Isn't That the Way They Say It Goes

Peaceful night here last night. No estrogen but mine in the house -- both girls at friends -- and if you asked Bart he'd tell you that I have very little. Probably have more testosterone than some men, but I digress....

Yesterday I had a goal. I wanted to make "net progress" on my email. That means that I want to have a certain number of less emails when I finish than when I start. So I set small goals for myself. I started the morning at 80 emails. I had a goal of netting 10 by 10:00 a.m. which I achieved by 9:23. Yes, I'm a geek and I kept track. What are you gonna do about it? Oops, sorry, talking like my kids.

So I was down to 70 and I wanted to get down to 60 by lunch. So I worked fast and furiously -- but the problem is that when I work hard to do that, I send out emails that get responses back. Lots of responses. When I send out waiting children, for example, they go to about 225 people. All those people have opportunity to respond. When I send out waiting families, they go out to 360 people who all have opportunity to respond.

Just so you know (and this will help you to understand matching) very few of my waiting kids get responses -- because they are older children. And very few of my waiting families get responses -- because they want younger kids. I think that's all I need to say about that or I'll start to rant and never stop typing.

But anyway, that's just to show you that each of my emails may only get 3 or 4 responses, not 100 or 200 ... and many of my emails get no responses (kids with profound disabilities over the age of 12 for example, or African American boys over 12, or well, anyone over twelve, but again, I digress).

So anyway, I wanted to get down to 60 by lunchtime, so I busted my butt and did nothing else. For every one that I sent out, a few more came back in. I left for lunch 5 minutes late as I just cleared sixty at 11:50 and literally ran out the door before more came in.

By the time I got back from lunch I was back up to 80.

I spent the afternoon (in addition to driving kids around and an ortho appointment) working to get down to 50 before supper which I accomplished. And then worked after supper and after our dessert out with Bart to make it down to 40 before I forced myself to leave the computer before the next batch came in. (I have it set for them to come in every 15 minutes).

And I fell into bed exhausted. I just checked and yesterday I sent 277 emails in one day -- many of them, as mentioned, to over 200 people in each email.

I logged in this morning. And yes, you guessed it. There are exactly 80 emails in my inbox. BUT today is saturday and all the rest of the Adoption world has the day off. So I just may catch up before they all come in on MOnday and stop emailnig me.

And, before you conclude that I don't want an email from you, don't even think that. It's your emails that break up my day -- they are the ones I look forward to.....

Sigh. Guess I better to to my inbox.