The First Hour

Because it's MY blog and I can be sad if I want to.
I lay in bed watching the red glow of the digital clock count the morning away. I want to get out of bed, but I am not ready to deal with the struggles yet. Thirst and the nagging beginnings of the caffeine addiction induced headache nudge me to the edge of my bed. I dreamt I was walking. Walking across a huge room set up for a dinner function. I had to make my way around folding metal chairs that were all in my way. An obstacle course that suddenly changed into my synagogue. I was suddenly at Saturday morning Sabbath services, and I was called up to the Bimah to open the ark doors. My friend was there. She took my hand. We walked up the stairs to the ark together. When I awoke, I actually thought maybe I'd walk! So I reached my toes for the floor. My calf cramped up. I willed it to relax. I reached for my walker and stood upright.  The first step of the day.

So I optimistically ventured to the bathroom. My husband forgot to pick up the shower mat. The wheels on my walker get stuck on it. I notice he forgot to reattach the grab bar in the shower stall. The suction weakens over time and it slides. Preliminary bathroom duties go smoothly as I lean against the counter to wash up. So the plan for the long trek to the kitchen is forming in my head.
 1- grab my bathrobe. Of course the belt slips out of the loop and I must use my numb hand to rethread it. Well, at least I didn't drop it on the floor this time.
2-make my way to the bedroom door. Wheels get stuck on the blankets that sag off the bed. Grab my pills on the way.  A good day! The pills each ease out of the bottles and nothing rolls to the floor!
3-through the living room. Should I grab my iPad yet? No. Let the dog out instead. She amuses me in her chase for a squirrel.
4-continue down hall to kitchen. My grabber gets stuck on the computer desk. Back up. Redo.
5-Step by step inch towards water and coffee maker! I am so smart, I set the coffee maker up the night before! Grab the milk as i pass the refrigerator. Yeah! They put it in an accessible place! Dodge the swinging door in time to get the carton out! Pour water first. Drink it leaning against counter. Inch toward that on button! Contact! And the coffee maker begins to gurgle!
6-glance around at my kitchen. Everything used to be so perfectly in it's place. Didn't I just straighten things out? Cruise around the perimeter of the counters putting things back. The cereal box, left out by hubby, goes on the walker for transporting to cabinet. Why is this bathroom cleaner here? Add to walker for transporting. Trash can is full. Grab the plastic liner as I go. Moving on, container and baking pan on the wrong side of the kitchen. Add to walker to transport to cabinet on the other wall.
7- Inch to table. Stack newspapers. Grab pens that need to go back in the cup. Grab coupons that need to go in coupon pile.
8-deposit bathroom cleaner closer to where it belongs. Inch my way around to where the extra trash bags are stowed. Grab a few extra to put in bottom of can for later. Deposit coupons in the pile. Notice the load of laundry that needs to go in, but choose to keep going. Don't stop. Keep moving forward with the original plan.
8-walker gets stuck on full trash bag. Use grabber to nudge bag in front of garage door.
9-making my way back to the coffee maker which by now is spewing that delicious aroma! Deposit various collections from other side of the room closer to their correct cabinets.
10-inch by stove and grab the frypan that hubby left. Pour coffee. Spill coffee. Drink coffee. Pull half the roll of paper towels off to wipe up spilled coffee.
11-Run frypan under hot water. Coffee cup goes on walker to transport.
12-Return milk carton to frig. Dodge swinging door.
13-Decide to venture back down hall to drink coffee in my room. Stop to look out window to see if any birds are at feeder. Watch dog chase squirrel.
14- stop to grab iPad on the way. It's just out of reach on the couch instead of the chair. Reposition myself to get better reach. Shart, and realize I should probably forget about the iPad. But, no, the pantyliner is in place and I know I can not travel this route again. Reach and grab iPad! Don't drop it! Coffee slogs  in cup.
15-Make it to bathroom! Sit and rest a bit! Besides, leg doesn't work now and I can't get up.
16-drag that damn leg. Turn cartoons on Tv. Sit in chair! Drink coffee! YEAH!!!!
17-Think about showering and dressing. 
18-Gotta pee.

Phew! Made it through the first hour of my morning! Umm what time is it? Make that 3 hours.