A typical day starts at 5:00am. It’s still dark out. Work isn’t until 7am, but I’ve found that I need an hour of time to myself before I go to work. “Time to myself” just means computer time as the sun rises.
Because I’m going to be working at the hamburger restaurant all day the first thing I do when I wake up is put my watch on the charger in my office, go turn on the coffee, and then take a quick shower. After getting dressed, and using my ‘work day’ deodorant instead of my civilian deodorant.
For work I use Right Guard Sport aerosol deodorant, which claims to have “4-In-1” protection and is “built for the workday” with 48-hour odor control. I’m tempted to try the Right Guard Sport “Original” which only has 24-hour protection (still more than I need for a work shift) but proclaims it is “made for hard work” which seems better?
When I’m not working I use Malin+Goetz eucalyptus deodorant. It’s wildly more expensive at like $9 per ounce compared to Right Guard which is less than a dollar per ounce.
After I get dressed in my uniform (pants, shirt, sweatshirt) I pour of cup of coffee and sit at my desk for an hour. I will sometimes edit an episode of 3 Minute Review or review my tasks or do a little project planning. I also review my news tabs and email subscriptions and take any useful notes in Obsidian.
Usually Georgie will wake up and come to sleep in her dog bed in my office. Sometimes if I’m feeling tight I’ll do some stretches and she’s get up expecting that her day is starting too.
I’ll pack a bag of an off-duty shirt and hat to wear on my way home, grab my watch and phone and wallet, and my lunch that I prepped the day before (or more likely Kathryn prepped, she likes to put my name on it). Lately I’ve been bringing a book to read on my lunch break, and I will usually take another 1/2 cup of coffee in a travel mug for the short commute.
Then it’s off to work. It’s light out when I leave, and usually very quiet outside and these recent days have been pretty brisk. The Hamburger Restaurant is about 3 miles away, and I will drive there because it’s cold. If I’m taking the Subaru I get to turn on the seat warmers, but often I take a loaner car we’ve been taking care of, which is a 1990s volvo and take a little longer to heat up inside.
I originally thought I’d ride my bike, but it’s cold out now, and there is no good place to lock up nearby. I have a really nice bike and don’t want to leave it out on the street all day. Parking is sometimes difficult because it’s a commercial area, but usually I can find a spot a few blocks into the residential zone nearby. Unless it’s street cleaning day, and then it’s a nightmare. I learned to leave early on Thursday and Fridays to give myself extra time after getting a $60 parking ticket.
On the drive in I will listen to my audio book or record a short voice message for the Hamburger Business Review audio diary if I’m having thoughts that might apply. I also drive by three Starbucks and I like to gauge the activity of their drive throughs to compare with a typical morning at my hamburger restaurant. They almost always have far less activity, which makes me feel smug.
Then it’s time to clock in. The strangest part is just how sharp the transition is. I say a few hellos to my co-workers on my way to the break room, but as soon as I am on the clock I’ll be immediately at the drive thru talking to customers and taking orders for the rest of the work day.