Early morning. . . again.
As in, very early.
As in, staggering-about-the-house-in-darkness-looking-like-a-wino-on-a-bender early.
Sally - my loving rescue “pocket pittie” with Boston Terrier, Boxer, American Bulldog and Chow Chow! in her - has not transitioned well to daylight savings. It’s a good thing we are cloistering in place because I fear I am growing more and more haggard by the day.
We’re keeping up a routine of sorts - besides the random hours in the night she would be raiding the refrigerator if she had opposable thumbs. The unexpected and unwanted snow fall we had a few weeks back has finally succumbed to the just warm enough temps and moisture in the air and Sally is no longer threatened by roof-alanches.
This means she is no longer afraid of departing the house by the front door which makes my butler work so much easier.
To be fair, in snow country, roof-alanches are a danger. I’m not going to look it up but I suspect pets have worse odds with snow coming off the roof than they do being attacked by a wild animal. She has good reason to fear for her existence.
Anyway the routine - yes.
Awake a couple of hours before dawn cracks. Do my best not to reach for one of my devices, but I typically fail. I continue logging on each day holding my breath that something momentous has not happened since the few hours I was last logged on.
Or hoping that the something momentous is spectacularly welcome news for everyone who knows what it’s like to wonder what the future holds.
Or hoping that the something momentous is spectacularly unwelcome news for those who have haunted our every waking thoughts, as well as a few nightmares, over the last four years.
Brew some coffee on my irritable and cantankerous Mr Coffee Maker. Hop on the yoga mat for some exercise of some sort.
Notice that there are objects and books in my field of vision I haven’t touched for years. This thought occurs to me every now and then when I am not being distracted by one of my devices, or by Sally wondering why it is not one of her feeding times at that particular moment.
Occasionally, I realize she is trying to communicate something else. Her water bowl is empty. The neighbor’s dog is in the backyard. It’s time to pee.
Maybe I listen to a podcast - something apolitical these days - like Floodlines which is about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, or Wild, Wild Tech which is about a hodge-podge of electronica. Maybe I read one of the multitude of magazines piling up threatening to put me in the category of a hoarder. Maybe I read one of a dozen books I intend to read sooner or later.
Finish my fourth mug of coffee, get on about my writing for an hour or two, then harness up the worried pocket pittie and head for a trailhead. . . where I will find - on average - eight vehicles no matter the day, the weather or the time. It has been like that for nine months.
Upon our return, check the mailbox, for no other reason than it is ingrained in my very soul, because nothing comes by mail these days other than mailers and flyers.
Brew some tea for iced tea - even in winter. Settle in to a different sofa than in the morning. But first make sure the bedside lamp is on in advance since it gets dark at 4pm. Consider what alcoholic beverage pairs with whatever culinary delight I can microwave in less than 5 minutes. Hem and haw to myself over what to watch and whether or not I have already watched it.
Keep it to a couple of episodes and then call it a night.
Rinse and repeat.
This week I am working hard to adjust Sally’s expectations. Trying to push dinner back to 6pm.
Wish me luck!
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AAR Susi Johnston sent me this music video in reaction to my posting which referenced the John F. Kennedy statement (in a mangled fashion), “Ask not what you can do for your country…”.
I liked it. Two minutes that really capture a certain era.
"Ask not what you can do for your country -- what's your country been doing to you?!"
Also, Ariahna Jones - who may or may not be an AAR - has been doing these VERY informative local videos in an effort to draw attention to buying local and doing what you can to support a sustainable lifestyle. She calls it: Waste Loop's Virtual Sustainability Tour
Check it out!