My friend Ellen likes to be busy — uber busy. This is the woman who worked full-time with a job that required travel, had two kids in elementary school, and was going to college on the accelerated program where she had study groups on every Saturday. It overwhelmed me to just ‘think’ about her schedule. Once she graduated, with honors 
, she had ‘too much time on her hands’ and signed up to be a Girl Scout leader.
Me? When I look at the calendar, I’ve got commitments from now until the end of the year. I feel as if I’m drowning — please, someone toss a floatie to me to keep my head above water. Some of it’s fun stuff but it’s still stressing me out. I’ve realized I need lots of blank space on my calendar.
Someone could offer me a free trip to the beach and it would just stress me out more because I’d have to pack and prepare for it and that’s just sad because the beach out of season is one of my fave places to be.
What about you? Are you an Ellen or a Jen? Do you like your calendar full or do you like lots of empty spaces on there?
I used to be an Ellen. I took huge schedules and finished college a year and a half early (while I worked part time). I finished my master’s program in a year while I worked full time. When I finished I felt like I had all this idle time I didn’t know what to do with. Then I joined RWA and most of my free time has been sucked right up. Its a good thing, but the time is gone. Sometimes I long for a chore free weekend - just a few more rooms to paint and I just might be there.
Comment by Andrea — September 26, 2007 @ 6:37 am
I’m a Jen. I don’t pack my schedule to the max. I do occassionally have a weekend or week that has a lot going on but that is not the norm for me. I enjoy my quiet and down time as it gets really busy here at the school. Have a wonderful Wednesday.
Comment by Ginger — September 26, 2007 @ 6:53 am
Just reading about how much you packed in makes me want to go back to bed, Andrea.
Yep, you’re an Ellen.
Uh-huh, Ginger, it’s when the weekends get booked that I feel
. You have a wonderful Wednesday as well. 
Comment by Jennifer — September 26, 2007 @ 7:15 am
I don’t know, I think I am more of an Ellen. Oh. Wait a minute! I AM Ellen!
Well. You may be surprised to know that I am actually very lazy, which is why I am a planner. If I don’t plan anything, I don’t do anything.
and it was lovely. 
Last Friday evening my DH took our youngest daughter camping and our older daughter asked to go ice skating with friends. I didn’t know what to do with myself for two hours… because I hadn’t planned!! …and I am SO not a self-starter. So I did nothing,
However, my closet still needs cleaned out, and my reading list is getting longer (need to return a couple of books to their owners).. and all my photos are in shoe boxes or still on my hard drive…
… so the moral of the story is, I should have a back-up plan… in case another do-nothing day rolls my way again… I’ll be ready!!
Comment by Ellen — September 26, 2007 @ 11:55 am
Comment by Jennifer — September 26, 2007 @ 12:07 pm
I’ll join the Ellen club.
While I don’t LIKE having every day scheduled to the hilt, if anything is going to get done, it does need to be planned, part of a list, etc…
Comment by Kimberly — September 26, 2007 @ 1:07 pm
Kimberly, I KNEW you were an Ellen.
Comment by Jennifer — September 26, 2007 @ 1:17 pm
Hello, my name is Kathy and I’m an Ellen.
Out of the frying pan into the fire should be my motto. Everyday speeds along like Ol’ Snoop Dog here 
but 
sadly, my song is playing…. Is it age? Overextension? Lack of willpower?
Comment by Kathy — September 26, 2007 @ 1:57 pm
Kathy, I had a sneaking suspicion you were also an Ellen.
Comment by Jennifer — September 26, 2007 @ 8:07 pm