Creature of Habit

The Routine

1. The alarm goes off at 6 AM. I blindly grope around the night stand to find snooze. I sleep on the right side of the bed (from the sleeper's perspective on their back).

2. 7 minutes later - do I hit snooze again? Probably more than 50% of the time yes.

3. 7 minutes later- I groan, blindly grope for the off button. Hit it. Don't lay head back down for fear of falling asleep until who-knows-when.

4. Stagger to the shower, put bathmat on floor, turn on hot water only. The hot water heater and the master bath shower are seperated by the furthest distance in the house.

5. Shut the boys bedroom doors to avoid waking them.

6. If it is between April and October and Tuesday or Thursday... shave.

7. Shower - wash hair first, then body, and face last. Absorb hot water magic as long as possible. Shake self into getting on with the day.

8. Shut off water, exit, towel off, drying hair first with towel. Put scalp medicine on first then comb hair. Get on under clothes and carry socks to bedroom.

9. Decide whether it is okay to wear yesterday's jeans laying on the floor. Feel all pockets to make sure all standard pocket paraphernalia (PP) is there: left front- keys, right front - knife and pocket watch, left rear - wallet, and right rear - hankerchief. Day is messed up if PP is not all there. Balance, preparedness, habit...

10. Look in closet for the day's shirt. Reflect on previous day's weather and forecast, glance out window for today's conditions. Must be ironed. Wife won't let me out of bedroom for work in un-ironed shirt. Pen in left breast pocket from it's standard location on the top of dresser.

11. Put on socks and carry shoes to kitchen. Oh, kiss wife before leaving bedroom. Miss that step and that night get repremanded. Turn on light over dining table. Kitchen and dining are attached so kitchen is dimly lighted but nice for morning.

12. Pick cereal - reflect on accessories to go with cereal. If eating granola, don't need anything else. Otherwise toast a bagel or grab a little yogurt. Get small glass of orange beverage containing vitamin C. Get pills. Pour milk on cereal in square cereal bowl that was selected from shelf after cereal selection. Carry breakfast to table and select periodical for reading while eating.

13. Eat and read. Usually a disheveled, groggy wife staggers to kitchen and makes lunch. Lunch is peanutbutter and jam sandwich, crunchy something (chips, prezels, corn chips), piece of fruit (typically an apple) and cookies or granola bar for desert.

14. Lunch is left on counter top and groggy wife mumbles bye and leans my way for kiss good-bye. I put dishes on kitchen counter-top on right side of right hand sink. Brush teeth and slip on shoes. Put lunch in lunch box that has been in use since 1989. Select appropriate coat for weather conditions. Turn off light and exit quietly.

15. Decide which vehicle to take based on day of the week and wife's planned activity for the day, fuel level, and mood.

16. Drive to work. Listen to Mark and Brian on KGON. Make sure to stop short at end of driveway so log truck doesn't take off front of car. Take short cut way to freeway. Take I-84 to Woodvillage exit. At work park in outer parking lot in 3rd row, 3rd spot right of center. Leave car unlocked because no wants a 1991 Caddy and there is nothing of worth in the car.

17. Walk to office. Say hello to night watchman at front desk. Look right when walking to cubicle to assess arrival time and set departure time for 9 hours later.

18. Enter desk space. Hang up coat and put lunch pail in locker/file cabinet. Turn on computer monitor and see if message light is flashing on phone. Login using password related to a truck part. If I can't remember which part, look at sticky note on monitor. Security is about 4 levels deep here and the passwords have to be changed every 6 weeks, have to be 6 characters, and not similar to the last password. You have two different passwords network and software. My software password relates to a season or weather condition... its on the sticky. Start Outlook, Windows Media Player, and Explorer in that order. Look at Outlook calendar for day's excitement level. Start URL for KGON in Media Player. Look through favorites - blogs - 4 about Iraq war, two about shooting, Carly's and a few misc ones. Say hey or good morning to co-workers as they arrive.

19. Embark upon a day of directing e-mail traffic, answering questions, surfing, and generally being unstimulated mentally. Once a quarter I may volunteer to build something in the shop when waiting for the people hired to do that stuff are too slow. Attend meetings when required and direct some meetings when required.

20. Nine hours after glancing to the right on my way into work to see what time I need to depart, I leave. Drive home via. Marine Dr., truck stop alley, old town Troutdale, and along the Sandy River (no shortcut, it takes too much gas).

21. Arriving home is the unpredictable part. Some times #2 son is waiting for me (the best surprise), so he can drive up the driveway. Evenings are very flexible and can involve: working on projects, spending time with the goats, cooking dinner and doing the dishes, taking the boys to do something fun, going out to dinner (once a month), Cub Scouts, tee ball, wood cutting, house remodeling, Landcruiser work, helping neighbors, a nap (rarely)...

22. Between 7:45 and 8:15 PM start the lads to get ready for bed; pick up toys, showers, PJs, brush teeth, flouride, potty, say prayers, and read stories. Depending on whether it is summer or winter go back outside to work on something or stay inside and read, watch TV or blog.

23. Around 10 PM assess spunk level and decide if it is hit the hay time. If it is bed time, pants on floor in front of dresser, socks and shirt in dirty clothes, glasses on dresser, turn on bedside lamp and select one of the approximately 100 things to look at or read from the bedside library. (The bedside library needs straightening.)

24. Eventually turn off light before 10:30 PM typically. Lay on left side, put right arm under top pillow (I use two), put left hand on right shoulder, relax all muscles, think nice thoughts and be asleep in less than 10 minutes.

So item 21 is the best part of the day. I would say that at least 50% of my days go like this. I keep asking myself if this is it...? There has to be more to it. What's it? Life. Where is it hiding? There are always the weekends to add variety. The best part is the family