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Alarm goes off. It’s still dark out. It’s a Wednesday. Definitely not the worst, but surely not the best. I have a two hour minimum conference call, a survey to finish and a whole bunch of emails that are coming my way regarding some grants.
Every day, without fail, the first thoughts that go through my head are, “I don’t want to do this today” and “I should take a sick day.” I actually enjoy my job, but the repetitive nature wears me down.
Being surrounded by my dogs and the Mrs. all snuggled around me doesn’t help. Even with the unseasonably warm weather we are having, the comfort of my Tempur-Pedic (basically a cartoon cloud) keeps me trapped under the covers. Sometimes, I even wake up with my obese cat sleeping on top of my ass. On these days, I have to do an Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark) and displace him so I don’t start my day with cat claws in my now bloody ass cheeks.
I’ve been awake since the first alarm went off 15 minutes ago. It’s not that I struggle to wake up; I’m a morning person. It’s more knowing what lies ahead for the day. The commute, getting dressed, puppy proofing the place before I leave, remembering where I put my wallet/keys/cell phone, finding whichever one of those three I can’t find from the day before because it’s always one of them, and countless other things race through my head.
Being an adult is a lot of upkeep. If you don’t stay on top of things, dishes pile up, laundry billows over the hamper, the grass turns into a jungle, you get the idea. During the warmer and greater lit part of the year, I enjoy coming home and working around my meager yard. Now, though, it all just looks like squalor, and I’m reminded of that every morning when I let the dogs outside.
I can’t imagine what you poor bastards with kids do. Maybe you realize your trial by fire and get your stuff in order the night before like a responsible person would. My daily Chinese fire drill isn’t the most sustainable nor sane thing. I’m fully aware that I should get my lunch, clothing, cell/wallet/keys, etc. ready the night before.
Unfortunately for me, at the end of the day, I just don’t feel like doing anything besides kicking off my khakis, cracking open a beer and lounging around.
It doesn’t help that it’s still dark out and knowing that I arrive at work when it’s dark, leave when it’s dark and never get to see the light of day really messes with me. With winter being held at bay by our friends El Nino and climate change, it’s only a matter of time before 6:45 a.m. car cleaning and shoveling becomes a daily reality. We all know its coming.
Maybe it’s seasonal affective disorder, maybe I’m lazy – probably a bit of both. Truly, it’s more so knowing that all I’ll do that day is wake up, go to work, come home, maybe go to the gym, maybe hit up the store but really, there’s only so much energy or desire to do something besides unplug from the world after a day of stimuli. One can only have so much mental fortitude after exchanging a day’s worth of pleasantries and small talk.
Once I’m at work, it’s alright. Like being on a roller coaster, the worst part is the slow ascent, which is my morning commute. If I get stuck behind the geriatric in the Mini Countryman one more time, I am going to install a forklift like in Wacky Races and jettison it off the bridge. Every day, the same old man, regardless of what time it is, finds himself in front of me doing five miles below the speed limit and always makes me miss a crucial light that adds at least another five to my commute.
All of these thoughts race through my head. It’s only 7 a.m. I take it all in and realize that I have to get my ass out of bed and get ready for work to pay off my loans, mortgage, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone and internet bills. The only silver lining is that at the end of the day, I get to head back to my room, get a 6-8 hour reprieve and do it all over again..
Image via Shutterstock
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Madoff
I specialize in damage control, being the drunkest at any and all functions and social assassination. Always appreciate a strong gif game. Follow me on Twitter. Sometimes I put up cool stuff about golfing at the local dirt tracks.
@BLMInvestment
Eat. Sleep. Work. Repeat. #PGP.
Take some vitamin D, Madoff. It will improve your mood in these winter months.
I’ve been telling the wife that for years…
She might believe you if you stopped pointing at your crotch when you said it.
As my old man would say, you’re either stuck in a rut or a routine. Routines are great but being in a rut, just like the winter months, are always depressing. Another great article though Mr. Madoff
I take the bus to work. One comes every 5 minutes, yet I make sure I am on the same exact one every day at 7:28am. Feels like my whole day is thrown off if I’m not on that bus. Routines can become mundane, but the 5 days of that allow you to not have a routine on the weekend, and that makes it all worth it.