Oh J - You Troublemaker

Fans of the Myers-Briggs will recognize the list making obsession that characterizes the "J" trait. The fourth indicator suggests a preference for either spontaneity or list making.

I am a J.

If I'm feeling stressed I "make a list." If I'm feeling like I have entirely too much to do in a short period of time I "make a list." If I'm going somewhere, starting a new project, taking on a new hobby I "make a list." I have even been known to make lists of lists I need to make.

Last summer, before starting out on our 45 day cross country RV trip, I had a list of lists that included: RV Stocking & Readiness, Work wrap-up, Pet Prep, Household Readiness, and Gwen.

I'm not a purist. I like things a bit open-ended and it's not unusual for me to dive right in to a last minute something just because. Sort of like, well, NaNoWriMo, which I decided to do literally hours before it was to begin. This gets me in trouble because although I crave order, I'm not particularly good at maintaining it.

This morning I was up and about a wee bit early because Chris is headed into the office and one of my favorite things is morning coffee with him. Sipping away at my eggnog enhanced brew I curled up on the couch for a visit - knowing that although he was headed in, I was still off for the rest of the week.

Oh, but I was distracted.

Every year, the week between Christmas and New years, I take off and I spend that week creating order. Because I do this I pretty much put off creating order at any other time during the month of December. Then I dive in, pull everything out, and start sorting through the previous year of my life.

This year the in-process piles include several magazines which reflect either interests or things I'd hoped to become interested in at some point during the previous 12 months. So, among the piles on the floor are "Shop Smart" for my love of bargain hunting, "Body & Soul" - a Martha Stewart empire (you go girl) magazine devoted entirely to health and spirituality which was my goal for 2008 when it was still 2007 and I'm pretty sure I got nowhere with, "Highways" and "Motorhome" magazines which are our bibles for RV'ing, and "QST" - thanks to my newly re-acquired ham radio license.

Near those piles are stacks of bills - none of which have been opened or are late because electronic bill-pay has made my life much more manageable, some PeaPod receipts which are the result of my discovering home delivery for groceries, various software packages also reflecting my interests over the year - scrap booking, genealogy, photography - and then the various gadgets which may or may not work.

I have a lot to do. And only a few days to do it in. Oh, and I forgot. My 2009 Franklin Covey set. Oh how I love FC. This past summer, while in Salt Lake City, I actually visited the FC global headquarters and their attached store. I felt like I'd come to Mecca.

And then there are the KITTENS!

Because during the family Christmas my sister introduced me to a momma cat and a litter who had taken up residence on my sister's porch. Her husband, for all the right reasons, called Animal Control to come pick them up but this had not yet happened. She and her children have fallen in love with all four of them (3 kittens and one cat who looks like she's about to drop another litter) and know that if AC gets there before homes are found then it is likely the end of the line for all of them.

So I got in touch with a friend who offered to take two kittens. My sis thinks she's found a home for the baby gray. I will take the momma and deal with the potential litter when the time comes. It will be her last litter, I promise you. And if I find the person who dumped this brave and friendly young mother I will stick my foot out and trip them...then yell at them for not having the sense to have her spayed.

But first we need to gather up all of them and get them to the vet.

Which is who I should be calling instead of blogging.

And staring at those piles on my floor. Which are less likely to be sorted through if I've been distracted by the needs of new furballs. Which is my own fault for letting my heart and my J fight with each other...

But then, isn't life really the point here?


NL