Time

I hear myself say, "I don't really have the time, sorry," quite often. Since I'm sitting in the middle of a pretty decadent Saturday afternoon scene right now -- one barefoot mancub playing trains while his younger counterpart watches In The Night Garden during the day with his welly boots on -- and I am being ignored for the time being, I guess I have a few moments to analyse that.

I currently work full-time. My job requires I put in a 36-hour week if I'm not taking advantage of decent annual leave and flexi-time. For this exercise, we'll stick with a standard week. I take half an hour for lunch most days. So I give 38.5 hours to the place during a normal week.

I live an hour away, so that's a two-hour return commute over fives days. 10 more hours.

My kids require attention (not complaining -- stating a fact), so lets say that I can't concentrate on anything but them (based on their bed time, but it can vary due to sickness, insomnia or a bit of messing about) for at least three hours a day, on a week day. That's 15 hours.

On a typical week day, I sleep for five or six hours. Call it about 30 hours from Monday to Friday.

I get my exercise at a local boxing club three nights a week. With travel time, that's about six hours.

I'm married and enjoy spending time with my wife (don't raise your eyebrows, some of us do). Maybe two or three hours a night. call that 15 hours.

So:

38.5 + 10 + 15 + 30 + 6  + 15 = 114.5 hours.

Hours in those days:

24 X 5 = 120

It looks like I have 5.5 hours to play with during a working week. In that time I write, read, edit, spend time online, watch a bit of telly or a decent movie. Sure, I can do some of that with my wife and/or the kids, but not all of it. Not by a long stretch.

Moral of this post? I guess I do have time. Just don't expect me to be pleasant if you steal some of it. You're either eating in to my family time or sleep time. And thank God for the weekend! But that's for me, my family and my close friends. Don't ask me what I do with those 48 hours. I'm likely to tell you it's none of your feckin' business.

Love y'all lots like jelly tots.