Listless?

I make lists. I have a list for every single part of my life. If I didn’t have lists, I don’t know what I would do with myself. My lists are what plan out my life. I have my weekend list of things to get done,  I have my grocery list, I have my errand list; which consists of sub-lists,  my blog list; which consists of subjects I want to write about, a pharmacy list…and so on and so on. I don’t understand people who don’t have lists. How do they stay organized and on top of things? I have my ‘pop-up’ reminder on my Outlook calendar. That helps me enormously. But…if I am not on the computer for a day…ok, who am I kidding. I am never NOT on my computer for a day. But just say for argument’s sake I wasn’t…then my pop-up wouldn’t help me at that point. So I keep lists. I try to keep them all in the same place, but that doesn’t work out too well. I have lists by my bed, a list on the side of the fridge for the market; lists on my desk; because when I get bored working…I make a list, and lists on the coffee table in the family room.

Many times I am overwhelmed by my lists. I try to condense them so as not to psych myself out about how much I actually have to do on those lists, but sometimes that’s just not possible. Some of them do overlap. That kind of bugs me. For instance…if I need toothpaste…I can put it on my market list and I can also put it on my CVS list. That makes each list longer but I figure it depends on which store I am going to get to first. But the great thing is…once I buy the toothpaste, I can cross it off TWO lists. Ahhhh…[sigh of satisfaction].

Unfortunately, lists can cause stress…especially those that have deadlines attached; for instance, when you’re having a party and have to get everything done by a certain date. Yikes! And if that includes manual labor, forget it…double stress and panic mode. I am not a fan of manual labor. I have become a manual laborer since the economy has taken a turn for the worse. So I do my own cleaning, my own gardening, and my own everything, basically (except for cooking…Mrs. Stouffer still does that part). Therefore, ‘The Manual Labor list’: clean the house, clean the patio, pull the weeds, set up for the party, pick up the food, etc, etc. I wish I could have a ‘Hired Help’ list. I would thoroughly enjoy crossing items off of that one; housekeeper – check, gardener – check, caterer – check. The only check I can do is check myself in at the door. I’m an all-in-one multi-tasking personal laborer.

As my daughter’s graduation party day closes in, I realize the difference in the ‘To Do’ lists I have now, as opposed to lists I’ve had in the past, when money was no object.

Then: Call Beverly Hills caterer, call bartender, call housekeeper/servers, order wine and champagne, call rental place for chairs and tables, have gardener clean up backyard, call pool man to clean pool, confirm DJ, buy party dress and shoes

Now: Call Subway to place 6 foot sandwich order, go to Costco for cheapest wine and beer, get ice for coolers, spray Round Up and pull weeds, clean bathrooms, set up table and plastic chairs, set up ipod and speakers, check to be sure outfit is clean with no holes

In spite of the discrepancies between then and now…I do know the party will be a success no matter what. The players haven’t changed, just the venue [and my attire].

My bucket list was a fun list but I had crossed most things off it quite a long time ago: graduate college, have a great career, get married (I got to cross that one off twice), have kids, sky dive, travel, plus various other accomplishments. I haven’t traversed the Himalayas yet…but who am I kidding. That was never on there.

The main thing left on my list is to write a book. I have yet to accomplish that but it’s in the works.

I find it almost orgasmic when I am able to cross something off my list. And having multiple lists... there are many times…I’m having multiple orgasms. Ahhhh…[sigh of satisfaction].