Planning and preparing: not just writing

I have some very good friends I don't see very often. They're coming to visit this weekend. I've been anticipating it for weeks. Now we're down to the wire and I've realised a few things:

• I actually have to clean the house,
• I have to plan a menu and make sure I have the food available,
• I have to weed the garden and water it now because I won't have my usual gardening time over the weekend.

Of course I could have been doing all these things a bit at a time over the last couple of weeks, but that would require forward planning, and activity.

So what do I actually have time for before they arrive?

• I can clean the kitchen,
• I can clear the dining table and set it for breakfasts,
• I can run a mop over the floors so they at least look clean and the house smells fresh,
• I can make up their bed,
• Their bathroom was cleaned during the week, so it only needs a touch up and fresh towels,
  
• Dusting? What's that?
  
• I've already watered half the back garden. If I pull a few weeds from around the roses in the front and splash some water around, I'll call that done.
• Meals?
  
  • Cereal, eggs and toast for breakfast: simple and quick,
    
  • The restaurant is booked for Saturday dinner,
    
  • An outing is planned for Sunday lunch,
    
  • There are steaks ready for Sunday night.
    

Good grief. I think I'll be ready--at least ready enough to ignore everything else and enjoy their company.

If I'm quick, I might even get some writing time in before they arrive. I've been working on the sequel to Warrior Pledge. The beginning has been causing no end of problems because I couldn't get the characters motivations right. I spoke to a friend of mine this week and she asked all the hard questions. I've cut the first three chapters and rewritten the new first chapter, that used to be chapter four. The story is much stronger already. Much of what I've cut will probably be dribbled back into the story at various times in different settings. It's good writing; it just wasn't working where it was.

Of course, none of this will happen if I stay here...