Thursday, October 23, 2008

finally!

I've been asked what I decided to name the scarecrow I made. Well, the poll was not all that helpful because it ended as a three-way tie. But while my parents were visiting, Dad said he didn't vote but he liked "Mifflin"; Heath would have voted the same way. So, there you have it - Mifflin he is.

For those who are wondering where the name came from, I'll indulge your curiosity. George Mifflin Dallas, the Vice President under President Polk, was also the man for whom the city of Dallas was named. Fitting name for my scarecrow, I'd say, seeing as how Dallas is where we are living!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Happy October 1st!

For three years now, I have anticipated the first day of October with both dread and excitement. You see, there is a huge deadline for all the students who will be traveling with my company this year to turn in their paperwork by October 1st. While they feel excited, perhaps, or relieved, to have the ball rolling for their trip, I am met with an avalanche of work. This time of year excites me because I thrive on being busy. On the other hand, having worked at this company for the past 2 years, I also know exactly what is coming. There is no way of preparing to make it easier or doing work ahead of time. I just wait for the dreaded October First.

There is, I think (in my imperfect knowledge on the subject), a fine line between drowning and keeping your head above water - somewhere between all-out panic at the first sensation of water lapping your nose and being so tired of treading water that your whole body aches. For the next month and a half, my goal is to keep my head above water. Not finish the work at the end of the day, for that won't happen for several weeks. But I will outlast the stormy waves.

I try to keep life as normal as possible - shower every morning, eat breakfast, lunch & dinner, workout, hang out with friends on the weekend, love on Heath & Ainsley. But I'll also get up a little earlier and stay up a little later. This actually works out well. Since I'm working from home, I can work while Heath does homework and during the day I get to watch Ainsley's antics out of the corner of my eye and hear her sweet, playful voice while I type away. And, for this month and a half, I'll swallow the perfectionism that says everything needs to be done at the end of the day. I'll leave a mountain of work for the next day - although hopefully it will be smaller than earlier in the day; and I will work steadily until I can finally say at the end of the day that there is nothing more to do.

I hope I haven't given the impression that I'm complaining or wishing October never came. As in every season, the good is often found in the difficulties. Besides that, each day is brand new; it has yet to be lived in; today's sunrise has never been seen before.

With that, I'm off to begin work for the day! Have a great one, dear friends!