List Time

If ever there were a happy medium. I've wished for that often as I go through life with most days on total overload and others with absolutely nothing on the slate other than the usual daily chores. When one has the chores perfected down to a science and Mother Nature has taken a winter vacation to some other locale, there are a lot of hours left in the day.

That does not happen very often, but today is one of those. And, the worst part about such days is that with all that time on my hands, I do not feel a need to hurry quite as much as I do during times like before Christmas, for example. Efficient use of hours, minutes and seconds takes a hit, and the easy stuff doesn't get done.

I've noticed that when I'm ultra busy, my house is in order. After all, the quick clean-up is on the long mental list of "things that must be done" before I run off to wherever to do whatever else needs to be done.

So, the kitchen, living room and other rooms on the lower level get tidied up. I'm don't thrive on coming home to a messy house, especially when I'm busy. The mess only reminds me of how much more work I have to do, so prompt clean-up before leaving home is a daily essential for me.

I noticed last night, with a whole evening on my hands before the Zags game started at 8 p.m., that some of the dinner dishes, food, etc. were still sitting out in the kitchen at the game halftime. Such a sight is rare when I'm busy.

When these "overload" lulls occur, I figure it's time to start compiling lists of "things to do." I also have learned over a lifetime that if I don't have assignments, I don't do them. Must be the teacher programmed into me over all those years. So, the lists serve as my required assignments for the day.

Yesterday, my scheduled tasks included hauling off the cans and boxes of food, dating back to 1994, which were removed by my sisters and Cis from my mother's lower food cupboard. That clean-out started earlier this week when Mother came walking out into the kitchen one morning and thought the reddish, sticky stuff on the floor was dried blood.

Immediately she worried about her cat Rowdy, who quickly reported for duty, unscathed and healthy. So, the new deposit remained a mystery until my sisters later came to the house and tracked its origins. The source was deep within the darkness of that lower cupboard. Pulling out can after can, many of which were sticky and reddish, they eventually deduced that the culprit was a can of mincemeat.

I don't think they looked at the label to determine its age, but it must have fermented long enough to desire more room than its container afforded. Like the blob of that classic '50s movie, it began its journey from the can, through the cupboard and across the kitchen floor. Who knows where it would have ended up, had Mother not discovered it early that morning.

Well, the container and dozens of its friends, which had co-habited that cupboard for so many years, now have a new home. I'm hoping they remained in that dumpster at the Bonner County Transfer station, bound for a permanent residence somewhere else, cuz if anyone decided to pilfer them, there's likely a surprise inside each. And, it could be dangerous.

Oops, I got off my list of "things to do" for yesterday. First, I'll note that Mother's cupboard is looking pretty good with its new shelf paper and with its relatively recently purchased stock of canned and boxed food.

My list yesterday also included a visit to my daughter-in-law's new office downtown and a trip to the museum to see my friend Jenny and the rest of the museum gang. Ann, the curator, was off in Libby delivering some stuff. The rest of the volunteers were deep in study, so I did not stay long.

Since the rain had stopped briefly, I also saddled up one of my 3-year-0ld horses for the first time. Both Lefty and Heather have experienced the feel of a saddle and blanket in the past week. Hard to believe I could do such a thing in January in North Idaho and then take them to the round pen to experience the feel of weight on their backs while they walk, trot and canter.

Lefty's the bronc. He even put my big Appaloosa Lily to shame, but he eventually settled down and paid a little more attention to business. Heather attempted a couple of crow hops, and that was it. I think she really likes the attention and is happy to please. They both look pretty cute with the saddle, so I'm anxious for more good conditions and more ground work with them.

Of course, the ZAGS game was on yesterday's list. It's a definite block assignment, requiring two hours of my time. And, the ZAGS are rarely boring. They looked great last night against St. Mary's. Their new freshman from Germany is definitely a PHENOM. Elias Harris scored 31 points last night in the win.

Now, I've got the Friday list of self-imposed, required assignments.

It includes picking up a book in town for a friend, doing some interviewing for my next column and UGH, UGH, UGH, launching into the preliminary stages of TAXES. I hate that, but at least I've gotten it down to a system, and if I do one segment at a time, it doesn't seem so distasteful. Today I'll take all those receipts from their monthly folders and try to organize them in subgroups. Yuck.

I might also take my mother for a drive today because the rain may have stopped for a while. And, since overwhelming BUSYness has stopped briefly, I know one more thing I have to do today.

That's to write out tomorrow's list of assignments. Never a dull moment! Ha!