Hey Firecat.........If you do a tenth of the things suggested on this thread, you won't be bored. As to boring meetings or other things that are "required"............get used to it. We all have it happen and sometimes the stuff is just unavoidable. Get creative.

Last week, I entertained the staff in the heart catheterization lab by telling long rambling stories of the Neil Young Center for the Terminally Screwed. Even the Doc was laughing and they all agreed it was the strangest cath they had ever done....but it passed the time while I lay there and they ran a tube through the arteries. When it was over I was stuck with the most boring thing you can do........absolutely nothing. You have to lay on your back for 6 hours with your leg completely still (they go in though the femoral artery and if it bleeds, you pump out all your blood in about a minute). So I invented a game....a challenge sorta'.

I've had caths and I know I'm ready to go at 4 hours, but they deman 6. I set a goal of 5. I ate lunch, read a book, talked with Karen and then at about 31/2 hours I started calling the nurse for everything. Anytime an aide showed up to check vitals, I'd be mean as a snake. When the nurse would come in, I'd be all sweetness and light. In a very short time, the nurse got tired of being called to check on the bandage or whatever and she was getting fed up with the aide complaining. In other words, although she couldn't figure out what the aide was talking about, I was becoming a pain in the ass to her day. At 4 hours when she arrived, I asked if it might be possible to move a bit and she jumped at the chance to get me out of there. End result.......I left at 5 hours.

Look Kiddo, life sucks on a lot of levels. Use your own creativity to invent work (many times you don't have too) or play games or manipulate people (a good skill to learn) or let your mind run free. Watch the play with great intensity and make strange notes that are totally unrelated to it and make sure others see you doing it AND see the nonsensical notes.....meanwhile concentrate on pieces of backdrop and sketch them upside down with arrows going to various parts and letters referencing your notes. If asked, roll your eyes and give them a humorous but curious look as though you can't understand that THEY don't understand.

Life's short. Have fun.

Spaw