Here it comes

The school year is just about over and John's days of school bus driving are virtually done until September. That's a great thing and he deserves a summer of relaxation and not getting up at 5 frickin o'clock in the morning every day. He has some great kids on his bus runs but the truth is he gets pretty tired of their constant noise, obnoxious behavior and hassles by this time of the year. A few weeks off is a welcome relief for him. And for me too.

But what John's summer schedule does do is shake up my routine completely. I'm used to the school year structure and having Johnnie home suddenly takes some getting used to. He wants to sleep later (as do I) but I don't like sleeping too late, especially if I have paying work to do or granddaughters and daughter on my schedule.

John and I share the office space with our two computers roughly 10 feet apart. Most of the year my office mates -- a 13 year old black Lab mix who snores and a 2 year old chocolate Lab -- are pretty quiet and sleep most of the day between potty breaks and bugging me about treats and dinner. It's usually quiet up here all day long.

John, on the other hand, tends to be fairly noisy and disruptive in the office, completely unwittingly. He comments on things he sees on his computer or says "huh," close to a million times a day, inviting a "what's huh?" response and interrupting my concentration. He rolls his chair vigorously across the rug, making a loud rumbling sound. He somehow slaps his wrist on the desk surface, about five times a minute it seems, which makes me jump, especially if I'm focused on writing.Or he'll think of a song he wants and then sample several versions on iTunes until he gets the right one. Without headphones.

Needless to say, these are all really petty things but it's a dramatic change from my school year schedule when my days are my own from 6:30 am to 4:45 pm. And quiet.

Apparently I need structure in my days so I'll find ways to get things done and work around his few and well-deserved weeks of vacation. I typically set an alarm and get up around 7 or so if I have work to do so that I can get most of it done before he wakes up. I have a set of noise canceling headphones and my beloved orange ear plugs and I'm not afraid to use them both at the same time when we're in the office together.

But I can see it coming after next week and I need to get ready.