Organizationally Challenged

[ladysprite]

I am a very organized person. I plan everything out in advance, I make rough drafts and recheck things and rewrite in tidy little sets. I highlight my notes and alphabetize my textbooks and prewrite my schedule. I love having long-term projects, just so I can plan things out and watch them develop.

The down side of this, of course, is the fact that I am too organized for my own good. Inevitably, I wind up far enough ahead of schedule that I'm left well in advance of the event itself, pacing randomly in circles looking for something to do and halfheartedly hoping for a crisis so I can assert my orderliness and busy myself again. When I was finishing vet school I went through four drafts of my resume and three rounds of interviews, and still had a job lined up seven months before graduation. I finished every available prep-test three months before the National Licensing Exam. I do this over and over again.

I'm getting married in a little more than three months. I have a dress. I have shoes. I have a venue, and a wedding party, and bridesmaid dresses, and tuxes for the guys. I have an updated address book, and two boxes full of invites all stamped, addressed, and ready to go in the mail next week. My favors are almost all taken care of, my cake is designed, my budget is planned, my hairdresser hired, our honeymoon mostly planned, the jeweler contacted, the officiant has his paperwork, and the ribbons for the handfasting have been purchased. It's too early to write the ceremony; I'd only change it at least a dozen times. I can't get the license or the bloodwork this far in advance. I can't write out place cards until I know who's coming, and I can't really design the programs until the ceremony is written.

I'm caught up. I'm ahead of schedule. And I hate it. I have the desperate, clutching need to DO SOMETHING, and not very much to do. It's all waiting for the next few weeks, which is the part of planning that I'm absolutely lousy at.

Maybe I'll go change the background color on the wedding web page, or alphabetize our registry. That should help....

Comments

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Well, if you wanted to come visit me and organize my house, that might take your mind off your wedding.... :-)

[z-gryphon.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was about to say, I've a beagle up here who'd like to meet you. :)

[pixel.livejournal.com]

"This might keep you busy for a little bit. -Figure out what sort of things your sidekick would need in his Wedding-Saving Utility Belt(tm)."

[rabbitorf.livejournal.com]

well, if you're looking for something to do . . . I could still use some advice on finding housing (and any other before you go to vet school you should know) around OSU. Any advice?

goodness, i wish i had the problem of being too organized!

[ladysprite.livejournal.com]

The only advice I have is to stay far, far away from Clinic Village (assuming the board of health hasn't closed that apartment complex down yet). Their prices are low, but the building is *bad* and the manager is a thief. (Literally. He stole my stereo. And my underwear.)

I was lucky enough after that to move in with a friend about a half hour away from campus, so I don't know too much about housing in the area. But I might be able to help with other questions - what else do you need?

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

I know exactly what you mean! But it's better to be ahead of schedule, believe me. (I had a bride come in today whose wedding is in August. Eeek! OK, she should be mailing those about now... (You don't really need to mail yours 'til mid-August, BTW. Too far ahead and you'll just fret about how long it takes people to respond!)) And it's perfectly normal to have a gap between the long-range projects and the short-term projects. Try to find something you haven't had time for lately, and enjoy the respite. Or if you want we can get together and talk about grooms' cakes. :-)

[ladysprite.livejournal.com]

I know they're not supposed to go out until about 8 weeks in advance, but I'm sending them early anyway - about 75% of my guest list is way outa town (Oregon, Argentina, and the like), and I couldn't afford to send Save The Date cards, so I want them to be able to get travel stuff taken care of in advance.

Plus, I know my friends. If I don't warn them now, they'll all wind up preregistered for a con or an SCA event that weekend.... :)

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Ah, OK... makes sense if you have a reason. :-)

[evcelt.livejournal.com]

Have you practiced stamping and yelling "I'm a pretty princess! This is my special day!" yet? ;-)

(courtesy of dance_shiva, who had us in stitches with such mock histrionics just before her and ausir's wedding...)