Punching the Time Clock

When I sat down to write this it was 8:15 and I had one hour and fifteen minutes before I had to leave for work. My weekend work run continues, although I really can't tell you why. This is honestly not supposed to be my schedule. SurferDude and Gumby have soccer games today, which I'll be missing. We had our school carnival last night, so everyone is tired today. You know the day will be long when people are whipped and they've just gotten up.

8:17 Surfer Dude comes in and plops in the big red chair by the computer. He's feeling like chatting. I'm feeling incredibly guilty for missing yet another game. He's written an article for the school newspaper and wants me to look at it. I do and it's fabulous. After a few minutes I say please can I have just a few minutes on the computer and then we'll figure out your day. At 8:22 he gets up and leaves to get in his soccer uniform.

8:23 Enter Gumby, who makes himself comfortable in the big red chair by the computer and strikes up a conversation about the new bike he needs. I'm feeling incredibly guilty, not only for missing another of his games, but also because he has a sleepover tonight and I won't see him until I pick him up tomorrow morning. Then I get to bring him home just in time to get dressed and go to work again. Tomorrow is the day they scheduled the rain out games for. I set my schedule before this happened. I'm praying for rain tomorrow, and according to the forecast I have a pretty good chance of getting it. I ask him if I could have a couple of minutes on the computer in silence just to get something done really quick. At 8: 29 he goes.

8:30 Sasquatch comes in to ask me how I slept and to tell me that he had a restless night. He flops down in the big red chair by the computer. This kid also has a sleepover tonight and a photography assignment that he has to spend some time on today. I guess I don't have to mention how guilty I feel, do I? We chat for a few minutes and then I say that I really need just a few uninterrupted minutes on the computer before I go to work and can we talk in a couple of minutes? He gets up at 8:36 and heads to the living room.

I write frantically.

8:44 The Film Geek has to run to the post office really fast and needs the checkbook. I get up to get it for him. I keep my weeks open workwise as much as possible because he's gone so much during the week, and it just makes everyone's life easier. But I feel really guilty, because with all these rain rescheduling issues, his weekends have been very chaotic. I make these detailed lists of who needs to be where and when they need to be there and what's in the fridge to be cooked for dinner and so on, but I still feel awful. At 8:46 he leaves for the post office.

8:47 Surfer Dude is behind me, with his soccer shorts wrapped around a plastic baseball bat, seeing how far he can fling them across the room, shouting "hey batter batter batter!!" as loud as he can.

That's my cue. And, coincidentally, that's my post.