What a week

I don't remember Kids and College weeks being so busy last summer. It must be all the other stuff going on.

Violet loved her class all week. Although on Wednesday morning she got and announced she was crabby and didn't want to go. We built her a fort out of blankets and chairs and she spent most of the morning in there. Hiding out from the world helped and she was ready for class. She had a blast in class and even told me afterward that she was talking more in class. They did candies in soda pop experiments (Violet's trial was cola and Tic Tacs, not as dynamic as Diet Coke and Menthos she said, but fizzy), made volcanoes, ice cream, flubber, and lots more she forgot to tell me about I'm sure. Her next class is in a few weeks. It is called Zap! and is about electricity.

I have been working every day. Remember Wednesdays and Fridays off? Doesn't seem to be happening this week. I had planned to do more because we are supposed to be going to my in-laws all weekend so I'll lose my normal work hours. I've been preparing presentations for others in my office to give. Two of them weren't bad. I was pretty familiar with the topics and I could easily find supplemental material.

Then yesterday happened. A co-worker, who I absolutely love, called in the morning and said she did want my help on a handout. It is a topic she doesn't know much about and I know absolutely nothing about. Well, I'll do my best send what you've got. She sent very little. I head off to the college where I don't have e-mail access. Get as far as I can, then my laptop's battery run down. I call her and she says, "did you get my other e-mail?" No, we left early, we were meeting friends for lunch. Oh, that had more information in it. And by the way, this is due tomorrow. Nice.

We get home she's sent the other stuff, that should round out what I did nicely. I call her and catch her still at the office. Can I call some lady to ask more questions about all this? No. Asks me to put together one more section. I say I'll try. I did get the first section looking decent (I'm guessing of course, she hasn't seen it yet). The new section. Well, it is pretty much what she said over the phone typed up. Oh well.

Now today is Friday. I already have to do my regular weekend work tonight so we can be gone all weekend. I'm not answering my phone today. My horoscope recommends against it. "A coworker or friend might seem overly assertive or even aggressive today, making it difficult to have a meaningful conversation." I am not supposed to be working anyway.

Now you are saying, oh but you have a nice relaxing get away weekend planned. That will be good. We are driving to Wisconsin, through possibly flood-washed out roads to my in-laws. Where the Georgia cousins will be staying, with their mom and possibly other grandmother. There isn't enough room in their house for everyone. Father-in-law wants all the kids to sleep out in the backyard in the tent. He doesn't read my blog. He hasn't been through the sleepover trauma. Mr. Incredible and I have talked about camping out in their backyard or on their deck. There is a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms all weekend.

They want to go canoeing. The flooded rivers are not safe for inexperienced canoeists. They want to go horseback riding. Violet would rather have her finger and toenails pulled off one by one than get back on a horse. Mr. Incredible did tell his dad to count us out of both of those activities. Figure out what they were going to do, we'd see them at their house, if they don't wash down stream.

I don't know what to pack. I don't know where we're sleeping. I don't know what activities we'll be doing. I don't know who will be there. This does not work for me. I am uptight. I am an obsessive planner. I admit I have a problem. This is a nightmare for me. Mr. Incredible and his dad were supposed to talk this week to work out more details. They haven't yet, which means they'll talk about 10 pm tonight. He wants to leave early the next morning. Just how does he expect me to be able to get us ready to go when he gets off the phone at 11 pm?

In the grand scheme of things this is nothing. But in the small scheme of things, this has been a stressful week.