I am a morning person, so I wake up pretty jolly. I turn the alarm off, take out my earbuds (I need noise to fall asleep, so I'm often still plugged in when I wake up having fallen asleep to The Golden Girls on Hulu, an audiobook, or a Sleep Story through the Calm app - Sleep Stories are the truth!), and check to see if the notifications on my phone reveal anything interesting that happened overnight - news, direct deposits, text messages from night owl friends, etc. . I sleep with a Yogibo body pillow, so I put that on the floor or over next to Dishon, swing my legs over the side of the bed (I sleep on the right side closest to the window), and unplug my phone from the charger and earbuds.
I go over to the stairs on Mondays and Wednesdays and call up to Serena and Cairo to make sure they're awake, and I turn on the news so I can check the weather. Then I head to the bathroom, take out my nightguard (I grind my teeth), rinse it and put it in the cabinet for further cleaning later, and Rabbit usually comes to greet me in there. She stretches and either sits on the rug, or goes back toward my bedroom to see if our bedroom door is open so she can say good morning to Dishon. I go into the kitchen, turn on the lights (including the deck light), open the curtains and blinds to let the sunlight in, wash Rabbit's food and water bowls, and refill them.
I go back to the bathroom for my dental hygiene routine. I put on music (love songs or cardio playlist, depending on my mood) or a podcast (Harry Potter as a Sacred Text is my favorite podcast right now), I brush and scrape my tongue, use the airflosser to floss my teeth, and brush for two minutes with my electric toothbrush (it makes a sound each 30 seconds when it's time to switch to the next quadrant of my teeth). I wash my face and go back to my bedroom to get dressed.
Rabbit usually follows me back there if she hasn't already been in to say hi to Dishon, so I ask him if it's okay for her to come say good morning before I open the door (one must be ready for a Rabbit greeting!). I get dressed - usually a t-shirt and sweats . . . and what socks I wear depend on whether or not I'll be wearing boots (thin trouser socks so my feet don't feel too crowded) or sneakers (thick athletic socks). I don't put my jewelry or accessories on yet - I save that for after I shower.
I open the basement door to get Rabbit's leash and harness (it's hanging at the top of the basement stairs). I put her harness on, take out a poopie bag, and turn it inside out so it's ready to go. I give her her anti-toot treat (essential. Her gas could cause great harm).
In the midst of this, I flitter around like a dragonfly. I may go into the kitchen to write something on the family calendar whiteboard on the fridge (if I don't write things down, I won't remember them), take my vitamins and meds out of the cabinet to make sure I don't forget to take them, check my email to see if any teachers canceled their coaching sessions, add groceries to the Peapod grocery list, reply to text messages, post something on Facebook, like Facebook posts, order something from Amazon, pluck hairs out of my chin and neck (I need to do that more and more now, and because of nerve damage from my parathyroid surgery last summer, there are parts of my chin and neck that I still can't feel. Sigh.), use ear scrapers (I have dermatitis in my ear canals, and Q-tips are insufficient), see if there are any Pokemon outside the house to catch, make moves on Words With Friends, stuff like that.
When I shower, my routine includes putting my locs up in a bun so they don't get wet (that involves a lot of tying and tucking), putting my towel on the toilet so it's ready when I get out, and choosing from amongst the many shower gels I have. Smells are important to me. My favorite moisturizer right now is Bath and Body Works' Vanilla Bean Noel (it makes me smell like a freshly baked cookie 🍪😊 ). After I'm dressed, I put on my jewelry and accessories - diamond studs in my second ear piercings, silver leaf earrings in the first, wedding ring, Pandora bracelet, Fitbit).
I work from home on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Dishon works from home every day (love it!), and we work out together in the mornings on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and when I get back from work on Thursdays. We used to go to LA Fitness, but we've been using an app called Sworkit to save some cash. The high school is only a 10 minute walk from the house, and Cairo rides the bus to the middle school, so we don't have to drop them off (woo hoo!).
After we work out, we eat breakfast. I very rarely make breakfast for myself. Sometimes I may have a bagel with honey pecan cream cheese and freshly squeezed orange juice from Wegmans (I should've never started that fresh juice thing. It's not financially sustainable, but I'm sure enjoying it for now). Most times, though, Dishon makes breakfast for us . . . scrambled eggs w/smoked gouda, oatmeal w/raisins, cinnamon and cream, pancakes, or Cream of Wheat. I'm well cared for 💖.
When I think about my morning routine, I need to imagine how these details will come into play for the characters in my novel. What's your favorite part of your morning routine?
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