can't say no nora

I think I was in my 30s before I realized that i didn't have to say yes to everything that anyone asked me to do. By then it was too late.
The habit was formed.

Which is way my feet hurt so damn bad this morning.

I set the alarm yesterday for 5:30 to finish up a 500 word piece for NUVO. When the editor assigned it she suggested that I might be too busy with Tonic Ball stuff to write it, and told me not to worry if I need to pass on it.
Ha, that sounded like a challenge!

A challenge that kicked my ass.

At 7:30 I was dressed for work (and I could not do the casual Friday thing because I was attending a luncheon and conducting some employment interviews) and dragging a mattress out to the curb. When my tenant moved out last week he left some stuff that I told him I'd take care of. Did you know that mattresses and box springs weigh a lot more when they are wet? I'd leaned them up against the garage and they'd gotten rained on. I stood there balancing the mattresses to make sure my newfound friend the trash guy would take it.

Mission accomplished, I raced off to work. It was a jammed packed day of committee meetings, an off-site luncheon (thanks to Bad Influence Girl for the invitation) a plumbing problem that um, arose while I was out of the building and interviewing potential kitchen managers. I worked until 6:00 and drove straight to Marigold where I worked until 9:30. The Broad Ripple Merchants hosted the Holiday Gallery Tour. The galleries and shops were open late and they were all collecting pasta for Second Helpings -- how cool is that?

While I was there I got a phone call asking me if I could come to work at the Red Key when I was done. I said "no" I had plans. The calls continued and I caved in. I called Bad Influence Girl and asked if we could meet at the Red Key, I'd be there by 10:00. I raced home, threw on jeans and drove to the Red Key. B.I.G. was surprised to find me behind the bar when she got there. Bartending was fun, I hadn't done it for a while. I enjoyed the groove of making drinks and chatting with customers.

I got home at 2:00 this morning took a hot shower and rolled in to bed with a book. I woke up at 5:30 when the alarm went off (I'd forgotten to change it), turned off the light and extricated the book that was now wedged under me and went back to sleep.

I hopped out of bed an hour ago and winced. My feet were killing me! Two asprin and my ass is back in bed watching cartoons.

It is kind of cool to have worked at all four of my paying jobs in one day...which reminds me -- my column for the Broad Ripple Gazette is due.