Ephemeral Chaos: Too Much on My Plate

I was going to post on Topi, but too much else is going on. Topi has been largely done since Sunday (begun on Friday), but I keep forgetting to print out the template for the brim stiffener.

My life is simply too chaotic right now, and my knitting life is showing the effects.

I realized Monday that I double booked a gig. Bad, really bad. I just don't do this sort of thing. Both were important yearly gigs with floating dates that had never intersected before. I can't afford to piss off either side. I also can't be in two places at once. So I threw myself on the mercy of a caller I really respect, told her the story, and let her pick which gig she wanted. She picked St. Louis and is coming all the way down from Chicago to cover my ass, which means I'll be spending all of Mardi Gras parade day in Quincy, Illinois. It's the natural consequence of my fuck-up, but I'm bummed nonetheless. And it's no one's fault but mine.

On the face of it, I'm actually underemployed right now. My teaching day is done by 10 am Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I only work 4 hours a week at the frame shop. With no money in my pocket and ostensibly plenty of time, I shouldn't be overwhelmed with chaos. I certainly should be cooking more.

Yet, I'm committed to writing a bit every day. I just started an 8-week top-secret "exercise" class. I have begun the quest for Oscar completeness. I have a few Mardi Gras options (a brunch, a ball) left to me. I have to order a king cake. The gigs are starting to pick up after a month mostly off (five this month: Champaign-Urbana, Quincy, Shaw Nature Reserve, Soulard, Webster Groves) . The reenacting season is about to begin, so there's sewing to do and meetings to attend, one in Kansas City. I'll be dogsitting for a week. I have an Oscar party to go to and need to find a salon that can manage an updo on a Sunday. The knitting guild meeting is on the 24th. I have a doctor's appointment of the girly sort. I finally get paid for the first time since December.

And those are only the things I've committed to during the short month of February.

It leaves out the things I want to do, but probably can't. The University of Chicago Folk Festival is this weekend. I know several of the bands, and it's always a great party. Jackman's is having a Super Bowl cotton sale (20% off). Come to think of it, I'd like to watch the Super Bowl. Kirkwood is having a gem show. The next season of America's Next Top Model starts on the 28th. I really, really want to go to knit night at Knitorious.

I'm overwhelmed. Knit night would be my fifth committment of the day: teacing, writing, movie date, frame shop, knit night. I can't see myself going. Poor LB will start complaining that it's "chicken month" again if he has to eat leftover chicken for the fourth day in a row.

So that said, here's some dots to make the chaotic seem at least a bit organized. I know it's a bit like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, but one must keep busy after all.