Surprises, or Anticipation?

There may be no such things as a free lunch, or maybe there is, but there's one thing I know. A free lunch that comes out of left field does have a price: social requirements and unmet expectations. 

I was thinking about this today, when it turned out that my boss didn't put my name on an e-mail to the office at large, saying that she was getting lunch for us today. Not that that counts as a problem, of course, and it was really nice of her to buy us lunch, but, well, I wish I had known ahead of time.

I like to be ready for things, that's what it is. She also didn't tell me about a monthly meeting that was this morning, so there she was calling me into the conference room for something I didn't know was happening until five minutes earlier, and thought I didn't have to go to, and I was unprepared (not for contributing anything, since I didn't have to, but in terms of meeting prep like having gone to the bathroom, grabbed water and a notebook, etc). And then she asked me to take notes for her--no pressure!

I guess I look forward a lot, which may not be an ideal mindset--"live in the moment" is good general advice--but when you're working, looking ahead to a nice lunch, a good book, and getting outside into the sunshine is natural enough. Instead I got to choose a what's-in-that-one sandwich and eat in a chilly conference room with scientists, which isn't meant to be denigrating, they're nice people, but it does mean that symptoms of Lyme disease are considered appropriate lunchtime conversation.

I don't hate all surprises, but I'm a planner, as well as an anticipation-savor-er. I enjoy getting ready for a trip, making lists, thinking of schedules and when I need to leave and where I'm going to go.

What about you? If someone said, "Hey, can you leave for London tonight?" would you say, "Yes!" or "Oh, but I'm not ready! Packing, lists, where's my passport, what about a hotel...?"