Tuesday
6:08- Alarm clock wins the fight.

6:16- A too-short shower, just cold enough to rinse off the clinging tendrils of sleep.

6:23- Bundled up against the dark morning.

6:25- Car won’t start. #%*@^&!

6:29- Waste 2 minutes searching for gloves, pull bike out of storage.

6:30- Sleet and freezing rain. Lovely.

6:51- Chain my cold bike to the cold bike rack with a cold chain in this cold weather.

6:53- Grocery store opens at 7. Stand in the rain, muttering dark oaths.

7:03- Sleepy punk-rocker associate finally opens the door.

7:04- Pound of coffee in hand, paying in damp cash.

7:05- The key. The key that always hangs on the corner hook in the kitchen. The key that is hanging on the corner hook. The key to my bike lock…

7:06- @#%&!!!!

7:07- Running home. I needed the exercise anyway.

8:10- Fresh mug of french pressed coffee.

8:12- She walks in the door.

7 hours earlier

1:15am- She looks at her paper, then at me.

“I finished it, but I’ll never be able to stay awake in class….”