Procrastination

Nuria is coming to visit me. She leaves Costa Rica tonight and will arrive in Richmond tomorrow at 11AM. The trip has been planned for several months.

I made a mental note months ago, which was to clean my house before she arrived. I allowed myself a month to make it clean and tidy. A month ago the day to begin cleaning arrived, and I decided that a month was too much time. The house would be a mess again before she arrived. So I decided to begin cleaning two weeks before she arrives.

Two weeks ago, the day to begin cleaning arrived again. I decided I didn't need two weeks to get the house in good condition. One week would be long enough. I decided to put off cleaning until the week before she arrives.

The final week arrived, but a week is a long time, and I realized I could get the house clean in three days. So I put off cleaning until three days ago. 

But three days ago, I felt sure that I only needed one day to clean the house. So I put off cleaning until, well, today. Saturday. And then I put off cleaning until midday Saturday. And then I felt sure I could start cleaning early Saturday night and in just a few hours everything would be tidy.

Now it's 6PM Saturday night. Nuria will be here tomorrow. Of course, I have to drive to Richmond airport to pick her up. All I need in order to do that is gasoline, which I've been meaning to buy for a week now. But no worries, I can buy gasoline in the morning on the way to the airport. 

Another item on my to-do list was to buy groceries. That didn't happen. Now I'm out of food. Almost. I have leftover cabbage-and-sausage from last night's dinner, and I have fixin's for Gallo Pinto, and I have Beanie Weenies. I have peanut butter and applesauce and fruit cocktail and, uh, oatmeal. I've had the oatmeal for a long time, but oatmeal lasts forever, doesn't it? 

And I have tuna fish and mayo and pickle relish (I think) and bread, so tuna sandwiches are a possibility. I'm an optimist.

I meant to wash and dry my laundry (sheets, towels) but I think I can do that while Nuria is unpacking. I know I'm cutting some of these tasks close on time, but that's what procrastinators are good at. I'm concentrating on the important thing, which is to be at the Richmond airport at 11AM tomorrow. I'll meet her in the North Concourse. No, in the South Concourse. No, wait...