Like mother like son

Poor Zachary. He's doomed to live a life of procrastination, absent-mindedness, and disorganization, along with a spirit of "fly by the seat of your pants." Of all the boys, he looks the most like me, he acts like me, he has my sense of humor, works on stuff he likes and ignores that which he doesn't like...

Anyhow... this morning I left the house at 7:30 am with him and Evan. Evan is destined to live a life of timeliness, efficiency, organization, and obsessive planning...

Huh. That sounds like someone I am married to....

Me: So do you have any homework due today?

Zach: Yes, I have it done.

Me: Did you bring it with you?

Zach: Yes.

Me: Do you have to do anything early since you are going to State choir on Friday?

Zach: Nope.


pause

Me: Did you practice your sax yesterday.

Zach: Yup.

pause

Zach: Uh-oh.

Me: What?

Zach: I forgot my sax at home and I have band today.

Me: (sigh)

Zach: I really need it.

Me: Okay, I'll go back.

Evan: Really? I am going to be so late. God Zach.

Me: We have 15 minutes before you have to be to school, Evan. We aren't that far from home. (and I can drive fast). You will be fine. If you are not there 10 minutes ahead of time, you will be fine.

I work on TV news time. If I have 30 seconds before I have to be somewhere, by God I'll use that 30 seconds. If I can explain an entire city commission meeting in 30 seconds I can certainly get a whole hell of a lot of other things done in that time frame too.

I call Paul on his cell. He is still at home with the two younger boys.

Me: Hey. Zach forgot his sax. Will you leave it on the front step please?

We arrive at the house, and we leave with a saxophone. I drop off Evan 5 minutes before he needs to be at school. And we head to Zach's school. I drop him off and head to my school. Five minutes later the phone rings. Of course it is in the backseat in my purse so I pull several shoulder muscles I didn't know I had to get my purse. It's a text message from Zach.

"I forgot my sax."

Of course he did. Of course I did. 

I try to text him back (yes while driving... just leave me alone okay?)... and my phone won't work. It says that I have too much stuff on it - or data - or something. It won't even turn on. I can't text, I can't do anything.... which means I can't get a hold of Zach which means I have to get out of the car, enter the 9th grade center, and drop off his sax... somewhere.

I manage to navigate my way through the school and find the band room. When I get back to the car, I fiddle with my cell phone. I need to call the office to tell them I am late. Nothing. Nothing works. BUT... the calendar works... Hey! That's something!

...and it shows an appointment to meet my nanny and pay her for the overnight stay she had with the boys.

Except I don't have my checkbook.


Crap.

I drive all the way back home to get the checkbook. Then I decide if I'm going to be late, I might as well get some good coffee. I stop by a local coffee shop, get my favorite dark roast, and pick up three pieces of coffee cake for some people I work with -- whom without, my work life would be even more disorganized than it already is...

I walk into the office at 8:35 am.

Even TV time couldn't help me.