If I Were Mashed Potatoes....Would I be Chunky Mashed Potatoes or Creamy....Would I Be Instant or Regular?

Why is it that everytime I have a ton of stuff that I need to do with rapidly approaching deadlines that my mind is on the opposite side of the universe?! Tomorrow I have two papers due. One is a 5-6 page critical essay on the middle ages and whether or not they were really "dark". In order to write this paper I am supposed to read this book and I am most definitely not even a 1/4 of the way into it. I'm pretty much in deep goo. I think that when I get stressed out and panicky my mind decides that it doesn't like the mental stress so it goes out to lunch. This strategy most defiantly back fires as I pretty much freak out more because I can't concentrate to do the insanely large amount of work that I probably wouldn't be able to get done if I had all my brains! Someone help me!! Give me a thinking cap and juice my brain with lemons(for those of you who are confused the thinking cap thing from my favorite movie ever, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy). I think part of the problem I'm having focusing on that stinking book I have to read is that it doesn't make any sense. I was talking to my world civ. buddy who has already read the book and she said that it didn't make any sense to her when she was reading it but when she was done, her eyes were opened and she realized that the author was brilliant. In my humble opinion, an author that is brilliant should be able to be smart enough to make his/her books understandable while the reader is actually reading the book. That's just my opinion of course, but really what do I know? I feel much better now. I think I shall be able to concentrate!! YAY!! Then again I say that and ten minutes later I will be twiddling my thumbs and singing along with Queen......