My Day in Pictures

I really have a hard time climbing out of the bed in the morning.  It seems the pillows are just right, the covers more soothing than the night before and my eyes just want "five more minutes" before focusing on the day's tasks.  I'm not even sure that I'm so sleepy, just so comfortable as I drift from sleepy to wakefulness.

Rob takes my laptop to the front room and puts coffee next to it.  The bird comes to my shoulder, the dog puts his head in my lap.  I put on my glasses.  It's best if we don't talk right away.  I'm just not coherent yet. 

After I'm human, I get Andrea's school work and we take time for lesson planning and assignments for the day.  Andrea doesn't like this time.  She feels pressured to do things she's not confident of.  She will think of 50 things she has to do first.  I'm not that easy or gullible.  I take a shower in the morning.  It's good for waking up. 

This morning, I put up a pot of mixed beans.  Couldn't find a ham hock, so I used a piece of salt pork to flavor it.  I dropped a jalapeno pepper in for taste and gave Rob instructions on simmering.

Somewhere about this time, I look at the clock and panic.  Time has slipped away from me once again and I need to go.  Rob is in the driveway checking oil, etc.  Then he looks down the road and tells me when it is safe to back out and get on the road.  I took some pictures of the road I take each day. I pray and sing while I drive to work every day.  It's a time that I can talk to the Lord and intercede for friends and loved ones.  In the car, the phone never rings, the dog doesn't bark and I only need to be aware of traffic.  Since my commute is later than heavy traffic, it's a pretty easy trip.  17 miles later, I turn off the freeway into the little town of Santa Paula.

I work in a storage facility in the office.  Most of the time it's just two of us - Elaine, the manager and me.  Sometimes Jess comes and works a couple of days, giving us much-needed time off.  For the most part, I do office work and Elaine does maintenance around the yard.  Units need to be cleaned, light bulb changed, gardening attended to. She's more of the outdoors type and I'm a computer nerd.  We make a good team.  Of course, she knows everything about both the office and maintenance.  She's been here 15 years. 

On arrival, I turn on the computer and printer, run the mail through the machine, grab the deposit and go back out the door.  First stop is the post office, then off to the bank.  When I finish at the bank, if there's time before the place opens, I grab a coffee to take back with me. 

The day is nothing extraordinary.  I take payments, show and rent units, send nastygrams to delinquent accounts and make and take phone calls.  A lot of times its very quiet.  Then I can read or work on my personal stuff on the computer - even play Pogo if the mood strikes.  I keep the computer on so Andrea can IM me if she needs school help.  We close up at 6 after chasing out the last stragglers.  The dog goes out into the yard and the timer shuts the electric gate.  We pull the exterior gates closed, lock them and the day is done.  Then it's back onto the freeway for the ride home.

Rob is always standing out front or in the carport when I arrive.  He must have radar.  Usually, Dufus is on his shoulder.  I know it's silly, but I get little butterflies in my stomach when I see him standing there.  I'm so glad God put us together.  Andrea comes out to roll my 'puter bag into the house.  I usually go through the back door so the dog won't knock me down.  They let him in after I sit on the couch.

Tonight, Andrea served up the dinner I put in the pot this morning.  Fresh French bread from the bakery and those beans were delicious.  Me?  I was ready for bed when I got up this morning!  My sweetheart even made up the bed for me.  I'm ready to say my prayers and call it a night.

It's a pretty ordinary day, but it's all mine.  I wouldn't change it for all the tea in China.  Good sleep, great family, faith in God and heavenly blessings are all wrapped up in each of my ordinary days.

Be blessed tonight,