I am supposed to be actively engaged in completing a 5 page critical review, code for midterm, which was officially due an hour and 49 minutes ago. The very fact that I am here, and not over at MS Word, is proof that I am highly unfocused at the moment. My mind seems to be everywhere but where its supposed to be. Too easily fixed on environmental sights and sounds, and internal ramblings. A full sized bed calling my body to retired and make an attempt to restart the day again.

I sit here surrounded by a thick reader, notebook, loose leaflets that possess the beginnings of an outline, The Craft of Writing for proper MLA format, maintenance crew manicuring hedges outside my window, duck feet...

These would be the duck feet, just in case you were wondering. Known in the land of China as Squeaky Shoes. Although I can't deny the level of cuteness these little things occupy, I wish I could eliminate the level of annoyance generated by the everlasting squeak squeak squeak! of little feet prancing back and forth in front of my door. Its like being in a nursery of distressed ducklings. Definitely not that feeling of feng shui that nature usually provides. I wonder how long it would take sister in-law V to make an attempt on my life if I ordered some of these for Thing 1 and Thing 2





And then of course there is the constant frustration of trying to unlock the mystery that is Joe the Plummer. I mean, is he related to Joe Six Pack? And what exactly is so "six pack" about Joe? Does he have a drinking addiction? A fitness addiction? This just might remain a mystery.



My mind's ramblings are endless. I am going to use this time between loosing all since of direction and Miss J coming home from the after-school program, to recenter myself. All hope is not lost for getting this assignment completed and emailed in today. I just need to regroup. Take a breather. Clear my mind and as Tim Gunn says, "make it work".