When do Lmao's fit into your day?

[Katiekat]

Hey all ~

I'm curious about how you all spend your time, and how lmaos fit into your day. I work 40 hours a week, have family friends, and try to save a little time for myself, so sometimes I feel like I don't have any time to sit down and work on my lmaos. Right now, I'm swamped...and trying very hard to get stuff done. How do you guys and gals find lmao time in your schedule?

[dogbytes]

i dont work, im a "stay at home dog mom" http://nervousness.org/forum/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif ~ i don't spend my whole day on lmao's.. actually, i don't know what i do all day... well, lately, it's been packing to move away ~ and all the stuff associated with buying/selling a house.

[BreezyK]

I work 40 hours a week, and take classes some evenings. Then another large percentage of my free time is spent not neglecting my SO and friends, so it leaves me not much time in between. Luckily, at my work, I have what's called a "Flexible Work Schedule," which means that I work a longer day every day in exchange for getting every other Friday off. These Fridays are my "me time" and often the best chance I get to work on projects. Unfortunately, often times I use up my whole Friday by either doing household chores or just not having the energy or motivation to do anything. Anyway, it's mostly every other Friday or some time during the weekend that I get a chance to work on nervous projects.

[BreezyK]

Hey! My vote tallied wrong! I most definitely clicked on the 40 hour option, but the statistics are showing up as 100% don't work or go to school. http://nervousness.org/forum/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif Oh well.

[sistasmell]

I own my own business and work from home, so I can do LMAOs pretty much whenever I want. That is, when the phone isn't ringing off the hook and the dog isn't flipping out, and the house isn't a wreck or invoices don't need to go out the next day.
I usually only sign up for collection LMAOs when I know I want something fun to do that day and have time to do it. I hate unfinished business hanging over my head.
When something good comes in the mail, I drop everything to do it. I can't help myself.
Nights and weekends are for the man and friends. And massive trips to the P.O.

[lobster-girl]

i work 50 hours a week (yikes! 6 days) luckily my regular full time job leaves me free to play with the computer for 6 hours or so!!! usually, i cram and sometimes i get an odd burst of creativity at the most inopportune times...like 5 minutes before i need to leave for work or on my way to the kitchen for a glass of water! i work all over my living room floor and my house is a mess necause of it...aaack! i can't keep track, but somehow i do! http://nervousness.org/forum/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[paperdream]

I work a ridiculous amount of hours, but do need to cut down to just 37 a week. I'm hoping to be able to work a little more than that, and take odd days off.

It's so hard though! I get all excited about the wonderful things I could do if I cut down on the time I spend at work, but then decide I can't leave until I've finished whatever project I'm working on at the time. The security woman must hate me because she has to wait for me to leave before she can lock up and go home!

I don't quite manage to put aside enough time for nervousness, and end up feeling really guilty for not sending things out super-quick. Thing is, after working all day I just feel like coming home and doing nothing! I don't think I've flaked too badly on anything though.

And I haven't forgotten your exchange parachute72! I promise!

~Erica

[pixelady]

Let's see: (pixelady's far too detailed list)

Work - 40 hours (45 if you count the commute)
School - 10 hours
Study and Practice time - 5 hours
Sleep - 56 hours
Exercise - 3 hours
Meditation - 4 hours
Freelance work - 5-15 hours
Getting ready for stuff/eating time - 14 hours

Grand total: 152 hours

Time left goes to: husband, friends, LMAOs/Exchanges (though I admit I spend a lot of time doing those while we watch movies and stuff on the couch), family, laundry, grocery shopping, sleeping in on Saturdays, etc.

[Helquin]

Even though I work out of my home, I still have to make time for LMAOs & exchanges. Throughout the day I can poke my head in the Forums to nose around for a bit while I'm on the computer anyway, but the art usually happens at night while I'm watching TV or videos. I get fidgety if I'm just sitting! Sometimes I take a project or 2 with me when I volunteer at the local art gallery (3 hrs/week), since it's usually pretty slow there.

The biggest challenge for me is to moderate my participation. I see a lot of LMAOs/exchanges I'd like to do but I'm learning that I can't sign up for everything that everything that strikes my fancy. I get *way* too nervous if I've got a lot of projects piling up & I don't want to be slow getting stuff on its way.

[JustSu]

i work more than 40 hours a week a good bit of the time. my dh and i are also more or less raising our granddaughter - daughter lives at home with us, too, but works 3-11, so we have the baby in the evenings. dh is enrolled in a MS program that is a killer, plus he works at least 50 hours a week. we have two teenage kids, one a driver and the other not - football games, college decisions, boy/girlfriend crises, etc.

is it any wonder that my solution to doing art has been to give up sleep? (literally, though the day i fell asleep at the wheel coming home at 5PM and ended up in the other guy's lane scared me badly enough so that i've only stayed up all night 2, maybe 3 times since.) but i must do this - i turn into something far less than human if i don't create.

[evelynhoney]

I work 40 hours a week and spend at least 8 hours a week reading. I definitely understand about sacrificing sleep to do things you like. And I commute for about 5 hours a week. In fact, probably should go to bed now, but am going to try to squeeze in some LMAO time. http://nervousness.org/forum/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[GuineaBaby]

I have tons of free time, but I don't know where it goes! It flies by so fast. I mostly do LMAOs while watching tv, such as forensic shows or designing shows because I can't just sit there. I have no set time for it.

[flea]

as one of those who works 40 hrs a week- i envy that 20% who have all day, 7 days a week to play. then again- if i didnt work- i would be sleeping all day.

[Katiekat]

I love it hear that I'm not the only one that has to *make* time for projects! Makes me feel much better! http://nervousness.org/forum/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I mostly do LMAOs while watching tv, such as forensic shows[/b][/quote]

Hey, me too, GuineaBaby! Tonight, I sat down and worked on 3 lmaos I have, on the couch, while watching CSI (and other stuff). It's kinda weird, I have 3 lmaos that all have to do with lists -- I was working on them all at the same time, overlapping some lists, but trying to make them all unique & not just copy from one into another. Like always, they never come one at a time! http://nervousness.org/forum/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

Ok, I must go to bed now!
xoxo to all

[mejaka]

Katiekat! What is with those poll choices? It's a good thing I have 13 years of nearly exclusive SAHMhood behind me and am accustomed to this--I can laugh in amusement instead of cry in frustration and the sense that nobody will ever understand what it really means to be a SAHM. <G>

I cram my LMAO stuff in whenever I can, in little bits here and there. I can't do it during the day when Miss Anna is awake, because she gets into my art stuff and drives me batty--and no, it doesn't work to give her her own markers and paper. :^ ) I have a husband, a household, four children, two school schedules to track (elementary and jr. high), a church-related assignment (in the presidency of an organization), multiple Cub Scouting assignments (that being one of my responsibilities as a member of said presidency), homework supervision, education enrichment, and other things but I will quit listing now...<G> I have to carefully restrict my participation in art here, because I just don't have the time or freedom to do very much. I watch less than an hour of TV a week, or I'd happily give that up (Brett and I watch West Wing, although for the last two weeks I've made ATCs while it was on and basically lost track of all the plotlines).

I do pop into the forums fairly often, because I can do that while waiting for the tub to fill or the bread to bake, or whatever--I type fast and can exit in a hurry if Anna needs me (unlike art, which has to be cleaned up).

mejaka

[dogbytes]

ok. i'll admit.
i'm a slacker

[queenfisher]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">is it any wonder that my solution to doing art has been to give up sleep?  (literally, though the day i fell asleep at the wheel coming home at 5PM and ended up in the other guy's lane scared me badly enough so that i've only stayed up all night 2, maybe 3 times since.)  but i must do this - i turn into something far less than human if i don't create.[/b][/quote]
oh JustSu, please don't drive when you're too tired to. only a couple of weeks ago, my cousin's wife died in a crash after she dozed off while driving. she was 8 months pregnant, and the baby would've been born this month. heartbreaking. so PLEASE take care.

to get back to this topic - i work from home and at the computer. i almost always leave a browser open with nervousness, so you can see me online most of the time, even though i might be doing something else. so i am either sitting here with some work, or in my room with some other work. i like to take little breaks by doing artwork, some of which might be for the nervousness projects i'm signed up for.

oooohh yes, for some movies that i watch - for instance 3 hour long hindi movies that breaks into song and dance every few minutes which i find annoying - it's good to have old magazines to cut up for example.

and ok so i lack the drive and discipline of most of you here, but i wonder how the people who sign up for almost every new object do it, almost making nervousness their 'career'? i just signed up for my first new lmao in almost 2 weeks and getting stressed out about it already.

;-)

/shafina

[Wombat]

I work fulltime (40 hours), study part-time (about 10 hours), practise ballroom dancing for between 8 and 10 hours (there's a big competition next month), sit on a committee (four hours), either go to the gym or walk (4 hours), when I'm not sleeping or doing the chores, I try to catch up with friends, do something creative (either Nervousness stuff or my own tapestry), read and generally relax.

I admire anyone who can do stuff whilst watching the telly because it's a big no no for me - I get too distracted! If the TV's on, it's because I'm sitting in front of it watching a show. Otherwise it's off.

[kittie_naughty]

ok, i'll jump in on this, too.

i'm a grad school student, freelance translator and journalist. i work from home on the computer. at the moment i've had my summer holiday from uni (it goes from mid-july until next week). my work schedule is odd. i have absolutely no desire to work full-time and am happy when i get no contracts for weeks on end. then something will come in (usually a bunch of contracts will come in at once), and i'll plow through it with up to 14 hours a day, making enough money to be able to not work the next two months. so i'm flexible with my LMAOs, although like helquin, i'm very wary of signing up for too much. when i fell sick a couple weeks ago, i noticed how easy it is to fall behind with everything.

i don't yet know how everything will be when uni starts next week, but i'm not really worried. i'm not married or have kids or anything. during the holidays i sleep 10-12 hours a day. i'll probably simply revert to 9 hours a day when uni starts.
and i think i only watch tv maybe 4 hours a month. tv is such a waste of time...

[Z'anne]

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.  Been a SAHM, he's 21 and on his own.  Been the business manager for a couple of small businesses.  Retired early and now my husband and I have a small machine shop here on the property.    He does the work, I keep the books.  

That gives me time to work on my LMAO's.  I'm not as organized as I should be, but have gotten into a regular schedule.  Usually start on things after fixing hubby lunch, around 12:30 - 1:00 p.m. (pacific coast time).  Then try to put in a good 5 or 6 hours working on 2 or 3 projects at a time.  I hate it the most when I have all three things waiting to dry.   http://nervousness.org/forum/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif   Then it's time for dinner and TV.  He goes to bed early and I either come here or go back into the studio to work some more.  Which I am going to do right after I go play in LJ in a few minutes.  Some times I'm up 'til 2 a.m. listening to the radio and being creative.

What can I say, I LOVE this stuff!!! http://nervousness.org/forum/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Z'anne]

Forgot to mention, I just don't work exclusively on nervousness. I am a bead, paper and book artist in this life now and have many other things in my life to keep me busy, too. Sometimes way too busy.

[Katiekat]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Katiekat! What is with those poll choices? It's a good thing I have 13 years of nearly exclusive SAHMhood behind me and am accustomed to this--I can laugh in amusement instead of cry in frustration and the sense that nobody will ever understand what it really means to be a SAHM. [/b][/quote]

Please don't think that I don't understand "what it really means" to be a stay at home mom. My mom is a SAHM, and raised my brother and I while running her home-based business. Personally, I think that motherhood, and staying home to raise your kids, is the most important (and the hardest) job there is. When I have children, I will not be sending them to daycare (a personal choice - I hope I don't offend anyone) for someone else to raise.

So just know that I didn't mean to offend SAHM's or imply that moms get to sit around in their jammies, relaxin on the couch all day. Moms work hard, and I know it. My own mother likes to remind me of that every chance she gets! ( http://nervousness.org/forum/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Love you mom!) I was just trying to simplify and get the poll choices as concise as I could , and that's why I included the "different schedule" option so everyone could be included.

peace,
Katie