This time of year is always stressful for me. The last quarter is when I work on my long-time client's watch magazine. As a one-man team (almost), this means a lot of legwork, coordination, editing, photo selections, proofreading, corrections--and whatever else goes into the making of a magazine.
Then of course, I still have my other clients. Thank God for Stef, who has provided such invaluable help this year. She has taken over most of my PR accounts, and that is a huge load off me. But I still do need to do a lot of work.
This year, I feel doubly overwhelmed. This is the first time I'll be going into my Last Quarter Crunch with The Hubby.
In the past years, I just camp out in my comfy computer chair, right in front of my desktop. The seester and the cousins just tiptoe around me when I fall asleep. Our helper cooks the meals, sweeps around me (she used to be quick with the broom when I finally stand up for a bathroom break) and generally does all the household chores.
Now, I do the magazine work and the house things. Not that I'm complaining. And The Hubby is helping out as much as he can. He actually cooks more often now, and I'm grateful for that. But these days, I sometimes want to throw my hands up and cry. Or refuse to get out of bed.
Overwhelmed is an understatement. I hate to admit it, but these days I'm a lousy housewife. My meals have been uninspired. Though The Hubby likes the throw-in-the-pot dishes like sinigang and nilaga, I can't keep serving him that every week! I cook in big batches now, so that we will always have leftovers, good enough for maybe two more meals. I don't think The Hubby has ever eaten so many peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast! I'm still trying to convince him that peanut butter sandwiches make good lunches and dinners as well.
And the dishes! I had just finished washing the pots and plates, and forty minutes later, they're back in the sink (which just goes to show that I wash dishes only right before the next meal--otherwise I'd have nothing to cook in). Our bed hasn't been made in days. Piles and piles of my magazine clutter are everywhere.
And to think we don't have kids yet! How did our mothers ever do it all?
If I were more efficient, I guess, all these would be a snap. But I'm not. The Hubby thinks I'm a lazy bum. I know I am a lazy bum. And that's the thing. I need help. I am drowning.
9 comments:
hey sis! drowning...thats how i feel everyday. multitasking is hard. pero kaya mo yan! and let my bro eat some more peanut butter sandwiches, ganun din naman kinakain nya nun magkasama pa kami sa qc apartment. heheheh!
Ree - it gets easier as you get used to being married. Hang in there. My kids have convinced me that people can survive on yogurt, milk, and more yogurt so your husband's peanut butter sandwiches can be considered gourmet compared to my kids' yogurt and milk.
*hugs* i understand what you're going through. but it is worse for you because you are married. and a writer.
and i don't believe you are lazy. no, no, no. just that it's different how writing works. it's also not the easiest to do. which is why i respect and admire writers a lot. when the urge to write comes to you, naturally, you put it first. heck, plates can wait.
maybe you can buy paper plates and disposable cutlery. and do not hesitate to use them when you're tired or you need a break from kitchen duties. be kind to yourself.
oh, i love peanut butter.
what is your mailing address?
Hey there, rheea!
This happens to all of us - so says the guy who finished a 800 page coloring book project (with help, of course. I'm no miracle worker) and couldn't even sweep the floor of his home office :-) Anyway, our mothers didn't have to contend with the crazy deadlines we're saddled with. And maybe that's how they were able to keep the house spic & span and raise their seven kids right.
And when I'm done with my projects and visit you and The Hubby at home, will you serve peanut butter sandwiches? Just hide the jar because my wife would surely just attack it with a spoon:-D
-Judd
you can also try tuna sandwich. it shouldn't take you 5 mins to prepare the spread.:) yum!:)
i fully understand what you're going through. hey, you're not a lazy bum! overwhelmed is different from lazy - one denotes helplessness, the other one, indifference. i'm sure The Hubby understands this, too, that's why he helps around, not to spite you but because he cares.
besides, you cant ever take that lazy bum throne away from moi however hard you try :)
believe it or not, sis, it will get easier. just breathe.
I'm so into PBS (peanut butter sandwich) now that I beg The Wifey to make me some when I feel really sick, tired or plain depressed. In fact I'm actually thinking we might have stumbled onto the ultimate panacea!
Was actually disappointed this morning cos we had tuna sandwich even if we still had PB :(
Anyway, explained to The Wifey that I don't think she's a lazy bum... just easily distractable. Hehe :)
thanks for the encouragement guys. yesterday, i followed nica's suggestion to make tuna spread--with freshly cracked pepper, dill weed and a touch of mustard, served on multigrain bread, topped with crunchy sweet apple slices. yum! but The Hubby was in a funk coz he wanted his good old peanut butter. hehe. i think i have trained him well. ;p
so now you know that my bro would rather have pb sandwich than tuna. don't put too much stuff in your tuna sandwich. just the lettuce and tomatoes (if you have some). p.s. i used to eat a lot of pb sandwich. you can leave me for days with just tuna sandwich.:)
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