In the morning

Every morning I awake to the sounds of 70's classic rock due to my fiance's obsession with the radio station 97.1 The Drive in Chicago.

Perhaps it is "Radio Gaga" by Queen. Or maybe a little Elton or Billy Joel or Zep. Whoever it happens to be that welcomes me into the new day, they always get cut off mid-chorus by the snooze button. I hit this lovely little piece of modern genius at least 3 times every morning. I set my alarm about 30 min earlier than the time I actually want to get out of bed in anticipation of this habit. I sometimes even manage to hit it an extra time or two and run around late as a result.

Once I have hit snooze the appropriate (or inappropriate) amount of times, I get my brain on straight and I re-set the alarm for my bedmate. He absolutely loves that I do this for him. Apparently it makes him feel more loved and cared for than anything else I could possibly say or do. When a day comes along where I get to sleep in later than him and he has to set his own alarm, the devastation in his face is heartbreaking. It almost makes me agree to set it for him anyway. Almost.

Now that the alarm is set for my fiance, I move on to my Blackberry. Sick, internet-addicted soul that I am, I check to see if I missed anything important in the night. Perhaps a sweet deal from Travel Zoo or a drunken text from a friend?

After this comes the glasses. Ever since I stopped being able to see my sophomore year of high school, glasses by my night stand have been an essential part of my day. If ever I forget to put them on, I end up slamming into anything and everything in the room. My bruised shins have made putting on the glasses a major priority in my brain so it is rare I forget these days.

On to the part where I get out of bed. This is a laborious task that requires a great deal of strength and determination. After all, there is a very warm cozy body next to me, and staying with it seems very enticing compared to the idea of stepping on to my cold ice block of a floor. I usually take a few deep breaths, moan softly in mourning for my sleep and fun dreams, and hoist myself up to sitting position.

Once there is it easier to get the rest of the way up to standing. I go to my bedroom door and take the bright red robe off the hook and slip myself into it. This robe was a gift from Adam and is one of the softest things I have ever had the pleasure of putting on my body. I used to say that I felt like I was wrapped in a vagina when I first got it. That is the only word I could use to convey the level of soft warmth I was feeling. I don't say that too much anymore. Like we all do with many things, I have gotten used to it.

Next up is opening the door and stepping into the kitchen. I almost always see a shadowy figure standing by the stove. Almost always. And then after a terrible heart skipping moment, I let my eyes adjust and realize that it was only an illusion due to the darkness and a microwave and perhaps a plant. It is a really strange thing I have come to expect now--seeing someone standing in the kitchen. I am sure if someone actually were standing in the kitchen some morning, I would just assume it was my eyes playing tricks and float right past him to the bathroom to pee.

Obviously I just gave away the next thing I do.

After that, I get in the shower and finally start to feel functional. Depending on if I feel like thinking or not, I might turn on the clock radio (again always set to 97.1 The Drive) and listen to more 70's classic rock.

After all of this, I am sure my morning begins to look a lot like any other person's morning. Hair styling, perhaps makeup if you are a female, maybe cereal or oatmeal, a quick brushing of the teeth hopefully.

Once I am prepared, I go online and check the Bus Tracker website the CTA has so kindly created for me to view when my next Belmont Bus will arrive on the corner of my street. I leave only when there is 5 min until a bus. Nothing more, nothing less. I suit up however I need to--for winter it is pretty much the same boots, coat scarf, gloves and hat every work day; in the summer, maybe I will be in flip flops or even have my bike gear ready opt for riding the ole girl the 6 miles to work.

I thought it might be fun to explore something extremely routine to me and somehow make it very detailed and fascinating to someone else. Hope that was as fun for you as it was for me.

But somehow I doubt it.