Tetris!

Remember the computer game Tetris?  It is the one where shapes made up of one or more squares drops down from the top of the screen and the object is to orient them just right, using the arrow keys, so that they fit into the space at the bottom of the screen.  The shapes begin to pile up, but if you fit them together just right, a completed row of squares will be "deleted", leaving you more room for the next blocks.  As time progresses, the blocks begin dropping at a faster rate, so it is more of a challenge to orient them in time.  If you are really good, you can keep up, eliminate completed rows, and have time to orient the coming shapes before they hit the bottom.  Usually, at some point, the shapes are coming down so quickly that they just pile willy-nilly and you are hastily trying to buy time by shunting them to either side before the pile reaches the top and the game is over.  I always loved that game, was pretty good, and felt the "rush" towards the end as I realized the end was near and I was no longer in control.

This is how preparing for our adventure has been.  Up until now, I have been feeling good about fitting in tasks and scheduling activities pretty well.  Over the past couple weeks, however, the tasks and activities have been falling onto my planner at a much quicker pace.  Over the past week especially, I have had that "Tetris feeling".

Today, for instance, I have huge blocks of time falling in the form of attending church service, A's youth group meeting, a 2 hour Girl Scout event for R and I, and a birthday party to attend with O.  All in one day!  Somewhere in there I also have to fit in final clean-up and packing of the Master Bedroom and Bathroom (I am packing room-by-room), printing pictures from the girl's parties to share with their friends, dinner (AKA clean out the last of the freezer foods), watching a travel DVD, and perhaps tackling the kitchen.

I am hearing the Tetris music tempo increasing and I think by Tuesday afternoon (when my child care arrangements for O have run out), I will need to start shunting things to the side, willy-nilly, in the hopes of buying myself time before the GAME OVER screen appears and we find ourselves boarding the plane Friday afternoon.  What a rush!