Wasting Time

I'm one of those people who is hard-wired to do several things at once and to avoid anything that wastes my time. For example, I don't watch TV - I'm constitutionally unable to sit and just look at the TV screen. I don't visit the movie theater for the same reason. Well...that and the fact that people hate it when I talk during the movie.

I spent two days in Salt Lake City last week on business. One of the biggest time wasters in the world is air travel. You have to arrive at the airport 1-2 hours before your plane soars skyward to make sure you have enough time to check-in, check your luggage, and squirm through security. Even if you check-in online and only bring carryon luggage, you still need to get there early. Then...you wait.

I was sitting at Gate 5 forty minutes before my flight was scheduled to leave and I pulled out my laptop to work in my current book. Unfortunately, one of my fellow passengers decided to conduct business on his cell phone -- at the top of his voice, for twenty minutes. All 80 of us were treated to his conversations with three different clients and the details of their business situations. How much writing do you think I got done? BIG waste of time, sitting at Gate 5. Until I pulled out a book. (Not mine.)

Then, when I got on the plane and we'd reached the altitude where the flight attendants allowed us to use our laptops, I pulled mine out, planning on a good 90 minutes working on my current book. (The people who hired me to teach didn't send me direct to SLC, they decided to treat me to the scenie route via Seattle.) Unfortunately, the guy in the seat in front of me decided to take a nap and reclined his seat--practically into my lap. Which, you might think, is the perfect place for a laptop. But I find it much more comfortable to place my laptop on the seatback tray. I spent the same amount of time working on my book during the flight as I did at Gate 5. I did, however, get several chapters further along in my book. (No, not MY book - the book in my briefcase.)

My husband has been known to say that reading is a waste of time. Which figures, since he likes to waste his time watching the boob tube. And movies. Science fiction, shoot-em-up, testosterone-filled stupid movies.

I guess wasting time is different things to different people. Do you think these are time wasters?

• Facebook
• Watching TV
• Reading
• Watching sports (in-person or on TV)
• Going for motorcycle rides
• Having a beer (or several) at a bar/lounge

What do YOU think are times wasters?

Now that I have NOT wasted my time with this blog post, I'll get to work on my book. (Yes, MY book this time!)