Day Off... or Off Day?

Because I work from home part of the time, I get to set my own hours. This is good, except I feel like I always should be working. Whenever I don't have an obligation to do something else, I'm trying to work. I'm working inefficiently of course, with too many breaks to exercise, to nap, to get sidetracked by a cavalcade of YouTube videos (curse you, Suggestions sidebar!) I'm always making work my first priority, and never quite getting it done. This causes me a lot of stress, because I never have a moment to myself--a moment when I'm not thinking, "You really should be working right now." I realized that even though I'm only scheduled to work 4 days a week, I never give myself a day off. So today I decided to change that. This morning when I got up, I vowed that I would not do any work! None! Zilch! I can do anything I want to, but if it involves filling in a time sheet, it is out of bounds.

I started the morning loafing in bed, checking email, Facebook, and the like on my phone. I then proceeded to my usual 25-minute workout and followed it up by turning on my computer and checking other email accounts. At this point, I would usually switch to my "work" user account and tell myself, "You really should be working right now" before staring off into space or switching back to my personal account to see whether my bank balance reflects the deposit I just made, or to check the shipping status of that package I ordered, or to download that song I suddenly remembered I wanted. Today, however, rather than slack off under the heavy weight of guilt, I slacked off with impunity! I told Facebook this was going to be the best day ever!

And then, I finished loading the dishwasher, turned it on, and started making cookie dough! At this point, I received the first sign that this might not actually be the best day ever, despite my best intentions. As I was setting out the last of my ingredients, the sink began to fill, from the drain up, with water from the dishwasher. Vigorous plunging did nothing, except fill the sink with dirt from the pipes.

What could I do? I finished making my cookie dough, cleaned up (without using the sink or the dishwasher), and called the landlord. Then... I made more cookies! Later on, I plan to make sweet potato fries. Yes, my plans for the day when I can use neither the sink nor the dishwasher involve dirtying as many dishes as I possibly can. My wisdom is unparalleled.

I tried not to let the failure of my kitchen plumbing get me down, and thus spent the rest of the morning downloading one of those songs I wanted and taking surveys for reward points.

At 10:30, I had an appointment with the orthopedist, who took one look at the ganglion cyst on my wrist and decided to fix it. This would have been great, except that the sight of synovial fluid and blood oozing from a hole in my wrist, combined with the pain of having a giant needle poking around inside it, made me more than a little woozy. I always forget how horrible it feels to be on the verge of passing out. I said that last time. Fortunately, the nurse took forever to return with my visit summary sheet, and by that time, my cerebral blood flow was pretty much back to normal, and I was able to walk out without blacking out. They told me to ice it; consequently I am now typing this with a bag of frozen edamame beans strapped to my wrist with a belt, since I don't bother too keep such pedestrian stuff as ice lying around.

My next stop was a visit to the thrift store, where I got some good deals on a small table, a pair of shorts, and a hanging organizer thingy where I intend to store my winter accessories. Then at Target, I really outdid myself when I found Reese's Big Cups for $2.73 a package! I bought three, because I love them so much and the price was that great.

Despite all these good things, I am in a bad mood because I can't use the kitchen sink or the dishwasher and have no idea when the drain will be repaired, and now it seems like the bathroom sink is running slow, and my only surviving banana plant is dying, and the keyboard I'm typing on is about as sensitive as a callus and I constantly have to go back and retype everything because it keeps missing letters. I wonder if I can turn my off-day back around.