No extra time

[cjsmith]

[LJ-CUT TEXT="I need to start making some responsible decisions."]

I went out with a friend to a steak place last night (thank you, shoutingboy!), and I got home late -- after my nominal bed time.

The steak was scrumptious. The company was excellent. I greatly enjoyed the break.

Of course, there are always tradeoffs. As a result of this choice I made, I didn't get the laundry put away, I didn't do the grocery run I have agreed to do before 6pm tonight, I didn't clean the litterboxes, I didn't bring the mail inside, and I didn't do the dishes. (I did bring the trash out, bring the parcel in from the porch, feed the cats, and medicate everyone including me. Late, but medication was given.) Because kitty also has the UTI again, my bathroom's gone and I had to set her up in there with a litterbox again, which further ate into my sleep time. I didn't give her extra fluids, which would have been good home care. I most certainly didn't get enough sleep!

I also get two trips to the vet today and my daily routine gets "medicate Little Girl" added twice a day. Probably fluids daily, too - ten to fifteen minutes. I still haven't done the grocery run, which means leaving work earlier than usual, and I was later than usual to arrive at work because of Trip To Vet 1.

I need to realize that until and unless I get a lot more efficient with general life stuff, I cannot do things like that. Healthy people go out to dinner with friends. I cannot, not right now. With the sleep problems, the size of my daily routine, and cats who get sick(er) at the drop of a hat, I simply don't have the spare time.[/LJ-CUT]

Sometimes I don't like being a grownup. But I like to think that when being a grownup is the best thing to do, I'll do it.

Comments

[moriamerri.livejournal.com]

Sorry can't seem to help myself:

More possibilities:
--hire personal assistant / housekeeper 5 or 10 hrs a week (laundry, dishes, cat box, maybe shopping, pick up drugs, maybe take cat to vet or maybe not.)
--pay exorbitant prices for a part-time cook / steak delivery person. (This one has some exciting possibilities... cook extra food and pack it in freezer... make sauces to spec in quantity..... teach you about flavorings....)
--work less hours (in a planned way, that is). E.g. tell job they only get 30 hours a week for x weeks...

I also really like the offer shoutingboy made about doing chores and bringing steak over. I was thinking in that direction. Clearly you need flexibility in the sort of "help". If you combine this thought with the rfrench comments -- well, maybe you could have an evening helper or sleepover helper a couple of nights a week. You know, someone who picks up dinner, comes and eats it with you while sharing a few chores.... (Delegation is much more work at the beginning, but then can be very worth it.)

I have sleep problems but haven't tried sleep drugs -- maybe I should....

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Because I'm really trying to keep costs down, things like personal assistants and hospitalizing the cat are ideas to hold in reserve. (I so do not have the money for the things I want to do in the near future! SCARY....)

Last night ambar came over to teach me how to make a couple kinds of frittata and a pot roast with cloves and onions. That worked out wondrously well, partially because I had gotten out of work early & gotten a lot of the chores done, and partially because what we were doing included dinner. Afterward I even had four breakfasts and four lunches-or-dinners for later! That is so totally the kind of help that can make a HUGE difference for me. I need to make a point to get over my don't-want-to-impose-on-others thing and accept when people offer something like that. (Especially ambar. She's a great teacher for a newbie cook.)

yep

[moriamerri.livejournal.com]

yep, I figured that these were a bit over the edge (or is that beyond the pale) financially..... along with the "exorbitant" week worth of take out steaks! The "don't want to impose" thing is um -- familiar. Guessing by the responses you get to your entries here, I have to say that getting volunteers signed up to help you should be VERY easy. I mean, from a PRACTICAL standpoint. Emotionally is another thing. If you are not seeing how this could be really easy.... well, I hope you do see it.