Deadlines

If this was a television series, I could just do a “clip show” and be done with it. You know, do an episode in which most, if not all, of the footage was recycled from other episodes. That’s how much trouble I’ve been having lately getting enough peace to where I can concentrate on writing this column. Frustrating as it is, though, looking back it seems that December – January is usually so busy and so high-stress that I find myself in danger of falling behind. Whether it’s excessive demands on my time (such as Bit’s current thing of acting out to get attention, no matter how much he receives), someone being sick, or just an unfortunate amount of drama (since when has this much entertainment news happened during the holidays?! I’m having a deuce of a time keeping up), I usually have a spot of trouble keeping up with both this and whatever side project I happen to have going. 
I’m trying to be careful with re-runs, saving them for when I’ve got a specific seasonal article to dust off or I’m legitimately unable to make deadline no matter how hard I try. I think most people would agree with me when I say that while re-runs in and of themselves may be tolerable, re-runs of the exact same thing over and over again get boring after a while. I think most people would agree with me when I say that while re-runs in and of themselves may be tolerable, re-runs of the exact same thing over and over again get boring after a while. I think most people would agree with me when I say that while re-runs in and of themselves may be tolerable, re-runs of the exact same thing over and over again get boring after a while.   
Okay. Enough of that joke. 
But it still stands that I have a deadline to meet. Things have to get done, no matter what else is going on. I agreed that I would have something ready to go by a certain point in time each week, and it’s on me to keep up my end of the deal. 
Most of us operate under deadlines of some kind. You have to be at work by a certain time each day. You have to have the kids to school by a certain time, then be back to pick them up. The store opens at this time and closes at this time. You have to have the trash to the curb by such-and-such if you don’t want to miss the weekly pick-up. Et cetra. And as much as we may not want to have to, it’s still on us to try and meet these deadlines and get these things done if it’s within our power to do so. So let’s buckle down and get it done. 
…And now Bit is hearing the large flock of birds that have congregated outside for food and is freaking right back out. Something tells me I’m not getting too much more done without a struggle. Oh well. 
(Yes, I’m typing this up in the wake of news reports that Oregon is slowly phasing out a law that required all gas stations to be full-service; people are freaking out over the prospect of having to pump their own gas. -> https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/oregon-is-not-happy-about-new-self-ser... . I think you can imagine how this is being taken online…)