Perpetually Late

In life in general, I hate being late. Not saying it doesn't happen, but I hate it. I feel like it's so disrespectful.

But right now, I feel so overwhelmed, that I feel like I'm perpetually late. Working out is the only thing I do on time lately, and that's because I start at 5:15 or 5:30, so it's the first thing on the day's agenda. But then I try to do so much at home that I'm late for work. Then I try to do so much at work that I'm late for the evening's errands. Then I finish the errands and I'm late getting home, so I'm late to bed. Then it starts all over again. And to make things even worse, the stress is getting to me -- I fell asleep last night, woke up around midnight to use the bathroom and then could not get back to sleep for more than two hours.  I kept thinking primarily about stuff I have to do at work, but I also kept thinking of things that need to get done in terms of the trip. 

More since I need to type out this list than for any good blog reason, this is what needs to get done before we leave for China, which is in less than 48 hours: 

dropping off our mail key for our neighbors (tasking to hubby),
make final revisions to wills (today!),
signing our wills (tomorrow on a late lunch break at work I hope),
leaving a packet with important documents, alarm code, etc. with a friend (need to prepare tomorrow),
returning library books,
depositing checks (tonight after work),
going to the pharmacy for antibiotics, Pepto, etc. to take with us,
wrapping and delivering my godson's birthday present,
shopping for a coat to take with me (lunch break today?),
shopping for primary walking shoes (lunch break today?),
registering with the state department (tasking to hubby),
making sure the runners I coach have their plans for the next couple weeks,
setting up all bills to be paid (tonight I hope),
cleaning out the fridge (tasking to hubby),
taking out the trash (tasking to hubby),
shop for a wedding gift for a wedding a few days after we fly back (and coordinating with at least one of my brothers if we're doing a joint gift),
get a dress for that same wedding (lunch break today?),
make a list of US and Italy addresses for the lucky recipients of our postcards from China,
unlock my cell phone to use abroad (tasking to hubby),
advise credit cards of trip,
make a trip-it with the flights and hotels and our contacts in China,
email my friend in Beijing to let him know when we'll be there,
email two friends in Shanghai to make plans to meet up when we're there,
have our air conditioning vents and dryer vent cleaned (scheduled for tomorrow morning),
pick up prescription for an inhaler,
reserve a hotel in Xi'an (have it down to two choices),
put together all my marathon registration info so a friend can register me for the Berlin 2013 marathon (for which registration opens while we're in China),
wrap my husband's birthday presents,
plan a semi-special early birthday meal for hubby (his birthday is while we're in China, but he needs to open gifts from me and my folks before we go since I'm not bringing that stuff with us),
get a written statement in Chinese indicating my allergies (and ideally another one saying I'm a vegetarian),
check on why my 401k now seems to have quarterly fees attached to it (this can wait until we get back but damn, it's been on my list to do for about a month and it needs to get done, stat),
change the address on a National Geographic subscription that we bought for a friend for Christmas (who then moved) (this can also wait til we get back if it must, but the first issue of the subscription is Dec, so it needs to be corrected within the first week of Nov),
make a list of emergency contact info to take with us,
copy our passports and visas to have a spare copy in each suitcase and carry-on,
get my work laptop fixed so the stupid trackball thing gets turned off (asking IT guy tomorrow),
pay for the closet repair that happened yesterday (need to email to get invoice and tell him we need it now if he wants to get paid this month).

And that's not counting all the work stuff -- two major reports, one report update, ideally wrapping up settlement negotiations in two cases, approving all my retained attorneys' bills, getting all my electronic filing to my secretary, setting up out-office messages for email and voicemail, setting up two new cases, retaining counsel for two cases that have gone imto litigation, plus dealing with the usual flood of stuff that happens daily.

And of course there's also the "ideal" pre-trip stuff -- changing the sheets on the bed so it's clean when we come home, doing a quick clean of the house, etc.  I hate coming home to a disaster, so it would be awesome if that stuff could also magically get done.

And we need to figure out how we're getting to the airport.  Kind of important.  But a cab will work as a last resort.

And I need to add a spin class tonight to the list -- without doing heated yoga, I feel like a whale.  I think an evening exercise class will help me sleep and preserve my sanity.  That's assuming I can break the perpetually late cycle and leave work tonight before 7...

OMG. Deep breaths.  I'll just print this blog post and start checking off tasks, beginning with work tasks.  And now my mind will be able to focus, since it's all written out in one place!