procrastionating

Last night I watched two episodes of Cupcake Wars.  The first one was "four bakers try to hang on as they fight for a place to showcase their cupcakes at the star-studded party for the Professional Bull Rider's Award Ceremony on the Las Vegas strip."  


Each baker had to invent three cowboy inspired cupcakes.  This is where the show hooks me.  Because my mind goes blank.  What on earth is a cowboy cupcake?  And then the bakers surprise us with these creative flavors - jalapeno chedder cornbread, maple bacon, and whiskey pecan.  Well of course..... 


The second round is judged on flavor and appearance.  And again I am stumped.  Until I see the fondant cowboy hat, the frosted lasso,  the coconut grass and the cookie dirt.  These people are artists!  And their creativity is enough  to keep this non-baking, gluten free, uncowboyed girl glued to my seat in full cupcake anticipation.


I recently read this throught provoking quote by Jessica Hische.  "The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life."   


So after two hours of unproductiveness, I made a list of what I do to procrastinate.  It seemed more fun then finishing my hospice charting.


When I don't feel like charting, I procrastinate with house cleaning.  Last week I organized all my plastic food containers and their lids.  I weeded through the boys clothes and rearranged their drawers.  That's important, right?  Then I sifted through a stack of magazines and threw most away.  I'm at a loss to figure how I can turn this into an actual, money making career though.


Or I procrastinate from any form of work by blogging.  Like right now.  Or reading one of the books in the growing stack beside my bed.  But if that takes too much energy,  I always have Facebook.  Usually to keep up to date on what my friends are doing to procrastinate.  I just took a quiz on how many of the top 100 place in the world I've visited.  And this weekend I made a private facebook photo album of of all the hair cuts I've had in the last 5 years.  Just to prove to myself that there has been some variety in my style and color.  I could do the same for you if you would like to hire me!


So how do I know if the work I'm doing now is the work I'm supposed to do the rest of my life?  Chaplain or chef?  Blogger or baker? Maybe Cupcake Wars is just a colorful, frothy counterpoint to some of the sadness and seriousness I see during the day.  It helps to remind myself that I too get to be creative at work.  Not with flavors and sprinkles but with finding new ways to nurture and comfort my patients.  Besides do I really want to cook all the time?  Nah.  I'm keeping my day job for now. 

And maybe one day I will open a bakery.  A cute, sunny, inviting, little shop.  I will learn my way around a pastry bag and whip up flavors like buttermilk peach, chocolate tangerine ganache and banana toffee.  I could get a cute apron.  Did I remember to add daydreaming to my procrastinating list?  Seriously Erin, get back to work.
  
Ooh.  What about vanilla poppyseed cupcake with a bright lemon curd?....