It’s 3:30am and my alarm goes off. Time to get ready to head to the airport. I have a 6am flight to Chicago today, where I will be presenting at an industry conference about eDiscovery.
I grumble a bit before rolling out of bed, almost tripping on Kaia as a stumble towards the shower. Ugh. I hate mornings at the best of times. I DESPISE them at 3:30. The hot water is nice, but I feel like I could curl up and fall asleep in the shower. The tile is cold and uninviting, so that idea doesn’t pan out. The smell of coconut shampoo isn’t helping, as I close my eyes and picture myself on the beach in Hawaii.
Snap out of it. Wash, Rinse, Dry, Grumble. I brush my teeth and pack the rest of my toiletries into my travel bag, which I didn’t bother unpacking after Washington last week.
“Ready?” The dogs jump out of bed. Passport, iPad, Mac Book, Suitcase. Check. It’s too early to feed them, so I take them downstairs, get them some water, let them outside quickly. Shit – I forgot to turn off the alarm; I hear the 30 second warning beep upstairs. TouchID responds to my thumbprint and I disable the security system before the alarm starts blaring. Didn’t I see the “ALARM?” note I left on the door? Probably not, as I realize I’m operating with my eyes closed. I call Kaia and Bella in and they go straight to their crates. I remind them I love them. They might not understand the words, but I have no doubt they know what I’m saying.
Back in my room, I grab my suitcase and drag it down the stairs to the main floor. Lifting is overrated, and I’m not trying to impress anyone. The truck is already warming up, so I join Brandon outside, open the back door and launch my bag into the back seat. We start the calm drive to YYC. It’s Canadian Thanksgiving after all, so there won’t be much traffic.
Why are these lights so bright???? I print my boarding pass and complete my Custom’s Declaration. Glancing down at my ticket, I see something that I’m not thrilled about. Wonderful, a 5am thorough pat down at security. Skipping the line as a trade off for the hassle, I am swabbed, prodded, poked and scanned. Nothing here, no surprise. Moving on.
And there is it. STARBUCKS. Ok, my day can begin.
Today’s Challenge was to wake up and smell the coffee. I chose to take that literally.
Life Less Fiction 
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