... when I leave work when my contract hours end at 4:00! Apparently, a lot! I was feeling bad about working until at least 6:30 the majority of the work days last month. I wasn't getting anything done at home, I was super stressed, and Minnie was taking it the worst! She started this new obsession with licking her paws CONSTANTLY. Seriously, it would wake her (and me) up in the middle of the night. Well, I did some online research and most people said it was a coping mechanism when dogs are depressed or have separation anxiety. Great. I broke my dog!
So ... I've been trying really hard to be productive with my day and leave as soon as possible, or at least by 5:00. Every night this week I've left early, and last night when I went to grade another stack of papers, I saw the clock had just reached 5:00, so I put them away and came home. It feels really nice. I can get more done at home at night and I don't feel stressed from working 11-hour days.
We'll see if it lasts, but I hope it does. I know a lot of it was due to Mom helping me grade a GIANT stack of papers last weekend. That helped me to be caught up with my grading for the week. Thanks!
Anyhoo ... this is the list of things I accomplished this afternoon/evening, and the night isn't even over yet!
- Came straight home from school to let Minnie out and change into cooler clothes since it was 79 (!) degrees out this afternoon.
- Go to the grocery store for the first time in weeks. I was down to canned veggies & hot cocoa in my pantry.
- Carry my groceries up the stairs (in one trip) and unload them.
- Unload the clean dishes from the dishwasher and reload all the dirty ones from the sink.
- Peel all the chicken off a rotisserie chicken & put away for meals this week.
- Collect all the trash from the whole condo & take it out to the dumpsters.
- Organize & add to my stash in my recycling bins.
- Make & put away lunch for tomorrow. This is HUGE since I'm always rushing to get it made before I run out the door.
- Take Minnie for a 45-minute walk.
- Make & eat dinner.
- Fed Minnie dinner, maybe even twice. At 7:45, I looked at her and honestly couldn't remember if I fed her earlier. I put food in the bowl & she scarfed it down. That doesn't mean much since she would eat the entire 20-pound bag if I let her.
- Relax to watch some great shows on TV.
P.S. I can't tell if I lost some of my regular readers. I know I wasn't posting every day, but I'm trying to get back in the habit of doing it. Are you all still out there?
3 comments:
Yes, I'm here. Glad you got that walk in -- I'm jealous. We need to plan that for every afternoon once the weather gets better and the days are longer.
Good for you, Bets! Do you ever do spot checking while grading? I find that helps lessen my load. And some papers I just give them a completion grade for finishing it. I'm out the door every day at 3:30 'cause I don't want to miss any time with Preston. You should do the same for Minners! She IS your baby...
Wow! So warm there! I wonder if Minnie would be helped with a new friend to be with? (aka another dog??) Our cat here Rafa is spoiled Rotten since James works from home. He always has a lap. Lucky guy!
Sooo productive you are! Good job!
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