Productivity

OK, so I'm pondering this theory I have that my day's productivity is determined by not only if I shower, but when that shower happens in the timeline. If I get straight up and walk directly into the shower stall (do not pass the coffee machine, do not feed the cats,) then, I feel, I'm off to the best possible start. If however, the reason I'm up is meowing at me, then I think, ooh, better take care of this first. But my cat-feeding procedure takes me right past the coffee machine. And since I'm careful to set up said coffee the night before, my cuppa is just a click away. So, I click. I'm a human being, I confess. So, while it brews for such a short time, and since a HOT cuppa is an absolute requirement, I'm sort of locked in to hanging out for it. And while I sip the morning crack, I might as well check email, no? Both accounts.....and if there are no facebook alerts in my yahoo account, well then I should go and check facebook and see if there's a problem (there must be) and if there isn't a problem, to prepare my list of "friends" who have betrayed me. That takes some time. And well, a girl needs her cereal. Must break the fast, and all that.

And so we can see, in no time at all, it's too late for a good day. It will be about 11ish before I even look up at the clock. And then, well, I'm only a half hour or so away from the time when Louise, my eldest kitteh, needs her insulin shot. So I might as well continue with what I'd doing (namely, nothing and everything - I have 11 tabs open right now) until it's time, and what do you know, it's about noon when I finally get around to giving her the shot.

This is a pivotal time...I can shake off the morning malaise and hop in the shower, or forgo it entirely if a) I showered the day before, 2) I'm ready to embark on a task NOW, or iii) said task is dirty enough to require a shower afterwards (such as gardening - get your mind out of the gutter.) If I decide I'm clean enough, I may pull on some clothes and salvage part of the day. Or not. If I'm in some need of a shower eventually, but my things to do won't take me out of the house, I may pull on "comfy clothes." By far the highest percentage of my wardrobe falls into this category. My sister refers to these as "insta-jamas," that is, any clothing that could also double as sleepwear. This is sort of the kiss of death for the day's work. Because before you can say "Law & Order," the TV is on and I'm feeling a bit peckish.

I may, a couple of hours later, jump up in a fit of self-loathing and DO something, anything, so that I don't have to write off the entire day, and generally speaking, this is the most concentrated period of activity of the day. It mostly deals with the daily grind - washing dishes, watering the plants outside, filling the bird feeders, tidying up the most egregious areas of the house, doing laundry, and shuffling some piles hither and yon. Then I'll stack up a few activities to do in front of the tv that evening, about 7% of which may actually get done.

If, however, I just get in the damn shower and put some clean clothes on, well there's no resemblance at all to the day I just described. What gives? Anyone? I'm finishing up this post and it isn't even 10:24. Yes, I'm showered. And yes, I'm exhausted, but I can keep this up all day. Is it the soap? The shampoo? The footwear? It's a puzzle, and maybe it's just one for the Ages.

I have no time to ponder it, I'm on a roll over here.

Just doing it,

Jenny