deadline season approacheth

I’ve decided that I hate calendars.

Completely and totally, without a doubt – they are the cruelest inventions on the planet.

They are taunting and demanding and the worst part of all : deceiving. All those nice little squares sitting there in a neat row, completely calm and organized. They just march right along, appearing so numerous as to lead you to believe that there is just alllllll the time in the world.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to hurry, it cooes. You’ve got plenty of time, look at all this white space just waiting to be filled with all the things you need to get done. Don’t stress, it’ll all be oooooookkkkkkaaaayyyyy….

Dirty rotten filthy pig liar!!!!!!

It’s a conspiracy to induce madness, I’m convinced of it. What I really need is a calendar that screeches at me that I’m a moron every time I commit to a new deadline. Some real smart butt remark to snap me to my senses, kind of like a verbal smack upside the head. Now, that would be helpful.

I do this to myself every year, apparently I cannot be taught.

I went to Office Max the other day to get some more ink for my printer and got all twitchy when I saw the “Back to School” displays. Part of that was excitement because I am a complete office/organization supply junkie and this time of year gets the geek in me all pumped up. They get really inventive each year and the prices are lower and I…just….can’t…resist. Post-its and sharpies and binders…oh my!!!

On the other hand, it also makes me realize fall is almost here.

While autumn is my favorite time of year, its also what I affectionately refer to as “Deadline Season.” It would seem that every exhibit I want to enter has a due date in either August or September.

Every year, without fail.

Which really, makes me all the dumber, because you would think that the consistency of that would give me a clue.

Nope, hasn’t worked yet.

So at lunch time today I looked up at the big calendar I have plastered to the wall at work (which should also be a good tool for realizing what the date is but alas, it has not helped), and realized I have about eight different deadlines rapidly approaching.

And by rapidly I mean that they are about to pulverize me without hesitation. I will soon be a weeping pile of organic matter stuck to my studio carpet.

I really have no one to blame but myself but seriously, this is NOT good. I made a list of exhibits/challenges that are on the agenda and I’m wondering if I need to prune the ones that aren’t a ‘firm’ commitment.

I’d really hate to do that since I’m equally enamored with all of them.

So I made a schedule and have put the ones that are a ‘must do’ at the top and the others at the bottom and we’ll see how we go. I’ve got probably better then half of the projects most of the way done. I need to wrap them up quickly.

The only solution I have to for that is to **gulp** use my sewing machine. The thought makes me {{{shudder}}}. There is simply not enough beer in the world to help me cope with that idea.

For those who are new to the blog, I do not have the best of luck with my sewing machine. We tend to bicker like an old married couple and usually I loose – badly. But a lot of what I’m doing now has ventured into surface design and only minimal stitching so I’m thinking those will work out okay. Even I can manage to sew a few straight lines….hopefully…(she says with humility and a few prayers to the universe)…

If you hear screaming coming from Michigan, don’t be alarmed. It’s just a little stress relief – either that or I’m getting ready to chuck the sewing machine out the second floor window.