Dear Reader,
It has been an “activate the blue chair protocol” kind of late morning, but now, into the afternoon, Word Raccoon and I are back on the porch, writing.
The blue chair protocol, for the unfamiliar, is what we do when we are feeling too much at once: we grab our AirPods and settle into the blue chair for YouTube videos with a blanket until further notice. We cancel anything that we don’t absolutely have to do, turn off notifications, and do not cook. In fact, WR requests snacks if it’s a full-out drill.
While we only have to launch the sequence a couple of times a year now, it used to be more often. We have learned to catch it coming on and just shut everything down. Even the lights must be dimmed. Voices around us must be gentle. Nonessential communication must be muted.
Today’s edition was not a full-scale drill. The need for it was, we suspect, the result of too many competing ambitions, all of which began too early this morning. We created a space solely for tools in a lower kitchen cabinet, something we’ve been threatening to do for ages. We cleaned out, sorted, and decluttered the small appliance cabinet (it was time again), and likewise sorted out the utensil drawer. We have a box of things for Zack and Erica if they want them for their new place.
All of this before sunup.
Instead of feeling accomplished, we felt fevered to do even more. Not a good sign.
So we set writing timers, managing only fifteen-minute stretches before restlessly wandering around trying to decide what, oh what, really needed doing.
We had work goals to meet, which thankfully we were able to push further into the week.
The writing was going well, if only we could have settled into it.
As I said, I caught WR mid-fret and told her to get herself to the blue chair. She watched Disney Food Blog videos (her go-to) and had some water.
Barry, dispatched on what we call a Mission of Mercy, (we requested a single snack cake), he returned with three boxes of them in varying flavors. Apparently, he takes his assignments seriously. Which did not bother WR in the least.
She might have had a snack cake. Or two.
Then she had a nap.
She woke up groggy, but better. Ready to gingerly head out to the porch and reengage with her novel. This morning she continued with the Rebecca thread and began a new document listing things to pay attention to in this round of revisions. Are we calling them revisions? We’re still not sure.
Oh, and her lab work results came back mostly fine, with her B-12 being on the low side but within the normal range, which means we’re up for an EMG next. WR still says it’s nothing, but better to be safe and all.
Psst…she still thinks it’s the medicine, but she’s not a doctor.
In any case, her PCP told WR that she needs more sleep, so going forward, our posts will be scheduled to reflect that – perhaps they go better with morning coffee?
Drema