[OT] How busy is life?

[Henry]

It's always stressful for Americans (can't speak for other nations) around this time, for several reasons:

1. New projects by people and companies are always started around this time of year
2. Taxes of various and sundry natures arise and the first of the year, and it is the time when you feel like you have the fewest options (and less money does mean fewer options)
3. Educational institutions are launching into a full speed about march to april, to prepare for May graduations.

There is also the "first one thing, then another" syndrome - where it SEEMS that just when you get one thing resolved, another thing comes up to handle. I believe this is more perception that actuality for most people.

Recently I had a scare with a possible Heart Murmur. Fortunately, multiple tests proved it to be fine, but for 3 weeks it didn't make the psychological load andy lighter. What it DID do was make me think about life, family, and health a LOT more.

 

[Utrecht]

In many ways this gets to the does all this stuff we have make life better? I think that in many ways the "keeping up with the Jones" really pushes us.

American is still a fundamentally puritan nation as far as work ethic goes - to quote Depeche Mode - "You've got to work hard" or you are not a "quality" member of society.

Couple this with 24hr news, the Internet, - and suddenly the speed of communication has speeded up - it almost seems natural that our lives follow.

My Father-in-Law has been railing against this for years - he hates X-mas becasue of all the stuff. he hates all of the new development because it is more of what we don't need. In fact - the family thinks that he is going to bolt to the Sunshine Coast in BC very shortly.


Fo me having kids has only compounded this - they grow up so quick - suddenly your infant is walking - seeminly the next day she is talking - all the while her big brother is getting ready for kindergarten...... scary.

So Ranger - no it is not just you -

 

[Theron]

For me, it's reality (though at the moment, a stomach bug is making it seem even worse). At the moment, I'm handling two people's duties at work for the foreseeable future (the other one got layed-off). My commute home at night is somewhere on the order of forty five minutes, so, if I'm lucky, I get to catch a little Simpsons and play with the kid for a few minutes before dinner. Then it's feed him, feed the wife and me, play with him some more, and get him ready for bed (he's two, so this is a full-contact team effort). After that, we're usually too tired to do anything but lay down until we fall asleep. Weekends consist of catching up on housework we couldn't do during the week.

My gaming time has been reduced to a monthly four-hour Champions campaign.

I'm taking next week off from work, and will be doing nothing but working at home. Landscaping, fence repairs, oh, and a 4000 word article due to my editor on April 1.

 

[Storminator]

I thought my life was busy...

Then I read this thread!

PS

 

[Furn_Darkside]

3. Educational institutions are launching into a full speed about march to april, to prepare for May graduations.

As well as to admit next years freshmen and package their financial aid- ugh, I have worked more the last two weeks then I have slept in the last three.

Is life in general more hectic?

Nah, no one has to keep up with the internet, have a family, or 24 hour news unless they choose to.

FD

 

[Old One]

All Those Things That Were Supposed To Make Life Easier...

RW -

Greetings! Enjoy your college days while you have them !

Looking back over the contact manager for this week, we have:

(1) Meetings with 4 prospective clients (@ 2 hours each).

(2) Completing and reviewing 3 financial plans (@ 7 hours each).

(3) Travel and presentation for prospective consulting client (6 hours).

(4) Phone calls/e-mails dealing with client issues (8 hours, so far)

(5) Professional reading/market research (4 hours)

(6) Trading - moved about $850,000 (US) in various accounts this week (4 hours)

(7) Travel and interview for new position (4 hours).

(8) 2 "Story Hour" write-ups (@ 1.5 hours each).

(9) Research on potential new business venture (4 hours).

(10) 4 workout sessions, to help bleed off stress and maintain sanity (@ 2 hours each).

(11) Cruising the EN World Message Boards (about 4 hours).

(12) Checking e-mail, voice mail, fax and snail mail correspondence (about 3 hours).

(13) 9 one-way communting trips so far (@ 20 minutes each).

(14) Quiet time with the wife (2 hours).

(15) 4 baby-making attempts (@ 20 minutes each) .

Almost 80 hours and counting since Monday! All of the "advances" in technology that were supposed to make our life easier have just allowed us to cram more "stuff" into the same amount of time. I would love to just "veg out" for a week, but prospects look dim.

Most Europeans I talk to think our 10 days of vacation + 7-8 holidays a year are insane. Americans don't know how to relax...

~ Old One

 

[Chairman_Kaga]

My job has become ultra stressful ove the last year or so. I was hired to be the CFO's assistant. Basically a glorified file clerk, and I was totally cool with that.

I am 30 years old and have crammed a considerable amount of life experience into those thirty years...so much in fact, that this job has always kind of felt like a semi-retirement gig. Simple, easy, good money...and NO stress.

About a year ago, someone figured out that I know something about computers and now every little computer detail is on me...

The stress level is nuts because whoever designed and speced our network was an idiot and now everything is failing catastrophically.

The VP calls me in and advises me that they are officially going to promote me to sysad which includes about a $15000 (US) a year raise.


I told him no...my sanity and that of my wife and any potential children are a LOT more important that a paycheck, no matter how big.


Old One: good luck with the babies My wife and I are trying as well!

 

[Theron]

Old One: good luck with the babies My wife and I are trying as well!

We found the trick to that is to talk about it for a couple of years, without committing one way or another, then finally decide it would be OK after all. Then one, and only one member of the household needs to go on an extended trip (4-6 days at least). After that, nature seems to take it's course and, voila[/] Baby!

It worked for us and two other couples we know.

 

[Hoju]

Life is good, busy but good.

Mon-Fri work during the day
Mon PM-relax & study.
Tue PM- Night school.
Wed PM -friends or relax
Thurs D&D-soon to be softball
Fri- Softball
Sat- snowboard/errands
Sun- football/spend with friends.

So I feel that I am always busy but quite a bit is actually social activity so it feels good to be with friends.

 

[Chairman_Kaga]

We found the trick to that is to talk about it for a couple of years, without committing one way or another, then finally decide it would be OK after all. Then one, and only one member of the household needs to go on an extended trip (4-6 days at least). After that, nature seems to take it's course and, voila[/] Baby!

It worked for us and two other couples we know.

Hmmm...excellent [rubs hands together fiendishly]

The world will cower before my army of mini gourmet chefs!