Distractions

I think everyone has a day or two like mine: can’t get a thing done for a variety of reasons.

Yes, and I’ll be the first to admit it, I have days where I can sit at my computer and just stare at the blank screen having no energy to write even one word.

In my defense, I have severe sleep apnea and while I use a breathing machine at night, I can still experience extreme fatigue during the day. This is not an excuse. It’s an issue that thankfully, doesn’t happen too often.

My biggest issues are the distractions that on an almost daily basis, throw me way off kilter. I’ll use today as an example. Normally, I get out of bed between 7:30am and 8:00am unless I have some appointment at a time in the morning that would have me set my alarm at 6:00am (ugh! I shudder to think of that, but it happens).

Today, I was out of bed, dressed, and had a cup of coffee in my hand by 7:15am. No, I didn’t have an early appointment anywhere. I just happened to wake up early and thought it made no sense to try and go back to sleep.

Having nowhere to go, I thought it the perfect day to get things done. I did the laundry yesterday but had not yet put it away. This morning, I did just that.

What else can I do? Oh, yeah, begin drafting my next story. There are a few memories buzzing in my head that I can probably embellish and make into stories. Ah! Sounds like a plan.

I sat on my computer, looked at the blank screen and, “Darn, I need to call the cable repairman.” Since the hurricane hit last week, the cable box has been acting a bit wonky. The DVR won’t record. The cable isn’t giving us all the channels we should be getting. Actually, it’s only giving us about five channels. Picked up my cell phone and touched each numerical button. As Ernestine (from the old SNL show) would say: “one ringy dingy. Two ringy dingies.” You get the idea. Finally, I hear, “Hello, this is Felicia. How may I assist you today?”

My first response was, “I need a technician at my home because my cable box is acting very strangely.” Then I explain what it is and isn’t doing.

“Ok, you’ll need to press the reset button. Do you know where it’s located?”

I tell her I already pressed it yesterday afternoon and again last night. It didn’t fix the problems. I reminded her that we were just hit with a category 4 hurricane and wondered if some of the wires to their satellite dish were loosened or damaged.

“I’d like you to first reset the button on your tower.”

“I have a tower?” I ask completely bewildered. She says I should have. I look around and I don’t see anything like she’s describing. I ask again if a tech could be sent to my house to check on everything.

She says, “Okay sure, but first let’s reset the tower.”

The conversation about the tower went on for a full five minutes and finally she said she could check the system from her office.

Glory hallelujah! Now, we’re getting somewhere.

She said her diagnostics would take about ten minutes. Oh well, I’ve already been on the phone for almost fifteen, what’s another ten?

Finally, she comes back on the line and says, “Your system is showing a code 711. (I already knew that meant the problem is with their system.) We’ll have to send out a technician to fix the problem.”

Still trying to keep my patience, I said, “That’s a great idea (like I hadn’t thought about that already). When can he come?”

“Day after tomorrow before 4:00pm.”

At that point, my frustration ebbed, and I was truly grateful. “That’s wonderful and thank you so much for your time.”

The call ended and I walked back to my desk. I had been walking around looking for a damn tower! Sitting down, I saw my to-do list for today.

Oh darn! Another delay! I realized I had to call and reschedule a few doctors’ appointments which had been cancelled due to the hurricane.

That done, I check my list again. Good, the few things I had listed were crossed off. I’m free to sit and write. With the story in mind, I type a few sentences and felt a bit lightheaded. My diabetic testing supplies are in the kitchen. After testing, I saw my sugar level was much lower than normal. I poured a glass of orange juice, but as I was testing my droplet of blood, I noticed that I needed to refill my prescriptions for lancets and test strips. I can do that online. Oops! I need to transfer the prescriptions from one pharmacy to the new one, then request the refill. Another delay in writing!

I walk back to my desk and sit down.

Hubby walks in my office. “Hon, just got a call from the marine repair shop. The trolling motor isn’t worth fixing. Too much water didn’t drain from the lower unit. It’s shot!”

Damn, I think to myself, not just another interruption, but now, another expense that we don’t need! I say instead, “Ok, hon, we’ll go tomorrow and see what kind of new one you can get.”

He leaves my office, and I’m about to begin writing. My cell phone rings. The lab is calling to tell me the results of my latest blood workup.

The time is now one in the afternoon. I’m exhausted and I haven’t done one thing to cause this. Since I haven’t yet started my story, I might as well go back into the kitchen and make a cup of tea.

Tea in one hand and an apple tart in the other, I walk back to my office. My computer beeps: ‘You’ve Got Mail!” There were a few important things that required my immediate attention; the rest I deleted.

Suddenly, I realize how hungry I am. I leave my office, walk to the living room where hubby is now watching TV (it’s raining, so no working outdoors) and ask if he’d like lunch. Naturally, he would, however, he’d rarely think to get up and get it himself and at the same time, offer me lunch? Right? Hey, most men aren’t wired that way!

I make us both PB-Js and pour iced tea for us.

After lunch, I walk back to my office just in time for the phone to ring. It’s the city calling. I don’t live in an urban setting, with shops on every corner. I’m in the suburbs where there is nothing but houses, trees, nice lawns, etc. (or at least there was before the hurricane blew through). It’s their notification that they are sending out their trucks to spray misquotes. We have way too many and the city tries to control that population by periodic spraying. The chemicals are dangerous to pets, so they spray at night but still call warning the residents to keep their pets inside once they hear the rumble of the trucks coming down the street.

After all this time, it is now after three in the afternoon. With the exception of my own personal bathroom breaks, I see nothing more for me to do. I walk back in my office, close the door, and start typing.

Finally, I have finished a story – not the one I planned on writing, but this one!

Maybe tomorrow, I’ll have a day with no distractions so I can write another. Oh darn! I have my dance class at eight in the morning and then my husband and I are going to the marine supply store to check out their trolling motors.

At this point, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to begin another story.

The good points are that each disturbance in my writing life is another topic I can enhance and write about.

Now, the time is 4:40 in the afternoon – oh good Lord! Where did the time go? I’m going to end and edit this, submit it, and keep my fingers crossed that it’s good enough for publication and then I’m making myself a well-deserved cup of tea.