I’ve been asked whether I had ditched my blog or started a new one. Nope, nope. I just had the crazy-busiest summer, with the kids home and four projects on the go.

Now that everyone is back in school and slowly (or doubtfully) starting to adjust to the new routine, I thought I’d come reacquaint myself with blogging. Perusing my drafts I found this post that I’d started and never posted back in June. I like what it documents, so I’m just going to publish this one and I’ll get writing proper again in the next week.

Today’s been one of those weird days.

To start with, the context for today is weird. I’ve been working like crazy, I have three projects on the go right now, all of which need to launch ASAP. Then, right at the apex of these projects, I dropped everything and went to the lake for four days with my extended family – which was great, but surreal in the way that sudden vacays that you’re too busy to spend any time anticipating are. You’re all, “so busy so busy so busy BAMMMM! Vacation!”

Came back from vacation and walked in the door to emails about things that needed to get posted right away. Then three days passed and I hadn’t even put away our lake stuff or done post-lake laundry and suddenly everyone in my family was heading out the next day and we needed to clean up in order to have everyone over for their goodbye suppers.

As we were heading out to the lake, I said to Ian, “that’s it. I’m ready to stop taking on new freelance projects. I have things to write and I’m done with filling my life up on obligations to other people and never pursuing the things that really matter to me.”

He’s an easy sell. For the last five years, every time I start pondering, “maybe it’s time I go back to school and-” he says, “I thought you wanted to write.”

But so anyhow I came back from the lake saying to myself, “as soon as these projects are done, I’m for real taking the summer off this year (not like last year) and I’m going to get writing.” But then I had an email from a client on a project from a few months ago saying, “could you please, please take on some of these things. Really need to get this and this done.” And I replied, “I’m so, so busy. But I could probably give you my Saturday and Sunday and see how much we can get done and then we can strategize Sunday night on how much is left of your project.”

I took a break from work to go have coffee on Broadway with a friend. We tried out the new coffeeshop. Strolled around finding all the stores closed. Stopped at an outdoor-wear shop to try on hiking boots for her, but instead bought a jacket for me, then bought some smoked salmon at the artisan food market, split a gluten-free cupcake from the cupcake place and wandered back to my house in perfect Canadian-June weather.

I fought with the kids this afternoon (“I can’t give your social life any thought right now. I’m in the middle of working. WAIT don’t you dare respond to my reasonable request for a moment by stomping around the house and calling me a jerk.”)

I phoned the client to review the work that remained, and ended up promising a bunch more work. And kicking myself so much as I got off the phone. So now you have four projects before you can start writing? You suck.

Ian and the kids were all upstairs, coping with their sunday afternoon, but it didn’t seem to be going so pleasantly. Ethan had a sore throat, Rachel was still puffy-eyed from the aftermath of fights and discipline, Ian was trying to help her clean up her room as part of her discipline, but also get Hannah ready for a bath and bed.

“I’m going to the store for sugar and whatever we need for the week. And I should probably bring back gummy worms for all the kids?” I told them.

At the store, everyone smiled hard at me. Boys tried to flirt with me. The cashier kept our chat going as I packed everything up to go and finished with, “And I’ll see you around, right?” At home, the kids acted incredulous about the gummy worms. “How many can I have?” “I don’t know. A few? Some? Enough? It’s your bag.” “The whole bag?!”

“Yeah, seriously. The whole bag.”