ABBA Commute

I've often lamented not having a true "commute" to and from work. (Long ago, I exchanged my 45-90 minute commute for a staircase when I chose to work from home.) There is something to be said for the ramping up/ramping down time a commute affords. There's a mindset switch that's pretty valuable.

I had a birthday recently. About 6 months ago, all I asked for was ABBA's Greatest Hits. Then, a few weeks before my birthday, we rented Mama Mia. It was way better than anticipated. Seriously, how many greatest hits albums can retroactively fit into a musical and make sense? I had to have it now. So, my daughters (via their dear Daddy) delivered.

Each night, whenever possible, we get all "Dancing Queen" and "SOS" in the living room. I find it hilarious that the kids know many of the words (and make up their own in handy places.)

Their favorite is the refrain, "having the time of your life... Ooooooh!" We spin and wave our arms. It's great fun. Very cathartic.

I think I've found my new commute home. Instead of an ignition, it has a PLAY button.

Now, to find an appropriate commute TO work...

What's your igintion? What brings you to and from a work mindset?

Comment... I want to know!

Ketchup, Ketchup... We Made A Ketchup!

So January and February are a smidge blurry to me. I started working with a large client contract in January and I've been readjusting nearly every slice of my life to accommodate. We get creative and sometimes throw out all the "rules" to accommodate certain challenges, don't we?

I've had quite a few days that seem not to end, where I emerge from my office for mealtime and then head back in. There were several weeks at a time in the first two months when I did not leave the house at all. Rule #1 - extroverts need to get out.

Mealtime is somewhat sacred in our house in that we try to eat together every night. I'm sure I wasn't much fun at all to eat with in January. I would hold up my "talk to the" hand and remind the family that I was coming down from a turbo-multitasking high and that I needed "a moment" that might last the whole meal. Rule #2 had been tossed by the wayside - a commute is often necessary even when working from home. (Even if the "commute" looks more like a change of clothes than location.)

So much of what I've been dealing with can tend to be heavy. I began talking gibberish at dinner the other day for lack of real words. We all laughed so hard it knocked the nonsense back into me. I'd lost rule #3, humor is vital.

I had to say "whoa" this last week and climb back into a few of my old slices of life. The people slice has taken a beating. The exercise slice is not far behind. The kid slice... both the kids I brought into the world and the kid in me… has been neglected.

So, we took a walk to the park on a sunny day. I played. I actually played. No discipline, no direction, no "stop it!" Just played and watched. Everyone behaved.

More than that - we connected. As I swung from the monkey bars, my daughters were on the swings. I’d never done this as a kid, but when two swings are going in unison to and fro… they chant, “Ketchup, ketchup! We made a ketchup!” (When they’re all a mess, it’s “mustard.”)

They delight in the connection…being together again, in unison. I couldn’t help but feel right with the world again. Rather than tell them it was time to go, I offered up a pre-dinner cookie at home. We found a stone that knew the way home and we took turns kicking it til we made it there. (Stones are pretty clever these days, remember that if you’re ever lost.)

So, where in your life are you mustard? Where would you like some ketchup?

Let me know. I’ll be at the park.