First, some background. I am a 30-something year-old man, and I have lived in Delaware County since July of 2014, when my husband and I moved here after both completing grad school elsewhere. He is originally from this area, while I am originally from the South. We both work in the public sector, and we live on the north side of Muncie with a roommate, a good friend of his, in a 2-bedroom apartment. It’s a little crowded but having her pay $300 of our rent is very nice. She is leaving in December for a much better job in Indy, so the 2 of us will have to make a move elsewhere in town when our lease is up in January. There are a total of 2 cats and 1 dog living here as well.
At any rate, here we are in the present…
Tuesday, November 14, 2017:
3:20 AM – Bedroom – Woke up thinking I was late for work. Checked the time and was horrified I did it again. Only having slept since 11:45 last night, why am I waking up so soon? Why does it keep happening? Who knows if I will get back to sleep this time, or just be up for the whole rest of the day. I can’t have a long day; I am doing something later this evening, and cannot be exhausted for that. I am going to need lots of coffee when I go into work.
5:55 AM – Bedroom – Woke up again, which is sort-of good news because that means I fell back asleep. Maybe today will be fine.
7:30 AM – Bedroom – Woke up a 3rd time, this time with the hubby’s alarm. It will be nice to get into a new apartment in the next couple of months where we don’t have to use 1 bathroom to get ready for work at the same time, although the prospect of having to move in the dead of winter is not a fun thing.
8:15 AM – Living room – Getting ready for work quickly. Have to be out of here in 20 minutes. I reallllly hope the Starbucks line isn’t too long. There is a small wooded area outside our back balcony. As I’m getting dressed, I look out there, and a hawk swoops down and has himself (herself?) a chipmunk breakfast. It’s a violent exchange; the chipmunk’s eyes dart around all frantic as its innards are torn away. I guess David Attenborough leaves that part out.
8:32 AM – Apartment parking lot – Leaving on time. I am so glad I am not one of those “pretty” gay boys that take forever to get ready to leave. 15 minutes and I am out! BUT, Indiana has struck again! I really hate winter…especially having to wait several minutes for my car to defrost. I wasn’t even thinking about having to spend the time to do this. Well, at least it will give me time to type up my day so far. All of what you’ve read here thus far was documented in a cold car.
8:39 AM – Driving along McGalliard – That MITS commercial that’s constantly played on Ball St.’s radio station is really the worst, isn’t it? Putting the jingle melody right on top of the music bed melody…did no one proof the thing before they put it on the air? It’s ok though; it was followed by something that sounded like Sonic Youth, then something that definitely was St. Vincent. On to Starbucks! Why oh why can’t The Cup be on my way in to work?
9:01 AM – My desk – I have here coffee & my to-do list. I feel much better about it today than I did yesterday. I was in no mood to deal with anything then. Today seems like t will be productive. Why am I still smelling yesterday’s ketchup? Did I miss the trashcan when I threw my lunch garbage away? I’m here on my own until 10, so I need to go open things. I enjoy my job, I really do, I just look forward to the day when I can do it for my own people, back in XXXXXX. My work is important; it helps people become better, more informed and progressed citizens. Music being played on Youtube: “There Won’t Be Many Coming Home” by Roy Orbison.
12:18 PM– My desk – After a productive morning, it’s lunchtime. Once again I am faced with the McGalliard corridor. I really wish there were better food options here, less chains and the like…healthier things. My doctor needs me to lose 10-20 pounds by the next time I see him in February, and I must admit I am confounded by this 40-hour-a-week thing with regard to eating properly. I keep telling myself that as of my next birthday, coming up in about a month, I will really crack down on the nutrition thing. Until then….I suppose it is a lunch at Moe’s. Music being played: “You’re Dead” by Norma Tanega.
1:21 PM – Concannon’s – Change of plan on lunch. I decided instead to go to Concannon’s. It is a much better thing to do to keep my money local, instead of sending it to a corporate headquarters elsewhere. I always forget they serve non-dessert food there, so it was good. I did feel slightly out of place there though. Their clientele skews older, whiter, and conservative. Nevertheless, it was a better lunch than it would have been at Qdoba, McAlliser’s, or Arbys. Also, as I live close to there, it worked out; I had to run back by home to grab something I forgot this morning. Music in my car: “New Years” by Asobi Seksu.
1:35 PM – My desk – Back at work now, with the remaining half of my to-do list. Here comes that usual afternoon headache. I don’t understand it, my lunch was pretty good from a nutrition standpoint. Why would my blood pressure be spiking now? I can also feel the after-lunch loginess set in. I hope I am not worthless for the rest of the day. I am finding it hard to maintain an all-day work ethic of late. Part of me thinks I have run my course in this position, and that it’s time for a change. But this really is too sweet of a gig to just walk away from. I am constantly on the fence about at what point I will make my move out of Muncie. The day surely will come; that is not up for debate. It is just a question of when. It seems most people I know here have a Muncie Escape Strategy. Few, if any, ever follow through on it. I think about these things as I attack the to-do list again. Music being played at my desk: “You’re So Cool” by Jonathan Bree.
4:06 PM – My desk – In the home stretch of the work day. I think I have hit a wall. Little things are getting on my nerves now. Tiny blunders by staff are infuriating. It would be perfect if I could have skipped lunch, and have an actual 8-hour day, instead of 9 hours. My doctor has told me I have a Vitamin D deficiency, which results in fatigue and inability to concentrate; right now I completely believe that. I’m having a hard time focusing on work. I can only look forward to tonight with any real enthusiasm. I miss my husband today, and need to get out of this building. I very recently found out that a person I’m working with on a project has a personal vendetta against me. This town is really too small; everyone seems to know everyone else’s gossip. Music being played at my desk: “Little Dark Age” by MGMT. “Red Right Ankle” by The Decemberists.
6:51 PM – Our living room – So, the hubby and I are part of a group of co-workers that play Dungeons and Dragons every Tuesday night. We meet at our place. It starts at 7:30, so there isn’t much time to deal with dinner. I ran through drive-thru (something we are drastically trying to cut down on), and I was only home for about 5 minutes when my other half arrived. We caught up on each others’ day and took quick care of the food. We still needed to tidy the place up a bit before people started arriving. There is a load of dishes going, I just took out the trash, and we need to bring enough chairs into the living room and set up the table. These sessions usually last about 3 hours. Maybe it’s because of “Stranger Things”, maybe it’s because of “Critical Role”, but D&D is making something of a resurgence, and I had no idea until a friend told me D&D starter sets are now available in Hot Topic sorts of stores. I don’t think our group’s involvement came out of that.
10:50 – The session just ended, and it was a great time. I feel lucky to work with interesting people who are smart, funny, and don’t mind being a little nerdy together ever Tuesday night. Unfortunately, due to Thanksgiving, we will have to delay the next session by an extra week. Since I had a bit of an early morning, I think it’s off to bed for me. Music being played: Beethoven’s Symphony #7.
As for tomorrow, who knows what I might get up to. I might discover a new eatery. Have a small dog follow me home. Go to Morocco. Learn to speak Welsh. Build an igloo. Domesticate a vicuña for personal transportation purposes. Negotiate peace between the Republic of Georgia and Abkhazian separatists. You know, like you do.