Overcast with a Chance of Breakfast Sandwich

Up early for me, seven AM and a rocky start to get myself to the station. I think I hit every red light imaginable and managed to be behind the slowest drivers the whole way. That meant the train I was aiming for pulled into the station as soon as I did, and there was no way I was going to make it. Luckily, there was another train ten minutes later, and I managed to snag the good writing seat.

I suspect this train is going to be packed with passengers from the next stop and of course it was. At least this train was one of the express trains that cuts off about fifteen minutes of travel time.

There is a great deal of over perfumed people on this train, I can taste it on my tongue, something I have been able to so since I was eighteen and worked a summer as a house painter and was exposed to plenty of oil paints and turpentines.

On a happier note, the new earbuds are working great; I can barely hear the train noises or people chatting away. I have a classical playlist running right now and it worked best for when I am writing. A good Hans Zimmer movie soundtrack can do the trick as well. I often include his music in my classical playlists.

I’ve decided to skip an early morning breakfast today and just go with lunch and dinner. May as well save myself some money, and I need the extra half an hour to get some work done.

At the final station that the train will pick up from and it is standing room only now. People are literally standing right in front of me and sitting on the stairs.

Now that I have been thinking about food, there is this little café, I think it is a franchise, called Café D’oro, and they make this really good vegetarian breakfast sandwich with goat’s cheese on a croissant bun. I remember it as being really delicious, and now I want one. It was reasonably priced as well.

The rain is predicted to come later in the afternoon, so at least I was spared a wet commute into the city! I ditched my winter coat for the first time and wore my fall jacket. I get lots of compliments on this grey jacket, which has a bit of a military style to it’s cut, but normally I only get to wear it two or three times. The weather often jumps so quickly into different seasons in Southern Ontario. Of course, we also almost always get a big end of March snowstorm, so that winter coat is still hanging up in the front-door closet.

The Advanced Setting class is starting today, and I am going to watch the videos at the minimum and do the assignments if I feel I can handle the workload. Another advanced course starts tomorrow as well. I may use the courses as a reward for completing my word count goals, and that way I am making sure to do the work before I go watch interesting videos. Being able to write on the train is one of the secrets to my success, it removes some of the stress of the word count goals, usually by fifty percent as I am able to get five-hundred words written on the way in and another five hundred on the way home.

If I have time at lunch, I want to think a bit more about the next scene in my short story/ novella. I think the next scene to write is when they visit the police station, hoping for some help. Or I may write the scene where we see the missing person doing the thing they were last known to do. I guess it doesn’t really matter as long as I can write something. I can always move the scenes around.

I ended up stopping to get that breakfast sandwich and a cortado. I got the name wrong; it’s Au Pain Dore, not Café D’oro. The sandwich was as good as I remembered, but I make a better cortado at home.

I was the first of my team to arrive, and I got down to eating my sandwich, powering everything up, and reading my emails. I got to work on a background that has plagued me these past few days. We have the style and construction method figured out, so it was time to paint the final. I got it done around three-thirty and started the next one.

The company put on an information seminar before lunch about the RSP matching. After that, we grabbed a short lunch and then headed straight back to our desks. There is just too much to do, but glancing at the approvals folder told me things were starting to move along nicely. It was great to see all the different locations being rendered and looking good as well.

The rain has held off all day, and the walk back to the station was overcast but otherwise uneventful. Just the usual tourists pulling a Crazy Ivan every now and then. If you don’t know what that is you need to go watch the movie Red October, where Sean Connery plays a Russian with a thick Scottish accent.

I was on a train with no waiting and almost got the best seat for writing. I was about to sit down when another passenger sitting there started hacking and coughing. Now I am wondering if it was just a ruse to get the row to herself, and if it was, mad respect, lady.

I am sitting upstairs and so far, there is no one sitting beside me but only across from me. This train is an all-stops train , so the chances are that the empty seat will be filled sooner rather than later. The train is feeling a bit stuffy today. No one is ready for the warmer weather yet.

I didn’t get any writing work done at lunch. I spent it with my colleagues, and we had a good laugh and some interesting conversations, and that’s never a bad thing.

I’ll see about watching the week-one videos tonight. Usually, the first week is low-content and the first assignment isn’t too difficult.

Robyn got a call to interview at a studio today, which is great news considering how few jobs there are out there. As much as she loves having the time to paint her own images, she prefers to have a paycheque. And who could blame her?

I found out that the breakfast place I love to eat at when I come into the studio is closing its doors in May. The guys who run it took over from their father, and look about the right age to retire themselves.

I hope someone comes in and just runs it as it is, but what are the chances of that. It will probably end up being some boutique selling women’s clothing. The cooktop and the equipment look older; the seats are old-school vinyl benches down one side of the wall, and the other has a counter with barstools like in a fifty’s diner. The guys who run it are likeable characters and seem to remember my order even when I haven’t been there in some time. The coffee is good, and they make perfectly good bacon and eggs. The open-faced meatloaf sandwich was pretty good the couple of times we went there as a team for lunch.

I’ll miss the place and miss knowing that it just existed.

The stock market jumped back to where it had been today. Meaning I am up a few thousand dollars on yesterday’s investments. And I’ll be receiving a nice little dividend cheque on the tenth of next month to help with the bills.

And there are always bills.

Not to mention the oven will need some repairs in the coming weeks. Hopefully, I can replace the parts for less than a hundred dollars and fix it myself. Maybe have to use the barbecue for the next few weeks to cook our food in a reasonable timeframe.

I think it is either the temperature sensor or the igniter that is the problem, both of which unscrew and have quick connections for the electrical. So, it should be an easy fix. Should be.

Two words I should never utter.

I read until about twelve -thirty last night, and it turns out I really enjoy that as a way to end my day. I plan to read a bit more before bed tonight as well.

Why fight it?

The Soundcore earbuds continue to perform well, and I really noticed the sound cancelling difference on the train and when walking through the rush-hour morning traffic. I had a look around my desk to see if I had left my old earbuds there, but sadly, no luck. I must have lost them on the train ride. It’s not hard for things to fall out of your pocket on the train; it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve done it.

I was glad I ditched my winter jacket today in favour of my light fall jacket. It was cool in the morning, at around eleven degrees Celsius, but there wasn’t much a breeze, so it felt like a good temperature. It’s just after six PM and the temperature is hovering at about fifteen degrees Celsius, and the train is warm, but not uncomfortable. Maybe a little too humid for my taste. I was able to get some writing done on the way in and on the way home, and that is a win in my books.

Looking out the train window, it looks like that rain is still threatening to fall. Might be an overnight rain. There was some talk about it being potentially turning slippery in the morning.

Okay, my stop is here, back in a bit.

Managed to get to my car and all the way home with no rain.

We used last night's leftovers to and added them to some tortellini with Alfredo sauce. The addition of the chicken and vegetables made for a quick and delicious dinner. And boy did I not want to make dinner. I love when a lack of a plan comes together. My tired ass was glad to not have to cook and even more delighted that the meal was fantastic.

I have a huge hankering for something sweet tonight. Thankfully, the snack cupboard is bare and therefore my will need not be tested. Sometimes a nice cup of tea does the trick to stamp down the sweet tooth. I need to make my healthy apple bran muffins again so that I have something to eat when I get like this. I have a healthy recipe I make as well for banana bread. Both are from a book called ‘The G.I. Diet’ and focus on heart healthy food that helps you lose weight. It has a bunch of healthy recipes that are tasty. I credit this book for teaching my how food really affects your body and energy levels.

I’ve just played my fifty-sixth day of consecutive chess games. Keeping track of things on spreadsheets and in my little book really does make a difference when you combine it with a streak. Often the way I record the streak turns into the reminder that I need to do the task.  And that is a double win. I think I have mentioned it in the past that things that get measured (or recorded as the case may be), are where you see the most improvements.

Watching the fifth episode of ‘Paradise’ and it reminds me of that episode of ‘The Last of Us’ starring Nick Offerman. It’s got a similar vibe. Not on the same level as ‘The Last of Us’, but a good showing none-the-less. ‘Paradise’ has some talented writers working on this show and they seem to know what they are doing. I wonder why some shows seem like they are written by people who have never done it before and others excel. Is a more experienced group or is there a veteran head writer that keeps everyone in check.

Well, I am up early again tomorrow. I am aiming for a six thirty wake up time to catch a seven twenty-two train so I’ll have time to get some bacon and eggs at the Patrician Grill while I still can.