2am Consequences

 I had a work call at 2am this morning. 

I do not (anymore) generally take calls at 2am. Unlike my last place of employment, in this first six months on the job, I have done better at setting boundaries. I have turned down multiple 2-3-and-4am meeting invitations, simply stating "this is well before my working hours. Please send me the notes or we can reschedule." 

However, there was a particular exception for this meeting, and I took it. I do not plan to make this a habit.

That meant a very confused me tried to figure out what the heck that noise was at 1:30am when the alarm went off in my office - which I had slept in because its also the spare bedroom, and I didn't want to disturb Eric. I pulled myself together in yesterday's clothes, and did the 2 hour meeting, then went back to sleep until I had to get ready for my 7am meeting.

The day has gone a little sideways since then, in part but not in full due to the disrupted sleep. 

I sent an email today and it felt like an accomplishment. I didn't used to think that sending emails was hard, but here we are.

I had very few other schedule commitments, so I had flexibility to do things like laundry while I was working. Now, many of you know that I routinely hang my laundry outside because I believe this is way better for the environment than using our dryer. I do this whenever possible, and often push the boundaries of that definition. It usually works out, although occasionally I have frozen jeans or snow-covered sweaters. 

So I was outside hanging laundry, listening to Andrew Rannell's book "Uncle of the Year," when my neighbors came down the driveway. 

With their cat on a leash.

Right as I was pinning up Eric's underwear to the line. 

I'm not sure what was more awkward, the cat on the leash, or the following. I saw them and then instead of putting the underwear back in the clothes basket, shoved it under my arm for some reason. I spent the next 20 minutes with wet underwear slowly dampening my armpit as I talked to them about the mail. (see here, here and here: mail is a big topic in the neighborhood).  However, before talking to them, I turned off my audiobook. 

It was only after I was going back inside the house... that I realized I had shoved my phone down my sports bra after turning off Elder Price. 

God I hope they were too distracted by Freon, the cat who vehemently hates his leash, and spent a significant period of time trying to scrape himself out of it in our gravel, to notice. 

Perhaps I need a nap.