Day 4 of 7

9:30 AM: I rolled out of bed at 8:30 but didn’t have my notebook next to me, so this is the first I’ve had a chance to write in it. I showered, weighed myself (delighted to find I had only gained one pound over the weekend, despite ordering Indian food, which is my current weakness), slipped on my “Monday Plans: Drink all the Coffee” shirt, and plodded downstairs, prepared to do just that. I had visions of getting some coffee, going back upstairs, and curling up in my pink chair in my writing room alternating between staring out the window and reading my Bible.

And then Daniel came up from his office in the basement and reminded me that the HVAC guys were coming out today. So instead I spent the next half hour running around cleaning for them. We’ve been (very slowly) working on deep cleaning the house, which generally means the room currently being deep cleaned is torn apart so we can scrub the corners and walls, while any rooms not being deep cleaned are ignored altogether. So I figured I should put things together at least enough that they were not tripping, and to incur slightly less judgment. Finally, I grabbed my coffee, which was slightly cool after sitting there waiting for me, and am now settled upstairs, not in quite as pleasant a frame of mind, but still happy to be here.

10:30 AM: After alternately looking out the window, doing my Bible reading, looking on my phone for gifts for upcoming birthdays, and writing in my creative journal, I just moved down to the living room to do my devotions so that I don’t miss it if the HVAC guys decide to knock instead of ringing the doorbell (we can’t hear knocks on that door to save our lives).

11:06 AM: Devotions are done, Marco Polos answered, and the HVAC guys still haven’t arrived. I moved to the dining room table, which is still near the front door, to bring up my computer and start working. Today’s goal is to use the information I gathered from the Oregon Trail game on Friday, compare it to data on Google maps, and review emigrant diaries to get a good estimated timeline for each important stop along the California/Oregon Trail so I can [finally] establish an actual timeline for my book, since currently I don’t really define how long they are on the trail.

1:30 PM: I have been working steadily, reading through emigrant diaries and taking notes on the timeline, as well as using the diaries to mark specific characteristics of stops along my California Trail map. The HVAC guys just called to say they are running behind today (No, really? You were supposed to be here between 10 and 12…I’m shocked) and asked if they could reschedule for tomorrow. I’m slightly annoyed, but not too much because in-depth, productive research always puts me in a pretty good mood. So Daniel and I are going to do our Abs workout, eat lunch (cabbage soup!), and then go to our favorite coffee shop in downtown to finish the work day.

2:30 PM: We have settled in at Shoes, ordered lattes, and are back to work! One great thing the pandemic has done…allowed us to work from coffee shops.

4:15 PM: Back home from Shoes, and still working away.

6:00 PM: Finally shutting down for the day, having established a very rough timeline for my family, gathered lots of great information, and feeling very good about myself. Tomorrow I will use the information I gathered to make a more specific timeline.

Note on Today/Tomorrow (May 11, 2021):

I’ve decided to take a break today from the 7 days in the life of a writer because, one, I slept in until 10:15 AM after another night struggling with insomnia and, two, I really need to do some house things and errands that are weighing on my mind. So it is going to most likely be a day of folding laundry, running around to stores, and occasionally fitting in some work. Tomorrow I will pick up again, though I think for the last three days, I might actually do Abby’s original suggestion, which, if I understood it correctly, was Instagram. While, as I mentioned in response, I tend to prefer just writing rather than pictures and videos, it would be a nice change of pace and probably less time consuming. So, Wednesday – Friday, watch my stories on instagram under @forestidylls to see my Life of a Writer for days 5, 6, and 7!