the process of getting up

Waking up is a very ritualistic process for me. It has several steps and there are patterns I follow each morning. But I'm sure I am not exception to this rule; we all have our little quirks and mannerisms to waking up. Maybe you need a banana on your cereal to really start the day. Or you do 100 push ups. Or maybe you need to blast "One Week" by the Barenaked Ladies and strut around your room with no clothes on. Whatever that special something is, you feel required to stand by it for your day to operate correctly.

For me, waking up isn't so much what I do, but in what sequence I do it. I start work at the museum at 10am every day, and I set my alarm for 7:45. Not because I want to be up and at 'em at 8:00, but simply because I know it's going to take me some time to wake the hell up. And that it where it all begins...

7:45 A.M.
Alarm goes off. I roll over and turn it off, glance at it to make sure all is well, then snuggle back under my covers.

8:00 A.M.
My internal clock rouses me and I glance at the clock once more just to make sure all is going well. I fall back into a shallow sleep.

8:25 A.M.
I wake up again and this time I start to move around a little bit more to get myself up. I open my eyes slightly more than the two times before and even stretch my arms out. Serious morning stuff. I still get back under the covers though, not ready to face the cold hardwood floor. So cold on my feet, argh...

8:35 A.M.
One last opening of the eyes, and I am pretty much awake. Satisfied that I have spent almost an hour getting out of bed, I sit up, and take a moment to recollect myself so I don't run down the ladder from my loft bed and, in a dizzy fit, hurl all over my floor. Once I am down the ladder, there is no going back. I know it is time for me to face the day ahead of me. I turn on my computer, open the blinds, curse whatever the weather is for that day (foggy, it's too cold; sunny, it's too warm) and start to walk downstairs.

8:45 A.M.
Still in my pajamas (THIS IS CRUCIAL), I get a bowl of granola, a banana, and some unhealthy pastry like breakfast item (nutella on english muffins or cinnamon bread...whatever). I'll also either make tea or coffee, depending on my degree of laziness. Very lazy = coffee (we have a machine that does it all for you) Kinda lazy = probably still coffee. Not lazy, feeling good = tea. The only thing is, I drink decaf coffee, so this adds another degree of WAKE THE FUCK UP ON YOUR OWN to my day, except for the mountain of sugar I pour in, which probably is just enough to get me to work and to my desk.

9:00 A.M.
Back up in my room, I grab an outfit (one I probably thought of the night before; I've been getting into outfits lately). I'll probably convince myself it's not good enough to be seen, that I'm not good enough to be seen, and that I shouldn't even try any more.

9:06 A.M.
I check the train times online, check my email, check my tumblr maybe a little. I run to the bathroom and put on the necessary jewerly for the day. But, basically wishing I were a man half the time, I usually settle for one necklace and some earrings. I brush my teeth and floss as my dentist's voice rings in my head, and finally spray on maybe something to make me smell remotely like the lady I should be by now. Sorry, Mom. I don't even wear makeup, so this rapidly decreases my bathroom preparation time. Awesome.

9:10 A.M.
I check the train times once more and realize I have to get going like, right effing now. I run downstairs and pile an unholy amount of random snacks into my bag. I run back upstairs in a frenzy and turn off my computer, give myself one last look-over in the mirror (usually followed by a "Could be worse" kind of reaction), and pile my iPod, notebook, planner, and wallett into the bag with snacks. Usually, I forget a book to read. Which is annoying cause eating alone is already depressing enough. Eating alone and just staring into space is way worse.

9:15 A.M.
I am out the door and down four or five blocks to the train station by my house. I get on the train slightly sweaty and gross already, and try not to feel like not everyone is staring at me (I always feel this way on trains! I think they're all engrossed with my obvious sweatiness and music that is too loud through my headphones). I ride the train 6 stops, and the whole way I am a vulture for a seat.

9:45 A.M.
I get off the train, walk extremely quickly down the street (THIS ISN'T A CHOICE - I don't know why I can't slow the hell down now and then. I'm a monster). I go in the employee entrance, sign in, race upstairs, and plop down at my desk. It is 10 AM. Fuck yeah.

And here I am.