Yesterday

So you know how everyone always says, "There just aren't enough hours in the day?" Yesterday, believe it or not, I had this really productive day yesterday where I did all the things I ideally want to do.

I have all these good intentions, things I'd like to do every day if I had time. On the average day, I can *maybe* do three of these things. MAYBE.

Do good work I can be proud of while at work.
Cultivate professional friendships with co-workers, not just "Hi, here-are-the-photos-gotta-run, bye!"
Spend quality time with Joel.
Spend sexy time with Joel.
Spend a little time outdoors.
Nap.
Do at least one small thing to stay on top of client wedding stuff.
Get some errands done.
Do volunteer work.
Eat fresh, local produce.
Cook at least one balanced meal instead of eating in my car.
Have one quality phone chat with my mom, sister or sisterfriends.
Get something done for the wedding (three weeks and counting....)
Update the blog.
Do some sort of beauty maintenance aside from my usual contact lenses, toothpaste, deodorant, sunscreen regimen.
Keep up with some housework so the apartment doesn't descend to a state of medieval squalor by the weekend.
Play with Bella; I mean, REALLY play, not just the standard "empty-her-out" walks following by a few minutes with the squeaky toys and some low-key ear or tummy rubbing while watching TV.
Give the cats a little love on their terms. (Dancing around the apartment with one of them in my arms calling them Ollie-By-Golly Snickerdoodle Von Nom Nom doesn't really count. That entertains me, not them.)

And yesterday, completely unintentionally, I did it.

I shot an A1 centerpiece photo for a story about urban youth going to a farmers' market to learn about vegetables and local eating. I bought cherries and strawberries while I was there. (I did eat them in my car.) I went to the post office to send a CD of images to the jewelry designer and to Target to get bug spray for Australia, which were my errands. I produced a 90-second video package from the farmer's market and completed two other assignments on deadline, while taking time to sneak off to the break room to eat stale cupcakes with reporter-bridesmaid Sarah AND had a funny Diet Coke-snarfing moment with Newly Hired Reporter Ben during a demonstration of how to take a picture of a guy using a starter pistol, which briefly involved me standing on top of a desk.

I got the majority of retouching done for a Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep project, which is volunteer work.

I actually was home by 6:30 p.m., after stopping at the Cool But Expensive grocery store for salad and fresh, healthy ingredients for dinner. I talked to Gwen for 45 minutes on the commute home and in the grocery store. I took a short nap when I got home, then Joel grilled dinner while I wrapped groomsmen presents. We ate dinner outside and had plenty of rompy-stompy time with Bella in the backyard, which was all fun and games until Joel accidentally threw her tennis ball into a wash basket and she hurt her paw diving in after it. She limped around for 10 minutes, and then settled under the hammock while Joel and I laid in it chatting about everything and nothing. I ran inside for a few minutes to hammer out a wedding contract with a client in Boston. Then Joel and I practiced our First Dance for about 20 minutes in the backyard as the stars came out, not that we can see them with all the light pollution, but there were a few. Or else they were planes circling JFK. Either way, I spent quality time with Joel outdoors while doing something to prepare for the wedding. Boo ya!

Then, we came inside and had sexy time. The romance was partly inspired by the fact that Joel did housework earlier in the day. (Clean dishes AND clean litter box AND recycling sorted? Swoon!) Then I exfoliated in the shower (beauty maintenance), connected all the chargers for my various phones and beepers and scanners and computers (I'm like Data in Goonies, I swear to God) and wrote the bow hat entry that I'd been meaning to write since the beach.

Fred and I MOW!ed back and forth while I filled his Big Blue Bowl (nothing else will do) and turned on the AC unit closest to the ground, which is all the love he'll tolerate in the summer. Ollie snuggled with us for about 15 minutes- he loves being under the covers- before wandering away to sleep somewhere not oppressively hot.

There it was- my ideal day- which unfolded spontaneously. It only took a time span of 21.5 hours. Turns out there ARE enough hours in the day, if you are batshit insane. Which I am. Luckily, I don't have to be anywhere until 4 p.m. tomorrow for an easy-peasy assignment, because Living Ideally, even with squeezing in a nap, is exhausting.

Hopefully no one will accidentally set fire to a playground tomorrow or poison him or herself eating mushrooms found growing at a rest stop on the Interstate. (Jesus, people. Chunky Photojournalist Barbie wants you to LIVE!)

What do you wish you had time for every day?