Bloggers At Work – Am I Even Working?

The originator of this meme is Laurin Evans who asked me to participate…

Not long after moving from Toronto to Montreal, I started an online gift service, which allowed me to work entirely from home. I was all set up in my basement atelier for many years, which was rather glorious in hindsight… once my second child was born in 2008, I found it impossible to manage both babes, all the household dealings AND a business (especially since I wasn’t making a lot of money at it) so I let the business die. (Sniff.)

Last year I started writing a blog instead, and since it’s inception, I have a creative outlet again, and I’ve “met” all kinds of wonderful people through the internets. Managing to actually write the blog is still a bit of a trick most days, but I do try. *leans in and confides* Oythepreshaaaah! I’m constantly trying to forgive myself for being all perfect about it. Meh.

School is back on (at long last!) and I’m excited to get back to a routine of sorts. Oliver, my first grader, begins school at 7:55 AM, so we’re up and on the go from 6:30 AM. I don’t get to shower in the mornings because a) there’s just no time for that, and 2) my husband in usually in there, getting ready to leave for the day around 7-ish. He is of no help to me at this hour, so outside of the awesome coffee he prepares for us when he rises, we mostly just kiss each other goodbye, and I see him again around 6:30 PM. Or 7:30. Or whenever:30.

On the three mornings when Ava Scarlett goes to preschool each week, I’m back in the house around 9 AM and I have roughly until noon to get anything done on my own. I am usually wearing skinny jeans and a black t-shirt of some kind. Flip-flips or Crocs or barefoot. I have make-up on (I can’t go anywhere unless my eyebrows are drawn in at least) and I feel like I can answer the door for packages or a random neighbour. I have my hair all but shaved every other week, so hair is usually a non-issue. Hallelujah.

On days when I have a post just burning inside of me, I do my very best to just sit in front of my Mac and get it done. It’s got a large screen, which is handy for being able to block out the massive-mess-that-is-the-kitchen, which is where I do all my junk.

This is the room where we spend most of our time during the day. It is also something of a dumping-ground for the coming and the going… it makes me nuts, but I’m constantly reminding myself that we live in a home and not a museum. And yet I still strive for my magazine home. *shakes fist into air* “Damn you Martha Stewart! Uch. Devil!!”

On any given day, my kitchen (can you tell it’s the hub of the house?) looks a lot like this from where I sit. (Note – it doesn’t look like this ALL day – but always in the mornings, every day like clockwork. Grrrr…) When I look to the right, the rest of the house is down the corridor and away from me. (I can clean those places later.) When I turn to the left, I look out a window where I can see my delightful window-boxes of herbs (oh, how I love them!) and the upper balconies of my neighbours across the laneway. We live in a duplex on the second floor.

(Please ignore my daughters smooch prints on the window. I’m trying my best to.)

I’m trying to limit myself to a “10-minute tidy” of the kitchen on these mornings to myself… I just can’t stand the mess and I’m so easily distracted. I must stop this speed-clean by the time my next two cups of coffe have finished brewing. It is an exercise in discipline that I’m failing, but I try and try again. I must also limit my Facebook time and all things Twitter, because I am a social-media junkie and I just can’t quit you baby. Either of you. (Any of you.)

I’m not a phone-maven though. I don’t text and I hardly remember to even carry my cell phone, much less keep it charged. I think it’s from years and years of working from home. I was here ALL the time. I’ve never been much of a phone person anyway, so it’s always best to email. Or Facebook. Or Twitter.

I need to have some kind of music on – always. Lately I’ve been listening to satellite radio-type thing… I like rock alternative stuff that ranges between pop and indie. Keeps me bouncy without making me want to dance. (Well, usually.) I don’t answer the phone much… it’s just the tweeeeet! of you-know-what always calling, seducing me back into the on-going social party that is Twitter. I need to stop taking those booty-calls. It’s such an enjoyable time-suck though. And because these people are my friends, I want to spend the time, virtually making-out and stuff.

If the children are home while I’m trying to write, things don’t usually go very well. I end up yelling a lot, and then it’s all duct tape and punches… it’s much better for everyone when they’re off at school.

I’m hoping if I can get organised a bit better in the mornings this year, I might be able to do some other kinds of work. I’ve been poked about writing some stuff for UrbanMoms.ca which is very interesting to me, and last year I submitted something to the lovely ladies at Aiming Low and I would really love to do more of that kind of thing. (I can’t find the link to the post I submitted, but it was tres clever and funny. Just like me. Heh.)

It’s tough trying to juggle everything, usually entirely on my own during the day (family is too far away to help) and not earning a salary can be soul-sucking… but I dig having a bit of time to see if what I love to do counts for anything at all. Maybe that it counts to me is enough. Time will tell, I suppose.

But now I have to clean my house.

G.G.