WIT Voices

Anyone who knows my life understands how incredibly busy I make it. I could very easily not have a show or a reading or an event every single month, but I create a life in which that is the norm. Luckily, my husband is in the “business” so he understands and is frequently as busy as I am.

My mother said once that she used to run from room to room, afraid to miss anything. I am afraid to miss an email, to not get a phone call, to not jump on any opportunity because it could be the last. I usually feel restless, unproductive, if I am at home and not working on a show, not finding more contacts, not finding more theaters where I can send my resume, not researching my next project, etc. It is a huge struggle to put the cover of the laptop down and not constantly check my email.

Last night, for instance, I had a meeting and It got out a little early. Usually I would go home, get on the internet, have a beer or two (or three) while I work on the show and cram my brain with information. Then I would end up falling asleep in my office chair until Dan tells me to go to bed.

Last night was different. I went home. I checked my email but didn’t respond to anything. I almost put in Gosford Parkbut didn’t really want to watch anything. I did some dishes. I brushed my teeth and went into bed. I picked up a book I’ve been trying to read for a month. I got further than 2 pages into it, because I wasn’t falling asleep as I was reading. Dan called and was on his way home. He came into room and we talked, just talked, without any distraction, without a movie playing, without an email. Instead of talking about what we had just read on the internet, we talked about our day.

This morning, instead of my alarm going off at 6:15am and snoozing until I absolutely HAD to get out of bed (8:20am), I actually woke up rested and feeling like getting out of bed. Who knew? Going to bed BEFORE you’re falling asleep is a good thing.

So I have some work to do. Work on not working every mintue of every day. That’s the only way to keep my mind rested so that I can face a day. So there’ s room for more ideas to enter my mind. That’s my summer resolution.

My day started with a half pot of freshly brewed coffee being spilled all over me.

Well, that’s not true. It started with my alarm clock going off twice and the decision to sleep just a little longer than normal, forgo my usual shower and just make people at work deal with the fact that I may be stinky. One element forgotten from my usual routine: my husband had a 7a.m. meeting so there is no coffee made.

Dang it.

I get ready a little faster than normal, forecasting which route to work will be the fastest and which coffee shop the easiest to get in and out of quickly. If it’s directly on my route, I literally have 5 minutes of time in which to get this cup of treasured brew.

While starting my car, I realize that my keys feel a little lighter than usual. Oh, that’s because the four keys to my new office which I just got yesterday - well, they’re missing. Great. I have to go admit first thing in the morning that I can’t get into my office because I can’t find my keys. This thought distracts me so much that I miss all of the possible coffee shops on the way to work.

So, I arrive at work: a little smelly, without any keys, extremely tired and without any inclination whatsoever to be there. I hear laughter in the kitchen – fantastic! I won’t arouse suspicion by brewing an entirely new pot. My new assistant recruiter is in there and as people get their coffee and exchange pleasantries which just bore me to tears normally (although one person did make homemade brownies – that’s a treat!), we wait for our half pot of coffee to brew. We talk and chat, and talk and chat, one, two, three minutes go by and I wish there was anyone else in this office who could talk to me. This girl and I talk all day in the office that we share and I hate it then, too. But I must have my coffee.

It’s done! We pour the two cups into our two little Styrofoam cups and my salvation is very very close…..we are almost to the penultimate peak….I almost have my morning cup of coffee……..

… .then I almost have to go to the Burn Unit. I’m wearing clothes I never wear, because I have to do laundry. Nice pinstripe pants, tank top and a white button down shirt that I’m only wearing because the tank top isn’t appropriate for work. The colors from the tank top meld into the white shirt, it looks like I peed all the way down my legs, and to make matters worse, I almost had to brew a whole new pot of coffee.

That’s just how my morning started. We’ll see how it goes from here. One thing’s for sure: I’m utilizing the Timer on our fancy-dancy Coffeemaker so I am never in that position again. At least I smell like coffee all day.