I’m writing this blog on the last day of April, Friday. For us proud procrastinators, Friday is practically a holy day of obligation.
Most of all I procrastinated this blog. Or at least tried to, especially since I had no idea what to blog about. I started out first thing but soon as I began typing Millie commenced barking at something furiously out the back door, a black object looming ominously on the hillside behind the house.
Turned out it was one of my garbage cans, all smashed up. Uh-oh. Mr. Bear was back…he’s hungry in the springtime so he’d taken one of my cans I’d foolishly left some garbage in over the week I was away, and dragged it a safe distance into the woods where he could inspect the contents (he’s actually a very picky bear) in private. Better drop this blog and go get a new trash can forthwith.
That task done I returned to find a message from the forester who is helping me cut some trees on said hillside and hungry bear habitat in order to promote some badly needed new growth of oak (the witch hazel is taking over). He needed a signed document from me dropped off at the Monterey town hall…no hurry, mind you, but I felt it should be done right away. I saved the two or three words I’d written of the blog and headed into town.
There I filed the required document. It occurred to me I might possibly be (you never know) running low on dog food so I made a side trip to the little pet store to pick up a bag and shoot the breeze with the garrulous proprietor before I realized it was getting late and I really needed to deal with the blog.
As I was leaving the owner asked if I would swing by the post office and drop off a letter for her. Sure. It was right on my way. Ah, but the Jeep was low on gas. Well, not that low but better safe than sorry. I topped off at a station outside town and talked for a while with Jaseem, the owner.
“I haven’t seen you lately,” I said, paying for the gas.
“I went back to Bangladesh to see family and take care of some business.”
We chatted about his trip for about a half hour.
And while I was there, I might as well run the Jeep through the do-it-yourself car wash. All right, no blog yet but at least I had a clean car. I dropped off the letter and headed home.
Millie was up from her nap and let it be known she wanted to do something fun. Forget the blog, her eyes said, let’s go for a hike.
All right, all right.
We headed up the Appalachian Trail. Technically it’s still April but tell that to the mayflies. They totally stormed us.
Retreating to house I thought I owed Millie a little ball play in the yard. Finally she got tired, collapsed in the grass and contented herself with a good chew on a stick.
Finally I could get to the blog. Except now it was way late and I still had no idea what to write about. Why did I put this off ALL day? Why was I a lazy, good-for-nothing procrastinator?
But then that little voice spoke to me. I’d run some needed errands, connected with a few people I hadn’t seen for a while, got Millie her exercise and was actually tired from all the activity. In fact what I really need was a nap.
Sorry, blog.
But I’d learned an interesting little fact. It’s amazing how much you can get done when you are busy procrastinating. Hope you all have a lazy/productive weekend!
Edward Grinnan is Editor-in-Chief and Vice President of GUIDEPOSTS Publications.
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