The Dining Room Diaries – the one where Maudy makes a coffee.

by missmaudy

Now, Gentle Reader, as you are possibly aware, I have been reading rather a lot lately. Currently reading (counts…erm… two fiction, two non fiction and oh, there’s another one with a bookmark…) several books. Including one about Stolen Focus. Yes. I see the irony. Anyway, I’m about half way through the focus one (the data one is better. Yes. I am a nerd.) and the dude who wrote it does make some salient points, however, I am struggling to get over his privilege. He had the resources and ability to walk away from his day to day life for three months to explore the concept of disconnecting himself from the world and regaining his “focus”. That’s alright for some.

I digress. As always. Snapshot inside my brain is indeed like a computer screen with too many tabs open, with Me bouncing from shiny to shiny to ooooh, better get onto that or it’s going to cost me money. It’s more like a tv in a doctor’s waiting room tuned into that sketchy news channel, it’s got slightly off sub-titles and an endless ticker tape down the bottom of Important! Breaking News! Except mine is more Mayhem has work at 5 what have I got in the fridge how many people am I cooking for tonight has anyone responded to my ad for a tutor when is that bill due why is that person emailing me again didn’t I respond to that before like last week what even am I going to have for lunch I am not buying takeaway again this week surely other people can pick up their crap when do I have that meeting again am I prepared for it what does the bloody dog want far out can’t anyone else open or close that door…

You gets the picture. Crazytown with subtitles and ticker tape.

And simultaneously, been whinging a LOT at work about the imposts on my time and how time is a finite resource and I spend my (limited) time, lurching from one catastrophe to the next. So, we’ve been looking at some stuff on the efficiencies of *not* multi tasking – effectively, you’re taking attention away from BOTH tasks, meaning doing the two tasks simultaneously actually takes longer than doing the tasks individually. I cannot disagree with this statement – BUT when you’re doing one task with gaps, and you’re me, you start something else while you’re waiting.

Which brings me to coffee.

I like coffee. I have one cup with my breakfast, and I have another one mid-morning. Small, skinny latte, no sugar. All good. Simple. Same every time. Now, the other morning, I had one of those gaps in my schedule – one meeting had finished, in-laws were dropping around with a meat tray and some veggies (noice) and I had another meeting in about half an hour, so, instead of starting something I wouldn’t be able to finish before the next meeting, I figured I’d go inside, make myself a coffee, unpack the dishwasher, and tidy up the kitchen a bit so I had somewhere to pop the meat tray and veggies (and also so I didn’t look like the complete slattern because shite from breakfast absolutely eeeeeverywhere, and one does like to exude an aura of complete control of certain situations)

I go inside.

  • Turn on coffee machine
  • Coffee machine needs water
  • Look for jug
  • Wash lid of pressure cooker
  • Fill jug
  • Fill coffee machine
  • Put excess water in dog bowl
  • Realise dog is not yet fed
  • Feed dog
  • Discover washing in washing machine
  • Hang washing
  • Go back inside
  • Turn coffee machine back on
  • Put milk on to heat up
  • Unpack dishwasher
  • Shove breakfast dishes *in* dishwasher
  • Half arsed wipe of bench
  • Let in-laws in
  • Ooh and Ahh over veggie box.
  • Pretend to be excited about the meat tray
  • Make small talk about said meat and veg
  • Wave them on their way
  • Go back inside
  • Turn on coffee machine
  • Reheat milk
  • Make coffee
  • Share ginger biscuits with dog
  • Drink coffee in the meeting

Now, some of this carnage was completely on me – I could have ignored the washing, probably could have pretended the mess wasn’t there, and I’m sure the dog would have let me know if her food sitch was unacceptable. And this also sort of proves the half arsed point I’m trying to make. If I’d done what I intended…

  • Coffee machine on
  • Fill coffee machine
  • Feed dog
  • Milk on
  • Unpack dishwasher
  • Wipe benches
  • Make coffee
  • The end.

Intention was to do TWO things (make coffee and unpack/re-stack the dishwasher) before my in-laws got there. Ended up doing eleventy seven things and gutsing down my slightly weird tasting cos the milk had been heated twice coffee while running a meeting. Not optimal. And the dog ate half my biscuit.

On the plus side, I did end up with coffee and half a ginger biscuit, and I really don’t think I need to order vegetables this week.

And maybe I should keep reading ole mate and Stolen Focus and see what he recommends for too many mental tabs (and hopefully he fesses up to how he could afford three months in a beach side shack wallowing in his own company, and without having to worry about the mundanity of life)