presents (Dec 25)
• Buy Birthday presents (Dec 24)
• Write and mail Christmas cards (Dec 18)

Now that I’ve calmed down a little and re-evaluated, here’s what I think I can realistically accomplish in that time (and yes, I appreciate that it’s mostly the stuff that HAS to get done):

• Have Rob buy a washing machine and dryer by himself and help him get it installed
• Buy the tub, the sink, the faucets, counter, cabinetry and remaining odds and ends for our 3rd floor bathroom
• Find the necessary people to do the functional half of the renovation for our 3rd floor bathroom and leave the esthetic half (painting, new shelves) for winter.
• Fix the muffler on the car (before we drive to Montreal)
• Paint the den
• Get Christian to come to Toronto
• Go to Meredith’s party in Montreal (Oct 27-29)
• Make 50 candy apples and a pumpkin cake for the party (Oct 27 – 29)
• Knit some mitts for Gramps
• Produce and perform in a dance show (Oct 26 and Oct 30)
• Teach 2, one-hour dance classes (one a month at scheduled times Oct. and Dec)
• Choreograph and teach a 4 minute beginner tap piece (over 4 weeks from Oct – Nov)
• Choreograph and teach a 4 minute modern duet (over 4 weeks from Nov – Dec)
• Attend rehearsals for 3 new dances (for next year’s show)
• Submit an application for FIDA
• Buy everyone Christmas presents (Dec 25)
• Buy Birthday presents (Dec 24)
• Write and mail Christmas cards (Dec 18)

What do you think? Am I forgetting anything? Is it do-able, now?

I have to admit, at this stage, I’m mostly worried about the choreography. It’s just such an unknown in terms of time. I need chunks of time to work on it to be proud of the result. And I’m still a little skeptical about the bathroom but it’s important enough that I think I can make some good progress on it in November.