And I told people I'd write

For the first time in my adult life - I have hours and hours of time alone. Children are at camp, school, or working. My wife is enrolled in school full-time. And Monday-Friday from 8:31am-1:47pm (Yes down to the minute) I am completely alone. When people asked me what I was going to do with this time, I said, "Clean the basement and write." And now, 3 weeks into summer, I have only done a 1/4 of what I set out to do.

I have a very real and rational fear of mice. Like many fictional villains or heroes (I've yet to figure out which I actually am), there is an origin-story to this fear. I was about 5 years old, touring houses with my parents when the realtor pulled a string handle to a trap door attic when a dead mouse fell out. In my recollection, it bounced off my shoulder and onto the floor. I haven't asked either of my parents if they remember this core memory of mine at all in case it's been fabricated in my over-active imagination. But I feel that this, very real story, justifies my very real fear of anything furry and smaller than an average cat. What does this have to do with my 1/4 accomplishment of my summer plans, you ask? Well, on my first day into my multi-day plan of clearing out our basement - I saw not one, but two rats in my basement. Not mice. No, I would have almost been fine with mice. But this was bigger than our 14 week old kitten. This mean, gray, dirty, city rat. So my very earnest plans for completely organizing and cleaning my basement promptly stopped.

And you'd think I would have used this new found time to write. But I have busied myself with other menial tasks - scheduling pest control (obviously), making dentist appointments, dropping off clothes to Good Will, trading in sports gear that none of my children have used in over10 years, laundry, revamping lessons for next fall, and reading. But I have yet to actually use any of this time to sit down and write. So today, I found 30 minutes between errands and camp pick up, to sit in a coffee shop, enjoy an raspberry ice tea and write. It's a start...