Bad Timing

This time of year tends to be jammed packed with lots of things to do. Things I love, like parties, celebrations, cookie exchanges, decorating, decoration viewing and general merriment. Of course these occurrences are fit in amongst the regular living activities like grocery shopping, dentist appointments, hair cuts and working out. Then there are the holiday requirements which are not merriment, but are required, like Christmas gift shopping and wrapping.
Somehow in a generally already full life the holidays don’t just fit in by themselves. Precision calendar management is required, pernicious trimming of all but the most essential activities must be done and some general not getting done must be accepted.
I made a critical error in calendar management this year. I planned an annual holiday lunch for a day that after a weekend away basketball tournament and on the first day of exams for my high school junior. Then beyond all my calendar control, my husband suddenly left for Australia, only to return two days before my lunch. This means I really should be paying some attention to him since he was away for ten days, but couldn’t he have come home after my lunch?
My second error in time planning was I had both a dentist and hair appointment this morning. What was I thinking? I should be home cooking. When I got in my car to leave for the gym this morning the last thing I needed to see was the warning light flashing “tire pressure too low.” I stopped at the gas station on the way to the dentist and filled my tires. Apparently I am not good at doing that and the light came right back on. I stopped at the tire center and left my car and walked home from the Target. Good way to get my steps, which I certainly would have forgone today. That was a half hour I did not have to spare. Thankfully there was nothing too wrong with my car and my friend Christy drove me back to get my car. 
Carter then came home from school to prepare for exams and asked if I could quiz her. The cookie exchange I was supposed to go to, even though I was not exchanging, had to be skipped. Boo hoo, one of my favorite parties, but exams junior year take precedent.
The next wrench came when a board meeting was rescheduled for the tomorrow after my lunch, meaning I will have to leave right after it is over to drive to Raleigh. I hope that Carter does not need much quizzing tomorrow since I won’t be here.
I think I need to go back to a big paper calendar where I can see the whole month at one glance. Only then would I notice so many of the mistakes in my planning and not make this amateur mistake of over scheduling. I can’t do anything about the holiday coming, but I could plan better to enjoy the fun bits and leave the dentist for January.