Time Suckers

Today I spent about 7 1/2 hours over at a friend's house helping her paint up high because she has a touch of vertigo. And I've been promising for weeks. See this house has taken them 2 years to tear apart and rebuild. I really hope they're happy in it when it's done. I think it's really cool and will be such a nice place when it's finished. I never did get to stripping that desk, or sitting by the pool, or ironing the pile of clothes. I did manage about 70 minutes of the History Channels "REVOLUTION" that we recorded and 4 loads of laundry that added to that ironing pile but laundry can be done during commercials, right?

What's this rant about? Yesterday my sister in law posted a comment about how she's impressed that I manage workouts. Honestly sometimes so am I. This comment comes from a hardworking executive single mom to two young girls, one of them very involved in competitive soccer. I myself, made my kid quit her semi competitive softball team because we decided it took too much time away from things we like to do. Not necessarily meaning things SHE likes to do,but it was cutting into our weekends too much and god forbid we can't run ,bike or camp even though she only does one of those things.
Now my S-I-L has had several hobbies in the few years I've known her. She was/is so good at scrapbooking that she has had layouts published in magazines. She's such a good photographer that people have paid good money to have her capture their kids. Both her girls are involved in a sport that while time consuming, is their main hobby. She's very concerned with their school work and makes sure they know it's important.
My limited scrapbooking materials are still in the bag they were in when we moved 3 years ago and I barely know how to work our camera. My little snot bag went from practicing and playing softball several times a week for months on end to playing once or twice a week for a couple of months because J and I couldn't take the time sucking. I did make sure she continued piano lessons though. Music skills-great. Math skills as a by product-even better. Yeah I put her in a private school that supposedly works one grade level ahead but she still skates by somewhere above the middle of her class instead of the straight A's she had in public school. I don't check homework very often and I don't remind if I can help myself. The small one says it's HER job to do her work.
Julia wonders where I find the time and energy to work out and I wonder where she finds the time and energy to be so creative. I've said to her before and I say again- some women can have it all and do it all. I can't. I really think it's a lie perpetuated by women who had NO idea what they were saying. I give up time I could spend on my career or on my kid to go play in the dirt and get sweaty. It's selfish. I wonder what the outcome will be?

I have no hobbies. So what sucks up my time? Why am I always struggling to get everything done?
1) Laundry. I have a sick obsession with it. I can't stand an overflowing laundry basket.
2) Cooking. Why do I see the American lifestyle of eating on the run so negatively? I have no idea. I love eating out. Honest I do. But I love to cook even more. So even on a time pinched night, I'm probably going to spend at least an hour in the kitchen, cooking or cleaning or planning.
3) Finding ways not to sit down. For years, if I could sit in front of a TV for hours on end I was happy. Now, I can't stand it for longer than a movie and bets are I'll have laundry to fold. My brain doesn't really function in a creative way. I can't draw or paint, I'm not a great writer/storyteller, I don't knit, needlepoint or any other cool crafty thing. I think I could be handy around the house but I got in trouble last time I tried to usurp the power that is the drill. My options for self expression are limited. Brute force...not thinking ...that's what I like about running. Biking is different, because it's so engaging-the concentration-it's a different sort of brain cop out.
4) This. I can't believe I just sat here and wrote down all this crap. Those are minutes I won't ever get back. And now neither will you!