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With a backlog of spring cleaning that is now summer cleaning (and will likely be fall cleaning), gardening, travelling for weddings and bachelor parties on top of sitting in a cubicle for 40 hours each week, basically, there aren’t enough hours in the day.
Every week I always tell myself, “I’m going to clean out the spare room/reorganize the shed/hike/get my car inspected/go to the dentist etc.” What happens is maybe one or two things get done almost all the way. Part of it is definitely laziness after I work all week and then complete my home obligations like taking care of pets, family or other short notice bullshit, but the other part is that it’s nice to sit down and decompress after being a “functioning” member of society all week.
As Americans, we are overworked. Right now, we have the highest number of college graduates in US history all vying for jobs. I work a 40 hour a week job and write for PGP, along with doing odd jobs and helping the Mrs. with her side gig. I’m also picking up caddying again, just to pay off some car repair bills, meaning even less spare time.
I honestly don’t know how families do it. We’re the only developed nation that doesn’t have maternity leave. There’s been countless studies done that talk about the overworked American and it doesn’t help we’re the only industrialized nation without guaranteed paid time off. Our productivity is up something like 300% since the 1970s, yet wages are stagnant and we are expected to answer emails and phone calls off the clock. And then if we don’t check our email at home or if we miss our boss’s phone call or text, we feel like shit about it because society is that fucked up.
I try to keep the complaints to a minimum. To be honest, I love working, seeing the fruits of my labor and seeing the metamorphosis of a project from start to finish. I’ve been working since I was 14 and have learned a lot about myself. But sometimes, it’d be nice to be able to unplug, go away for a weekend to the beach or camp or just sit around and do nothing. The weekends are supposed to recharge us and have us ready to do another week, not be a time solely dedicated to chores, household upkeep, weddings and expensive bachelor parties. I love all those things, but it’d be nice to be rested for once. I can’t remember the last time I had a completely free Saturday.
I feel like I’m in a constant cycle of playing catch-up. All of my PTO is already budgeted towards the four weddings I have or will be attending this year. I spend most of my time not at work updating, renovating and improving my home if I am actually able to spend more than a few hours at my house. I’d love just a few days to relax until climbing the next mountain. But if adulthood has taught me one thing so far, it’s that your PTO is never going to be dedicated to actual time off; it’s just time that you feel bad asking to use in order to get things done that are too time-consuming to do in between regular work hours.
It seems even when I don’t have a wedding, family reunion or other obligation already lined up for the weekend, a last minute obligation always turns up. After replacing all my Explorer’s tires, my car decided to find a screw in the road, courtesy of some assholes doing construction at a nearby site. The week before, a friend asked if I’d move him and his girlfriend across town. I have no problem with it, I love to help, but I haven’t had a weekend free of duties in three months and my guns are begging me to go to the range.
It’s always something. I need to go to the dentist, go to the doctor, get my tire fixed, get the car inspected, go visit my family at home, travel for 4th of July, attend a bachelor party, travel to Nashville for a wedding, clean out my shed, finish the backyard, assemble a bunk bed, cut my father-in-law’s grass, and more things that I’m forgetting about. Every time I cross something off the list, two more things appear. Since my PTO is already budgeted, I can’t even take a day or two off to knock out a chunk of the list. If something major comes up and I need more time, I’m royally fucked.
Life always seems to come with challenges. I guess this comes with the responsibilities of being an adult. Between finding time to see friends, playing softball, gardening, making food, cleaning and all the other great things that come with the adult territory, it gets overwhelming. The only thing to do is to stay on the grind and work towards crossing things off the list. I’ve definitely learned to time manage and multitask, to work smarter not harder, and to ask for help as well as give help. We’re all in this together. Hopefully, I can get my spare room cleaned so I can finally put my bunk beds in, just in time for college football season when everyone needs a place to stay to party and re-live the carefree days before all these responsibilities. We had so much more time back then, but nothing to do. It’s funny how life works out that way. At least there will be a ton of room for activities..
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Madoff
I specialize in damage control, being the drunkest at any and all functions and social assassination. Always appreciate a strong gif game. Follow me on Twitter. Sometimes I put up cool stuff about golfing at the local dirt tracks.
@BLMInvestment
And cue my anxiety level rising…
I’ve now gotten to the point in life where if I drop something on the ground, I think to myself “do I really need that?” I’m on a plane to Dallas right now and I’m supposed to be working but I just can’t get myself to do it because Archer is on TV right now. I’m also at this other point in my life where if I got fired on a business trip is just stay where I was and figure life out from there and completely let go of my life back home as if I never existed in that life.
Assuming you don’t take a trip to Branson or something.
I once got stuck in a small rural town in WV during a snowstorm and seriously considered restarting my life there with nothing but three days of clothes and my car. I get you.
I was in Dallas the other week and thought the same thing. The idea of pulling the plug and starting over crosses my mind every couple of months- not out of depression, but for the sheer hell of it.
Same, maybe I’ll stay here and then expense one last Uber to Austin and walk into Grandex and command a god damn job where I can sit and write life changing comments for money.
I think if you just post up in the office, they might forget they didn’t hire you and just pay you anyway.
Madoff, tell the truth
Did you write an entire article just to brag about having a spare room?
My spare room is covered in my gun stuff, my dad’s old records, and clothing I boxed before we moved that I still haven’t opened. Also winter clothing I never took out this winter because I packed it away in 2014.
So yes
Gotta find time for a nothing weekend where the most work you accomplish is getting off the couch to greet the delivery guy.
Mrs. Madoff tricked you real good into thinking those bunk beds are for your buddies during football season…
Must be nice to only work 40 hours a week
I work more than 40 hours. I also do some volunteer stuff, caddie and write here. Just doing my best man.
It wasn’t a slight against you. I love all the stuff you write. I just meant it in general.
All good man. No need for downvotes. I know a lot of people that work 2-3 jobs. Gotta make that cheddar
Dude just put a dip in and chill out
I love all of your comments.
Go to Discount Tire and they’ll fix the tire for free.
An you can get a nice little warranty for all 4 for under $150. Worth it.
Assuming I don’t get scheduled to work (I probably will), I’ll have a free day near the end of July and I’m so excited.
We run 24/7-I’m on call 24/7-never off the clock. I feel you.
I left a job like that for a sizeable cut in pay and it was 100% worth it. They just called me last week to see if I wanted to come back. I couldn’t help but laugh.
Looking…the cut in pay may be worth no more 2am phone calls.
It’s just another manic Monday…