Point of clarification

One of the things I get to do as an employee of a small-staff publication is cover meetings. Not often; four weekends a year or so. So, while absorbed in the finer points of Robert's Rules of Order and the official documents ruling a particular non-profit organization, I've had to discover ways to occupy my time.

• Lists: Thankfully I'm leaving for Germany in a few days. This means I need to write lists of things to pack.

• Reminders: Buy parking pass, retrieve passport from safe deposit box, bank, return library book and icon, find and mail health-care reimbursement request, buy postage stamps.

• Calendar items: Today: health food store and REI. Sunday: Do laundry, clean apartment. Monday: Schedule auto body repair, bring clothing donations to work. Tuesday: pick up CD & leader guide for Meghan, finish packing.

• Poetry: Too good to share here! I always write my best poetry during boring work meetings. I hope this doesn't mean it belongs to my employer as specified in the work-for-hire precedent of most publications. (It's not exactly anything my employer would publish.)

• Graphic design: There was a layout in my in-box when I made it in this morning. At least I got to read something interesting during the meeting ....

•Small talk with other members of the press: I've been covering these meetings long enough that I also know the other media folks there.

•Daydreaming: Mmmm. Not sharing that either. They're my daydreams.