Back to Normal? Or Back To Puckett?
These are the Radcliffes, from New Zealand:
I met Vivian, Anita and Edward last Friday afternoon at Purgatory; this was after getting up at and starting work before 3:30 AM, and waiting on emails from co-workers for next steps at 2:30 PM - Ethel ran me out of the house and told me to hit the slopes for a bit. I hadn't skiied all week, and I have to admit that it did me a world of good.
The Radcliffe siblings (Dad was down at the lodge, I reckon) were a delight to be around. Normal, congenial, adventurous young'uns, who didn't mind skiing a few runs with an old man. I hope someday to see them in New Zealand - and if everybody down there is this well-balanced and congenial, then I might not come home (I've never seen the Southern Alps, but I have seen pictures : )
The Radcliffes hadn't gotten up at 2:53 that morning; they weren't trying to learn a new job; their wives were not at home with their shoulders in slings while taking pain pills, losing inhibition as a result of which and telling the contractor "Yeah, go ahead and take that wall down." I really envied the Radcliffes, and really wished that my life would get "back to normal".
However, my life is not going to be back to normal at any time in the foreseeable future. Work is going to be crazy until I'm dead - I've accepted that, and learned to embrace it. Heck, with any luck my job will speed things on, and I can go Home to my great reward, and Ethel can inherit and get on with the good life she's got planned with Chad, the Porsche salesman from North Scottsdale.
However, I've gotten fed up with having my circumstances dictate all of my actions. There needs to be some continuity in my life. For the last many months, I've been missing many meetings, not running or working out, and - while being in Colorado - not skiing.
Skiing doesn't actually take much time, given our current situation - we designed it that way. Running or some form of physical training actually makes me more productive (I believe) rather than less, as long as I'm not running so much that it's actually a stressor rather than a stress-reliever.
And missing meetings is just plain stupid. I've read Chapter Nine - I know what happens to drunks who put business before the Program - heck, I know what happens to any twelve-step folk who put anything before the Program.
Therefore, I've made a few decisions, I believe:
1) Missing meetings is over. 4 or 5/week was my previous standard while in the Rockies, and it's going back to that.
2) I'm going back to running *at least some distance* 5 days/week. Doesn't have to be far, doesn't have to be fast, but it does have to be done.
3) Yes, skiing. While I say that my main problem has been time, I suspect that it has had much more to do with energy; I'll say to myself "yes, I could go right now for a half-hour..." (normal folks spend more time than that at lunch every day; I've always been an eat-at-my-desk type) "...but I would only get one or two runs in". Well, who cares? One or two runs can invigorate the rest of the day, as I was reminded late Friday afternoon while skiing with the Radcliffes.
Right now, I'm scheduled to speak at a men's meeting in Durango at 6 PM; it's hard for me to get away at that time of the evening, but I'm going to do so today. No, really, I am. I can come back home and go to work if necessary, but I will make that meeting, as I agreed to it months ago.
My life won't be normal any time soon. But my life will be a Puckett life.
I'm glad.
I think if you are going to live a frenetic life you should spread the love a bit, particularly if you aren't getting paid by the hour.
The Daddy may need you, but I'm not one for volunteer work that just puts more money in his pocket.
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Chris -
I don't think you understand.
I'm not working this much because I think Bob Parsons needs the money.
I'm working this much because *I know that I'm not earning my salary*.
There's nothing worse than working hard all day long and realizing that you didn't earn the money that they are paying you.
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Your response is nonsensical. (can I play Newt in this little debate?)
If you aren't earning your salary then the good Daddy would be smart to put you back in your old position where you were part of a well oiled money-making machine.
I have this distinct feeling that your understanding of your own productivity is somehow askew. Or you are trying to bend the learning curve in a way it doesn't want to go.
But be that as it may, you were efficiently earning salary before with far less suffering for yourself and far more benefit for those enjoying your free time and continuous, extra-curricular exertions.
So now you are working 120% of former effort. I understand about the educational benefit, food for an active mind and all that. And if you think the current situation is transitional, ok.
I'm of a similar age, and there is that fear that maybe I've walked into a Peter-Principle cul-de-sac and will never find my way back to being both relaxed and productive. The answer to that is management. Any idiot who lets their prize running horse get hitched behind a plow deserves to fail. And I just don't see the Daddy going that way (I always imagined they pretty much knew what they were doing.)
So either they are stupid, or your expectations are inappropriate. (Or it could be both I guess)
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[any horse hitched behind a plow would be a bad idea]
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Sorry I've been adding to your burden instead of helping with it.
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