Work and Writing...don't always mix

I work a forty hour week and take care of my mini me when that's done. It took me a VERY long time to realize there was a way to balance my "Real Life" with my "Dream Life". It's not an easy way and has to be a very flexible way, and it certainly wasn't something I could handle when she still needed help getting dressed. She'll be 12 in a couple weeks and over the last year, she's come to realize how much I want to be a published author. She understands and tries (though isn't always successful) to give me my writing time. She's still learning what justifies yanking Mommy out of her scene and it's not "Can I have a sandwich?" Just in the past two weeks, I've gotten nearly 30k done in my final draft before editing and it's because she knows how close I am to yanking that dream off the shelf and dropping it in my shopping cart to take home.

Anyway, back to the title topic...

Last week was a snarly work week that kept intruding on my writing time. In the midst of a scene, my phone goes off and it's one if my people, texting me an update on his condition. Cool...no problemo...give the standard, though genuine, reply of "if you guys need anything let us know." A job? What? For who? Benefits early? Whaaa...? So, by now I'm staring at my computer screen, completely ripped out of what I'm doing and I shoot the boss man a text...can you help me out? Stop responding, is what I get back. Aw, crap...ticked boss...Oh and by the way, the boss man and the boss man's boss will be walking my store that night (he shoots me back, in text)...while I'm not there...At this point, I'm digging in my freezer for the bottle of tequila. First lesson of the night, never take a text in the context of how it "sounds"...cause you're probably gonna be wrong. I was...he wasn't ticked...he's just not a texter, but also a marine and keeps it brutally short.

Second lesson, and not for me but the boss man. DO NOT, under any circumstances, tell me you're going to be in my store when I'm not there. It took me over two years to get him to quit telling me when he was going to do my reviews. Once, on a Friday afternoon, he says, "I'm doing your review next Tuesday." ..."WHY FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DID YOU JUST TELL ME THAT?! I'M GOING TO BE WORRIED SICK ALL WEEKEND NOW!!"...I get the look and the "Why? What's the big deal? You have nothing to worry about." I'll tell you the big deal. After nearly being submarined at a favorite job by a vengeful manager, I get a little twitchy knowing it's coming. Don't tell me, just do it...be like that sports shoe company. He laughed last week when I told him the boss walking thing falls in the same category. It was all a bed of roses for me because I can run my business but good lord...I did not need that. The tequila stayed in the freezer but the 72% Godiva Dark Chocolate bar in the fridge from my friend Suzan had a chunk taken out of it. Forty five minutes later, I'm back in the groove.

Two nights later, yet another set of texts from one of my people, for reasons I won't go into, and again, ripped out of what I'm doing. Do I have SAP or SUCKER stamped across my forehead? Get boss involved, another short brutal message that I don't take totally wrong (ok, the stomach still clenched and my imagination ran wild but the chocolate went untouched...I get points for improvement). Half an hour later, back in the groove and the next day, all is well again...sort of...but that's work not writing, so I'll spare you. The happy part was, as I said, the joy of getting more than half of my final done...and yes, I told the boss he drove me to chocolate.

Tonight, not writing but for this blog because I must put together fruit kabobs for a partnership breakfast tomorrow morning at work...(sigh...stares longingly at the file)

Anyway, so what have we learned?

1) Texts don't usually mean how they "sound"
2) Bosses and work people can have an amazing impact on you...outside of work, when you're struggling to grab that dream off the shelf
3) Friends who give chocolate are angels in disguise
4) That I'm still working on the smooth flowing blog thing and that...
5) Nothing is unworkable, just be flexible

Keep reaching for your dream!
See you next week!
-Lynn