Busy day. This morning is even more rushed than usual, because I have to drop Elijah at school an hour early for jazz band practice. It takes a herculean effort to get us both ready to leave on time. I am stressed because I have to remember to bring everything I need to work from my laptop and I’m sure I’ll forget something. I drop Elijah and Joey off at school and head straight to the dealership to drop my Chevy Equinox off to hopefully get the annoying creaking noise fixed. They have arranged a rental car for me for the day since I have a doctor appointment 30 minutes away. I wait and I wait getting more anxious by the minute until finally the rental company guy arrives. I have no idea what his name is so I’ll just call him the rental guy from now on. He takes me back to the Enterprise office and things are looking good until… I can’t find my driver’s license. You have got to be kidding me. What is wrong with me? How did I not think to check that? I must have left it in my little wallet the last time I went to the craft days, which also means that I have been driving around without my license for weeks now. Cripes. They can’t give me a rental without a valid license. Now what.

To my great relief they arrange to have the rental guy drop me off at my appointment since they need to pick up some papers at another Enterprise office and come back and get me when I am done and bring me back. We have a nice chat talking about the job market, the weather, working for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, what I do for a living. It’s sort of surreal, like having my own personal chauffer, except he drives a Chevy Aveo instead of a limousine. As it happens by the time we get back to the dealership my car is just getting done and I am suddenly free of my morning ordeal. It’s lunchtime, so I decide to go to the local Panera’s and work for a while anyway. I get my soup, some tea and a cookie and settle into a booth. I have food and the internet. Life is good!

I work for a couple of hours and head home for the second part of my life. It’s drum lessons, a rushed dinner and then up to mom’s house to landscape in the dark. Did I plan to landscape in the dark? No, but that is what I end up doing. Elijah and I plant pots, clear grass sod, dig holes and spread stones. It must have been a rock quarry under there because it feels as though it’s all clay and rocks, but eventually we get it done. The bugs are eating us alive and we end up working by moonlight, but we manage. By the time I get home, Elijah and I talk with Anthony for a few minutes via Skype and I fall in bed.