Deadlines are my friends. Really. Part of the reason I liked doing the newsletter so much was because it forced me to be creative on a schedule. Some (including me) will argue that creativity cannot be forced. However, productivity can be forced as long as creativity takes care of itself. Me, I'll take anything that forces me to show up on time and get something done.

It's coming up on the end of the semester at our community college, and that means the end of my transcription course, as well. I've done a pretty good job of pacing myself, but the course I am taking is an online course administered by an independent company, and their deadline for finishing isn't until August 30. Somewhere in my head I decided I liked the August 30 deadline so much more than the May 13 deadline. Alas, an e-mail from the course administrator yesterday reminded me—in stark black and white—that the community college deadline supersedes the program deadline. Bummer.

So I've got to bust my ass in the next two weeks. The bad news?—finishing this course won't leave much time for anything else, like sleeping and knitting. The good news—I'll be done by May 13 and won't have anything hanging over my head. The other good news? I've managed to keep my schedule nice and clear of distractions during that time. The six weeks after May 13 are chock-full of all sorts of stuff, so I am looking on the bright side and choosing to be pleased that I have a forced deadline. And I don't even really have to be creative, just productive.

I am going to throw a load of laundry in and then my well-earned 30-minute break will be over. Onward.