Don't Rain on My 2012 Parade

Ah, a new year.  Everyone feels fresh.  The air smells new. Optimism is abundant. 

But...some things never change. I had lunch with my parents last Monday and Big John (Dad) asked about my resolutions for the new year.  No big deal. This was expected.  I was even ready with an answer and just knew he beam and show his pride in me for being a focused and well-rounded individual.   

Except this is exactly how the conversation went: 

Big John: So, what are you resolutions for the new year? 

Single Gal: I am really going to work on my career in 2012.  I feel like there is more I can do at my current job. But I also want to make sure I am focusing on my networking and make sure my resume is up to par.  Maybe even get on Linked In. 

Big John: What about your love life? 

You know, because it would be the worst thing ever for me to remain single for yet another year.  Really?!  

It's gotten to the point where I can almost feel the pity coming off of them in waves every time I see them now.  If only I had spouted something off about the benefits of casual sex so I could make them equally as uncomfortable as I was.  But I didn't. Because I am lame {and still single in case anyone forgot}.  

He's probably going to be extra disappointed to hear that marriage isn't my ultimate goal in life {gasp!}.  But maybe I will save that for next Christmas while we are catching up over turkey and dressing.

Cheers to 2012 already starting with a sting bang!

~the single gal~

Once Upon a 15% Time Window...

I’ve been thinking a lot about time lately.  I think it has come with the advent of my birthday.  I’ve also been thinking about my general reading public--I know you guys are like, “Man, this is the most boring single gal in history”.  It definitely feels true right now. I should be shoveling out hysterical re-caps of horrible Match.com dates, nights on the town, and funny encounters with men other than the one that handles my dry cleaning.  I try--I really do, but sheesh--where is the time?!

Let’s talk about how many hours there are in each day and list out my current schedule.  I can see why most gals get married right out of college.  I should have used my time more wisely when I actually had almost all the time in the world to study and meet the future Mr. Single Gal.

It seriously all boils down to basic math--so let’s examine my life in numbers, and weigh the limited probability that I will actually meet someone in my “spare” time.

Total time in my day (or, everyone else's day too): 24 hours
Total time in my week: 168

Exhibit A: Work
I am going to just go ahead and factor in time at work and also the time it takes me to get to work.  Average number of hours taken up: 11 hours.  I leave around 6:30 a.m. and get home a little after 4:30 p.m. I don’t even want to get into how early I have to get up to make myself presentable, walk the dog, pack my lunch, and make sure I get out the door with all my belongings needed for the day.

Exhibit B: Exercise
I am sure you know the importance of looking good and keeping yourself mentally and physically in check with exercise to this Single Gal.  Now that The Housewife and I are beginning our marathon training the exercise has seriously been bumped up and these workouts HAVE to be completed.  And this also means factoring in travel time to the gym.  5 workouts for the week with about 2 hours on average taken out of my day.

Exhibit C: Adding up the little things
Being a big proponent of having almost everything in my life in order as much as possible which eliminates a good deal of undue stress, we now have to consider the other little things like walking the dog so that my sweet angel Hogan is happy and healthy as well.  I try to give him 20-30 minutes each evening for a jaunt around the neighborhood or a trip to the park. Ample chats on the phone with The Housewife probably average an hour each day. Vacuuming excessively and trying to get some laundry done/unload the dishwasher/make dinner for myself/etc.  Trying to read, blog, and catch up on a tv show or two is probably another two hours. Let’s thank Little Baby Jesus now for the ability to multi-task for some of these! I barely have time to keep my nails nicely manicured. Bye additional 3 hours of my day when I get home.

Exhibit D: Sleep
And you thought I had all this other time. Let’s not forget about beauty rest.  The Single Gal is a complete monster without at least 7 hours of sleep (not that I think I have been doing well getting that much lately, but it’s the magic number).

So, with that being said--here is what time looks like during the week:
24 - 11 - 2 - 3 - 7 = 1

Hmmm...a spare hour. Surely this is taken up with something...

Now, I know that is not much during the week. I will be more liberal with the weekend times.

48 hours of the 168 are for the weekend:
-14 hours for sleep
-4-6 hours for other housework and laundry
-2 hours for workouts/long runs

This leaves 28 full hours! Initially that sounds awesome and hopeful.  28 sounds like a lot of weekend spare time.  But in the grand scheme of things, this is a small window out of 168 hours.  It’s only a little over 15% of the entire week/month/year.  

(Insert image of me hyperventilating into small brown lunch sack as it’s currently unavailable on the Internet.)

But, in the spirit of birthday optimism, I would like to note that I have good time management skills. So, here’s hoping that with a little help from LBJ and my own personal qualifications it will all happen in good time...15% of good time, that is.

~the single gal~