Ordinary Time

Reverb11
Prompt for December 14: Ordinary Time: Tell us about an ordinary week in your 2011 life; describe your routine. Do you hope that your day-to-day, week-to-week life remains much the same in the coming year, or are you trying to shake things up? How will you do that?




My work life winds around a never ending series of staff meetings. They run a gambit from mind-numbing to absurd, and they're peppered with moments of unintentional humor. 


I wear many hats: assistant, babysitter, dictator, confidant, MeanGirl, disciplinarian, advisor, comic relief.
Each day is different; each has its own challenges and triumphs.


I come home to a big goofy Rottweiler who thinks she's a lap dog, a comfortable sofa and a bottle of red wine. 


I "drink about it" with friends on Friday afternoons and Tuesday evenings. I take refuge at BestFriend's house where we watch DVR'd episodes of PanAm and Glee and The New Girl; drink; plan her wedding; emotionally recharge. 


On Wednesdays Lovegood and I take a long lunch. Lunch is the only respite we get on a day dominated by staff meetings. We go to a local steakhouse where I order sweet tea, "the salad with the scary cheese, but hold the scary cheese" and a bowl of soup every week. Our server's name is Dom and he reminds us of Lames. 


Thursday is my "Saturday". On Thursdays I do my laundry. It takes hours. I am extremely particular about the entire process. I sort my clothes very carefully. I use time- honed combinations of water temperatures and laundry products to achieve my desired results. I hang-dry and hand-wash. I starch and iron every wrinkle, collar and cuff. I fold with a precision born from years of folding ninety dollar tank tops. Laundry, I suppose is my own weird sort of therapy.






My world is small, insular, safe. I've worked hard to make it this way. I've worked hard to build my routine. I enjoy being a creature of habit. I might shake it up a little this year, but right now I love the monotony.