Despite my best intentions, I didn’t get any further along on the California ballot today. Monday is my most intense day, now that I’m doing payroll on Mondays. That’s because Tim has decided that all the paychecks are to be mailed to him. He then distributes them on the following Monday, to make sure his guys show up to work. I guess that makes Monday a little more intense for them, too.

Besides, I had the winter blues today. It was a cold, gray day, the kind of day we’re not supposed to have until December or January. Or even February, in a good year. The few times the sun peeked through, it was just a tease. I had a hard time getting out of bed in the darkness this morning, and I didn’t have the steam I should have had all day. It’s a good thing I can do payroll without having to smile. Or think.

Then tonight I had to pay bills. My bills, the personal ones. You know, it’s amazing how far behind you can get on your bills, just because you don’t open the mail for a couple of weeks. I still resent the bottled water company’s billing cycle. There’s no grace period; the bill comes, and the due date is a couple of days away. They need to get used to not getting paid on time, if that’s going to be their policy. And yet, they don’t seem to mind slapping on a late fee. Go figure.

I think I maneuvered my finances so that when I get paid again next Monday, on the very last day of the month, I’ll have enough to write my rent check. Then all I have to do is wait a week before trying to buy groceries again. I thought this month, with five Monday paydays in it, would turn out a little better than this. Well, at least I’m going to be able to pay it, even if it sucks me dry.

So, to recap: I did my job today. It seemed like the thing to do, on a day when the air was so heavy and the sun so scarce. I’d get a lot more work done in the winter, if only it didn’t get pitch black in the middle of the afternoon. We have less than a week before we set our clocks back an hour, so we’ll have to see how well I adjust to the change. If past history is any indication, the answer is: not very well.