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It's a little hard to stay focused on anything when so many different things are going on at the same time. That's my excuse, anyway. One way to add a little urgency to my work day is to cut it short by spending an extra hour or two out on the town shopping. That can narrow a person's concentration, knowing that a full day's work has to be done in half a day. There might even be some benefit to it.
Every day I have a plan. I know exactly what I want to do, but if I get halfway through my list I usually reward myself by taking a nap or watching a little Food Network. I'm not very demanding of myself these days, but somehow I've managed to stay ahead of the most pressing tasks. And today I finished my Christmas shopping (I think).
It wasn't easy, though. The Boss got started early today, and he had a lot on his list that wasn't on my list. He's trying to get us in the right financial position for the end of the year. If you know how I feel about deadlines, you already know I wasn't planning on doing anything about it until December 31. So I let him come up with the plan, and now all I have to do is follow it. On December 31, duh.
And today is Suzanne's birthday (happy birthday!), so I wanted to get her present to her, even though we'll be seeing her and celebrating tomorrow night. I couldn't just drop it off at her house because Eric borrowed my key (which he needed because his own key was in his truck and he had to switch trucks after he wrecked his knee). So I went by Mom's this morning and borrowed her key (which I didn't need because Tammy was in the house when I got there).
So anyway, that took a little of the time I'd blocked out to finish my shopping. It's just lucky for me that the traffic wasn't as horrible as I'd feared. At intersections where I expected to sit through three stoplight cycles, I only had to wait through two. There was one stretch of about two and a half blocks where there were no other cars. That was weird.
And at the very back of Target's parking lot, the spaces farthest from the store were available. Good, because I like to park there anyway. I'm leery of people who insist on parking close. They tend to be too aggressive, and I don't need that. The more distance between them and me, the safer I feel.
I like the spots where when you back out, there's a good chance no one will back into you at the same time. I used to work at a store on a busy but narrow street with perpendicular parking, and I watched people back into each other all day long. It was entertaining enough, but I never wanted to enter the fray. I always parked a few blocks away and walked the rest of the way to work.
Ummm. Where was I? I think I was talking about being unfocused, and I totally lost my train of thought. I had some luck at Target, finding the one thing I've been looking hardest for. That saved me a trip out of town, because I wasn't going to give up until I found it. And I did a little nosing around in some of the other stores in the center, so I think I'm done. I don't think I have to go shopping again.
That's such a relief that I can almost relax and enjoy the season now. And next year, I'm starting my shopping in January. Of course, I say that every year, but this time I mean it. | 
