Just Another Day

5:20 AM – I wake up, pretty rested, pretty refreshed. I took a generic acetaminophen PM when I went to bed and it worked its magic, getting rid of that dry cough I was worried about and putting me to sleep. I like to wake up earlier, 4:30, say, which gives me more than enough time for two cups of coffee, sipped leisurely, and listen to a playlist of my favorite songs for an hour or so. But, it’s to late for that today, so I jump out of bed and head to the bathroom for my morning dump.

5:30 AM or so – I put some fresh ground coffee beans – Colombian Supremo from Costco -in the Keurig one-cup coffee maker and start gathering my breakfast from the refrigerator: blueberry yogurt, two boiled eggs in the shell, and one banana. I won’t eat them until later int he day, some time past eight o’clock, so I tie them upin a plastic bag and put them in my backpack.

6:30 AM – I have spent too much time on the first cup of coffee, and daydreaming, and now I have to rush, get dressed, find a baseball cap and two face masks, turn off all the lights, the computer, the TV, double check the door to make sure it’s locked, so I don’t miss my bus, and have to walk ten, eleven minutes to a different bus stop.

6:57 AM – Get off the bus after patting myself for my phones, wallet and house keys (I have left two coolers on the bus, two or three weeks apart because I didn’t check my bus seat before I got off) and get my golf cart from the carport. I deliver supplies around campus, and run assorted errands, among other things, and my golf cart is familiar as my phone.

7:33 AM – clock in and spend way ore time than I should have catching up with Ann and wondering when the pandemic is going to get worse, and how soon the campus will shut down.

8:37 AM – I eat breakfast and take my medication plus pills I have brought from home (Vitamin D, fish oil, cranberry extract, vitamin K2, etc.).

9:10 AM – I pick up some dirty microfiber rags from the new academic building. We wash our own rags and mops to save money, have been doing it for years. I want a cup of coffee, so I order one from Einstein Bagels, located on campus. Social distancing is still in effect and that means no dirty money passing hands at the cash register; everyone has to place their orders on Boost, an ordering app. It’s dangerous. I bought something from Einstein’s every two or three months before. Now. I order two or three time s a week. And, I don’t understand why.

10:39 AM – finish delivering supplies, for the time being, and putting the rags in the washer.

11:00 AM – find Ann on the outdoor porch just in time for the Mass of the Holy Spirit. I work at a Catholic university, so this is an annual ceremony for anyone on campus. Social distancing guidelines are in effect here, as well. The mass i held on the soccer field and a lot of us observe from the porch, which is hundreds of feet away.

12:25 – lunch.

1:10 PM – back to delivering supplies. Two doves were released during the ceremony and I was happy to learn they are trained to fly back to their “home”, like homing pigeons.

2:37 PM – I finally find Shirley in her building and go with her to one pf the professor’s offices. A soaking wet ceiling tile fell over his desk and splattered everywhere, all over his papers, chair, etc. I get the large pieces and leave her to the rest.

3:29 PM – the rest of the day’s supplies delivered. I take a ten minute breather, then get my back pack.

4:01 PM – Clock out.

4:07 PM – Catch the bus. It’s cot crowded. I haven’t paid bus fare since the the initial shutdown in March. Silver linings. It’s $50 a month for a bus pass.

4:23 PM – I have no problem walking home. It’s my daily exercise and usually enjoyable. My legs never hurt. I never feel fatigued or like I’m straining. I pour myself a ginger ale with a shot of whiskey and call my Mom, She doesn’t answer. I’ll give her twenty, thirty minutes, and…

I STILL HAVEN”T WRITTEN ANYTHING TODAY!!

What do I have to do? Every day I don’t write this novel is another day or two extra that I will have to force myself to do it. I just don’t understand why I can’t just get on with it. What do I have to do?