Scheduling Ebb and Flow

I am always amazed by the fullness of our calendar. I am even more amazed at the ebb and flow of said schedule.

Last September I was asked to help volunteer at the local family center's holiday craft fair. I looked at the calendar and said, "Sure." There was nothing on that date. I should've whispered my answer because I truly believe the schedule demons get a hold of a date and then somehow effect the space time continuum (there is that word again) so that every other event in our lives is suddenly scheduled on that day. For on that once empty little square we now have penned in the usual weekly volunteering gig at the local elementary school, the carpooling that has to be fit in between the fair set up, the fair itself, a Brownie meeting (which includes a cookie sales presentation by moi), a Drs appt (right before the Brownie meeting), and visiting inlaws. For two days now I have been mentally mapping out the big day. I even called the Drs office to get a sense of whether it was realistic for me to think I would get to the brownie meeting at my appointed presentation time.

THEN POOF! There is a winter storm barrelling our way. We've been warned that a white blanket of 6 to 10 inches is heading our way. The Weather Channel said there will be early releases in Boston. In my recollection, our town doesn't do impromptu early release so I wonder if the kids will even have school, hence no volunteering; no carpool juggling. And if there is school, there might not be brownies. No brownies, no cookie talk. If it snows, there is no holiday craft fair. If it snows a lot there won't be any visiting in laws. (We truly want them to come. We like them.) Of course, the Drs. office will probably be open, but if road conditions are iffy; I probably won't want to drive. I wouldn't want anything to happen to my new fuel pump. And, if the storm is really bad will our bread winner opt to work from home? (This is a goodthing.)

It just goes to show you, until the day is over, you really don't know what is going to happen.

The most important scheduling detail is that we are all home safe and sound at the end of the day.