A Typical Day, sort of

The bike path along the Canadian Pacific tracks, which run through Montreal

Natalie wrote a fascinating post (Oct 13) in which she described her day, a typical day, more or less, from start to finish, and asked her readers to do likewise. Well, OK, here goes.

Today began by waking up late - already not typical. Usually we're up by 7:30, but it was after 9:00 when we finally rolled out of bed. I was shocked at the time, but it felt good to be rested! My hair was in dire need of a wash so I took a quick shower while J. worked at his computer; I made the bed and dried my hair and got dressed (jeans, long-sleeved navy T-shirt, lightweight olive green sweater, grey fleece vest, black windproof parka) grabbed a few things from the refrigerator, and we took off on our bikes for our studio.

The ride up, through narrow residential streets, takes about 15 minutes, at most 20, and it's almost always pleasant. At this time of the day, shops are opening and work is beginning; the kids at the elementary school were out for recess instead of heading to the door at 8:15, and the big trucks making beer and food deliveries to the stores, restaurants, and depanneurs had already come and gone. I saw my coiffeur at work, through his window, and the guys working on a new condo building were having a good day, out from under the plastic tarps that have protected their brickwork from rain and wind.

When we arrived we locked up our bikes in an outdoor rack and went up two flights of stairs in the big industrial building to our floor, and down the long corridor to our own door, carrying helmets and backpacks full of computer gear and camera equipment. My first task after shedding and hanging up all the outerwear is always to make coffee - regular for him, in a drip machine; decaf for me in a French press, and to start some whole grain cereal (steel cut oats and other grains) for myself in the microwave. I checked the plants and studied the painting I'm working on while waiting for the coffee, and for my computer to boot; took my calcium and Vitamin D.

My work day starts with somewhere between half an hour and an hour of checking and answering email, Facebook, and reading blogs using Google Reader; that's while drinking coffee and eating my cereal and some fruit. I work with the computer on my lap, while sitting on a couch because a desk and chair hurt my back; seems like it would be the opposite but this is what works for me. After that I worked on a volunteer design job I'm doing for the cathedral, talked to my father who called on the phone, and then took a few photos of my painting in the morning light. I saw what I wanted to do next and worked on it a little before lunch, which we usually eat around noon, either making sandwiches and soup, or cooking something simple in our electric frying pan. Today we had grilled cheese and turkey sandwiches, with a couple of small raw local carrots and an apple each. Then J. took off to take some photos during the afternoon, because it was a gorgeous day here.

After lunch I did administrative and financial stuff for Phoenicia Publishing until about 3:00, when I turned to the painting instead. I worked on it until 5:15, with a break at 4:00 for a cup of green tea, which I drank sitting in a chair studying the painting. It went pretty well today and I was happy with the progress.

Then J. came back and insisted that I go outside. So I took off on my bike and went for a long ride along the bikepath at the top of the Plateau which follows the railroad over to the Mile End.  He was right - it was criminal to stay inside all day. I rode hard for most of 45 minutes, stopping a couple of times to take photos; the leaves are falling but still nice, and it was warm with the incredible low northern light we get on late fall afternoons. The edges of the Canadian Pacific tracks are pretty wild territory but the path is well-used; you see all types up there, from moms with their kids in behind-bike-chariots to guys sifting through the trash barrels for their evening meal. I passed one old man walking slowly along the path, talking loudly to no one: "Locked up tight here!" "Don't care! I don't care!" There's colorful graffiti on all the old brick industrial buildings along the tracks, the sounds of rock music mixed with machinery from the lofts and warehouses, and odors of cooking and other scents of various legalities as you ride along the path and the people sitting, walking, or riding along it with you.

 Same path, looking in the opposite (west) direction

I got back, sweaty and happy, around 5:45, and we left the studio at about a quarter past six and came back to our apartment and made dinner while drinking a small glass of red wine -- leftovers from last night: some lean beef, rice pilaf, roasted beets, and a big salad with some nuts, olives, leftover cooked asparagus, a little blue cheese. No dessert, which really is typical.

Tonight J.  is back on his computer after doing the dishes, and I'll probably work here for another half hour or hour, writing a letter to my friend in China and reading a few blog posts, before closing up and heading for the bedroom to read or knit -- I'm trying to finish a scarf that was one of last winter's projects --and talk to him. I might make another cup of tea, or a tisane. We're often in bed by 10:30 but rarely asleep before 11 or 11:30, and tomorrow will not doubt begin much earlier. A fairly typical day? Yeah, I guess it was!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[mary]

Beth,
I really enjoyed this. Now I can really SEE you. Whenever my son moves to a new apartment, I ask him to take photos of his new place so that I can see him in it. It makes a difference. I can place him in space even though he lives across the country. And now I can do the same with you!

[Natalie]

Beth, thanks for the mention. I read this with great interest, able to visualise you and J in your setting. Amazing how such a description of an 'ordinary' day can seem so vivid and so different from one's own. Like a still-life painted by Corot or Morandi. It's true that one should go outside more - certainly in my case. Yesterday was a beautiful day and I never stepped out the door!

[Pica]

Beth -- I recently did this exercise as well, it's fun and somehow illuminating. I loved reading yours and Natalie's.

[Marja-Leena]

How wonderful to spend the day with you this way, visualizing you and J so clearly after our visit last spring! I clearly remember the sofa you sit on, the little cooking area and everything in your studio, as well as your lovely warm apartment.

[Hattie]

Un dio tipico. I guess my life would seem irregular to you, since I seldom plan things. Terry, my husband, is the creature of habit around here. But maybe I'll try to chronicle my Mondays, which are the days on which I do the most work.

[Fire Bird]

i like the sound of your life - relaxed mixture of work and play