Trying to Be Done

Good Morning -

I'm super excited to be drinking out of my new stainless steel traveling coffee mug instead of the cancer-coffee plastic #7 mug I've been using these last two days since I packed all of our ceramic mugs.

I left work early yesterday with the vision of being able to run a lot of errands before going to a friends' house for final steaks. Apparently, though, my work was not in completing successful errands and thereby being able to cross them off of my to-do list, but to simply complicate the errands thereby necessitating little asterisked notes on my to-do list.

For example:

- Pick up contacts at Eyemasters in the Mall
In an attempt to wring our insurance dry before leaving, we both went and got our annual eye exam a few weeks ago at the mall eye doctor. My prescription changed a little and the doctor wanted to try me with some new contacts that would be even better with my astigmatism than my current contacts. He gave me a test pair to try for a few days before I bought a box of them, in case I didn't like how they feel.

I love how they feel and don't like having just the one pair, so went last night to the Mall at the End of the World to pick up a couple of boxes. Upon arrival at the Eyemasters, I was told that those particular contacts have to be ordered but will arrive in 7-10 days. I explained that I will also be arriving at a very different location in less than 7-10 days, so it was decided that I should hold onto my prescription and fill it in Denver.

So, instead of being crossed off, now that reads: Get contacts *in Denver

An errand that wasn't on the list but got added after listening to our answering machine was to go to the vet's and get a prescription for new syringes for Boris because the new insulin they want to try him on needs a different needle.

I got the 'script and then headed to Walgreens to get it filled. There's some general head and stomach nastiness going around Tucson right now, so the pharmacy was full of people needing various head and stomach remedies.

I waited to get the needles and then waited for the pharmacist to "consult" with me and explain how to use the needles. I had thought this was a pointless exercise while watching other customers experience the consult, but then was grateful for it because, in consulting, it became clear that his new dose is so low (2 units) the needles they had given me wouldn't work.

That was good, but added 20 more minutes of sitting in the Urgent Care that is the Walgreens pharmacy.

While waiting, I checked their shelves for plastic-free coffee mugs, but they didn't have any. I still had lots of time, so then wandered over to the Wild Oats next store where three employees stood and discerned my question of "do you have stainless steel traveling coffee mugs" only to arrive at the consensus that they did not, but might for the holidays.

Since I won't be at this Wild Oats for the holidays, I headed back to Walgreens to get my needles. I still hadn't been to the Mall at the End of the World and it was getting late and close to the time we were to go to our friends' for final steaks.

As we now know, the mall was a fruitless errand. I was so frustrated that my two hours and 30 miles of errands only produced a box of syringes that I was determined to find those coffee cups before heading home.

I stopped at the first of two Targets I would pass on my trek back from the Mall and had success with the mugs.

By the time I was rung up by a woman who looked like she should not have to be working at this point in her life and especially not irritating the arthritis in her hands by lifting merchandise to scan it, I had minutes to get home so we could turn around and get to our friends'.

We got there and the Virgen you see is from the lovely wine we shared with steaks, potatoes and spinach salad. Delicious and a wonderful evening of laughter.

Now, now it's time for work. I so want to call in today and take care of some things here, but don't feel right doing it.

It's definitely someone else's idea that I work today. Damn - I hate when I act on somebody else's ideas.

Here's to acting on only the ideas that most inspire. Here's to being done with work. Here's to being aware of time and creating space in the clock where I need it.