The quiet that does not come from peace...

..may be the silence that comes from burnout.

Due to random husbandly business trips, a young daughter suffering from frequent nightmares who I believe has grown two inches in the last four days, an overload of minutiae at work, an undersupply of money and time, and a deep desire to dig a big hole and sleep in it, I have not been posting much of late. You all don't need to hear my plaintive cries in this regard.

I could use a haircut, a personal trainer, a pair of jeans that cost less than $50 and actually fit...but what I really need is someone just like myself who works for me.

I want to hire me. Full-time, if possible.

A me would be someone who answers my phones, screens so that I only speak with people I actually wish to talk to, and deals with difficult callers so I don't have to. Someone who drafts my personal correspondence and reminds me to sign it, then sends it for me. Someone who manages my address books, daily planner, personal and professional appointments, and travel arrangements. Someone who pays my bills and checks my balances so I'm living within my means, who comparison-shops so I know I'm getting the most for my money. Someone whose job it is to be punctual, cheerful, organized, communicative, and concise. Someone who does my grocery-shopping, laundry, and dry cleaning--okay, I don't actually do that at work for anyone, but it would be really nice. Everyone could use a me, really. Someone to get the crap out of the way so they can focus on the living parts of life.

I want more time to spend with my family, and less time taking care of the environment that my family lives in. I want more storytime and less housework. More romping around the backyard, less scrubbing in the laundryroom. More time savoring good meals, less time scrubbing the greasy pans afterward. Less scrubbing in general, I guess. Less time caretaking and more time enjoying each other's company.

Think of this as an early Christmas wish list. Not that anyone could actually provide these things as gifts...I'm sharing because I'm guessing I have other readers who sometimes feel like they run and run and run in place and still don't get anywhere worth going after working their butts off all day long. That the peaceful happy good times are always "over there."

As you might guess from this post, I had energy to burn today. So I ran over lunch and broke 27:00 over 5K distance for the first time this year. Perhaps I'll find other ways before long to pour this negative energy into more positive accomplishments.