Zee Write Stuff

13 Ways I Love to Procrastinate!

I'm writing away. I hit a block. Darn! I'm in trouble. What should I do? Call Super Chicken? Alert my therapist? Go shopping?
(Hum Jeopardy theme here... )
AH HA! ...the brainiac light bulb surges with alternatives...

I leap into the air and shout.....

1. Bake something! Why else do we need to stand next to the oven for 45 minutes?

2. Mend clothing! That blouse has languished in the basket for six months and needs that (a) new button (b) new seam, or (c) a big ol' multi-colored sequin flower or Minnie Mouse or dragonfly -- right now!

3. My Netflix queue! Must be a new movie to add? delete? shuffle in the order? HEY! Who put that Dom de Luise film in the queue???

4. Catalogues! Another six Landsend, 4 JJill, and 2 Illuminations catalogues arrived yesterday. I must look at every item that I am NOT going to buy!

5. Tea time! Right about now I NEED a cup of tea and some quiet time. Popcorn? Why, thank you, I believe I need some of that, too.

6. Rearrange the freezer! Whoa...how long has that package of pork chops been on the bottom rack? I didn't know we had ....limeade? apple turnovers? eclairs? lobster tails!

7. A new recipe! Need something brand, spanking (wonder where that idiom started?) new for a dinner entree/casserole/dessert! Something different. Something exciting. Something.... I have to read through all six of my Weight Watchers cookbooks. Maybe I'll just check the Silver Palette books. Sure. I can change those recipes to low fat. No sweat.

8. Mailbox run! Maybe the post person has dropped off the mail? I'll just put on a sweatshirt and run down to the mail box and check. (Note: our mailbox is not visible from the house, so I will have to do this reconnaissance mission at least three times before the mail actually arrives).

9. Birthday cards! Why not check the calendar. After all, it's a new month. Yikes! Five birthdays in May. I might as well get ready now. Where did I put that box of cards? Under the bed? In the closet? under the roll of the roll top desk?

10. Snack time! ("Again?" you ask. Hey, this thinking is Hard Work. Besides, that last snack was a least an hour ago.) Whew, I need another pick me up! Check the news online (for the 75th time today). Become catatonic at the !@#$#@$% in the Democratic Primary. Go Obama! (ha! another superdelegate defects to Barack!)

11. Bookworm! (no explanation needed, but I am playing for Level 40!)

12. Read! That might make three books running simultaneously this week. Reading could be inspiring, right? Troll for problems in another writer's prose; snicker at implausible plot twists; consider what I might do differently (which means... what I would do "more better"??)

13. Rats! Absolutely last resorts: clean the tupperware cupboard; switch all the clothes in the closet -- box the winter stuff, unbox the summer stuff; and dust (dusting is ALWAYS a last resort. ALWAYS).

Sometimes, creating new T13 ideas is a productive (looking) form of Procrastination. Searching for graphic art is definitely a time burner. Planning the banner is a good waste of time. No!?! Oh well.... onward and upward! I'm going back to writing, right now!