Cleanup today. Weekend slipping away.

[cjsmith]

I have lots and lots to do around the house today.

Every weekend, I start out with loads of energy, excited about how much I can get done in the two short days I have before I have to go back to work. Yesterday was no exception to this. I crossed a lot of things off my list yesterday. Dishes, laundry, sweeping up, a new ISP for my domain, a bottle of wine ordered from the winery on behalf of my mom, a Craigslist "free" post, new license plates finally attached to the car... stuff.

Now it's Sunday morning, and reality is sinking in. The list is too long for the time remaining. It always is. I'm no longer excited. Now I'm just working against a deadline.

I hate that my life is always right on the edge of being completely out of control because a full-time job takes so much time and energy. When I come home in the evening, I read a book, because that's all I'm good for. The weekends are gold. That's when I can really make a difference.

Lots to do before bedtime, and no staying up late either. Wish me luck.

Comments

[nosrednayduj]

I don't have 8 hours of brain cells available, let alone 10. I really only have 6 hours of brain cells. My code gets useless and my debugging skills drain out my ear. Unless I'm watching grass grow like I did this weekend (big fileserver reorg, lots of time waiting for file transfers) I can't work 40 hours in a week.

About 10 years ago I went to 6 hour days, cut out doing personal email/internet at my job, and my productivity went UP, and I had more time for both chores and fun. I did it unilaterally and talked to my boss 3 mos later -- I said if he could tell me when I'd done it (I usually left after him, which is how I could get away with it), I'd go back to 40 hrs. But he agreed I was just as productive so we'd leave it alone and not even tell HR. That was nice, still collecting the big bucks.

Then when there were layoffs 3 years later(I survived TWO layoffs at parttime, so that's not why they laid me off) and I needed another job it was hard to convince the new company it would work, so they lowballed me in salary, but I asked them to give me a big raise after a year if they felt it was working, and they did. Since then they've put up with extraordinary part-time-ness after my twins were born (10 hrs/week for the first year, gradually ramping up to about 20 now, and the kids are 4), and my demand to be hourly instead of salaried.

I LOVE being hourly. If I work, I get paid. If I don't work, I don't feel guilty. It takes more effort to manage my deadlines, so it may not work for everyone, but it makes me a very happy camper.