The price of being overextended

[catherine]

Arghhh.. being crazy busy just cost me $113.00.

Quick story (because I'm too busy to go into details):
I wound up having to deliver 3 reports in the same time frame.
Simultaneously, I had to go to a baby shower for my DIL (who is expecting Grandson #2!!), a close friend of the family's dad died and I had to go to the memorial service, my DD came down to visit from Vermont, and my BIL is now living with us temporarily because of his health issues and the house selling next door.

So yesterday, I get up at 4:00 to get some good creative work done; DD was leaving at the same time I had to leave for the airport, so I was walking dogs, helping her get stuff out of the garage and into her car (yay!), organizing all the paperwork I needed for 4 projects, and packing. I chose my shorter computer charger so it would take less space. I'm only packing a small overnight bag because I'm taking the red eye back from LA tonight.

I get on the plane and reach for my computer charger in my computer bag--not there!!! I panic! I have 3 reports to write when I check in!! I thought for SURE I packed it!

So I get to LA at around 5pm, and a call around to find out if there's a Best Buy around. Then I call Uber and ask them if they could drive me to Best Buy, wait in the car and drive me back to the hotel--because now I've got 4% battery on my phone and won't be able to Uber again if let this guy go. I offer him a tip to stay.

All's well. I get my charger, I go back the hotel having lost about 45 minutes of good working time. Eat while working and crash at 8:30 PT.

I get up this morning at 4:30, and go to unpack my little overnighter, and guess what. There's the charger. I NEVER pack the charger in my overnight bag. But I wasn't paying attention, I was so frantically trying to get everything done.

So, I paid for the charger, the Uber, and a tip for the Uber driver--ALL FOR NOTHING!!

Being disorganized can be very expensive. I guess that's my point.

[JaneV2.0]

Yes, it can be. Many of us have at least two of everything because we can't find the originals amid the disorganization.

But I would consider it mostly a plus--now you have a "travel charger" you can keep in your luggage, and not have to worry about it. And you enriched a probably deserving Uber driver. And you can write the whole thing off on your taxes. Win-win-win!

Your BIL is living with you? I don't see that ending well.

[Tybee]

We bought several chargers from Amazon at a fraction of what you pay at Best Buy, having had the same experience (we work online) traveling and the charger had died. Absolutely, keep one in your travel bag, great idea!
Sorry to hear about bil. Did the house sell, at least?

[catherine]

Great idea, to just keep the charger in my travel bag. I have an extra phone charger in my bag, too.

So anyway, with regard to BIL, I may have mentioned that he landed in the hospital with blood pressure of 225/114. He now feels he needs people to take care of him, help him figure out his 3 blood pressure pills. The doctor told him to double up the medication (titration is normal medical practice as most of us know)--but he won't do it because he has this crazy idea that the blood pressure medication is going to slow his heart down and he'll die in his sleep.

He's really hitting the skids emotionally at this point. He hasn't technically "moved in"--his stuff is still next door, but he's staying here for meals ("oh, it's SO NICE to eat FOOD" he says as if he's just been sprung from Auschwitz) and a bed ("I like that room. It has a nice vibe" as if his bed is a pallet under a tree).

I've told him that he can stay where he wants, but just because the house is on the market, that doesn't mean he can't sleep in his own house. But again, he doesn't think like other people, so he believes the real estate agents are going to walk in on him when he's sleeping or taking a shower.

DH is tearing his hair out. I'm traveling 4 days a week, so it's not affecting me as much.

[IshbelRobertson]

Could you travel seven days a week for the next few weeks, Catherine!

[catherine]

Could you travel seven days a week for the next few weeks, Catherine!

Ha!! I'm working on it, Ishbel! In fact in a couple of weeks I'm escaping "across the pond" to London, Manchester, Berlin and Frankfurt. That should keep me far enough away from the family drama for a few days! I may look for jobs in Asia next!

[Zoe Girl]

yeah I know that type of life, although yours sounds a little busier than mine is. I tend to start goofing up when too many areas of my life need urgent attention. Mine was a very minor ticket that I didn't take care of. I could have turned in my insurance card online but I had to wait 3 days, and in that 3 days I lost track. Ended up being a major problem and cost money that I didn't have to pay if I had remembered. I learned, I put reminders in my phone for EVERYTHING. Our purchasing cards take 1-2 days for the transaction to appear, then you scan and attach the receipt. Then in a couple hours you can verify it is correct. It all has to be done in under 3 days to get 'accountability points' but you can't do it immediately so it is hard to track. It looks like I have a dozen appointments a week, but I don't lose track.

[IshbelRobertson]

Ha!! I'm working on it, Ishbel! In fact in a couple of weeks I'm escaping "across the pond" to London, Manchester, Berlin and Frankfurt. That should keep me far enough away from the family drama for a few days! I may look for jobs in Asia next!

Good for you!