Studying with Johnny

When it comes to schoolwork I have always been a major procrastinator, but last week I did something I have never before done. I asked for extensions on three papers.

Now this bothers me a lot because now I am not only procrastinating, but I'm procrastinating with a deficit. So I cleared last night's schedule and planned on catching up.

Here's how the night went:

6:18

Arrive home from work.

6:31

Little Dog specifically requests homemade potato soup for dinner. Tell him I have mucho school work to do and suggest that he make himself nachos or a sandwich. He reminds me that is what he has done for the past two days and ups his soup request to fajitas. I glance at his skinny torso and mother guilt sets in, so I give in before he ups the ante to an actual meat and potatoes meal.

6:35

Peel potatoes and dice onions in the kitchen while listening to NPR.

6:50

Put the potatoes on to boil and head upstairs to take a shower, pausing first to load the dryer and start the washer. Open mail while the shower heats up.

7:15

Check potatoes. Head to the computer and find Little Dog on line. Demand that he get off and stay off for the remainder of the night. Get distracted by a phone call.

7:34

Finish soup and serve. Bask in the gratitude of Little Dog, who declares that even though I used too much onion and not enough bacon it is the best meal he's has all week. Eat and feel guilty.

8:12

Load dishwasher, take two more calls and finally sit down at the computer. 8 e-mails from work. Ack! Answer these and then log on to class website to remind self of what paper I am writing. Oh yeah, the Comparing the Rise of Christianity and Buddhism Subsequent to the Rise of the Roman Empire... er, ... or something.

8:41

Get up and take two Advil. Little Dog turns off the TV and retreats to his room so I can work without the distraction of Japanese animae in the background. Pop in Johnny Cash’s latest CD. Johnny cash singing about impending death and love is a good soundtrack to think by.

8:46

Google Johnny Cash because I can't remember how long it has been since he died. While on-line read a couple of friends' blog updates and check TWoP.

9:56

Force myself to get back to schoolwork.

10:08

Bojo calls for sympathy because she is sick.

10:21

Drink an entire can of Pepsi before returning to desk

10: 31

Have the carcass of my paper completed - just need to fatten it up. Reward myself with a break and a cigarette on the balcony.

10:45

Answer phone call from West Coast friend. Have brief discussion of Bacchus. Make tentative plans to visit in spring.

11:28

Return to desk to flesh out paper. Briefly consider withdrawing from the class. Entertain serious self doubts.

11:30

Receive IM from EagleFan11 asking me if I am up working on the math project. Realize Little Dog must not have logged off and therefore I am working under his profile. Briefly consider sending wacky message back to EagleFan11, but instead simply type "mom wrkg on LD's putr." Receive no more IMs. Feel unpopular.

11:35

Find an on-line article I need to print for reference. Article does not print. Crawl under desk to check printer connections. Run trouble shooting wizard which takes me off in various tangents, but doesn't solve the problem. Reboot computer. Still no printing. Completely abandon the idea of using that reference. Take paper in an entirely new direction.

12:45

Paper is done. Run spell check and then re-read. Realize I left out one of the major points of the paper.

1:17

Decide paper is finally acceptable. Tell self that a "C" is still a passing grade. Justify poor work on one assignment with my overall 4 point average. Realize this will jeopardize said four point. Ponder the dilemma before me.

1:21

Turn paper in via on-line drop box

1:45

Lay my exhausted self down in my bed.

1:48

Remember that I didn't go back and underline the book titles on my works cited page.

1:49

Resign myself to failure and pass out.