Tell Us About: A Day in the Life!

It’s time for another Global Writing Challenge prompt. Our current membership consists of Deb’s World, Suzy Turner, Within a World of My Own, Once Upon a Time, Happily Ever After,  Cat’s Wire, Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa, and me. Leslie chose this month’s theme so be prepared to be exhausted when you read hers! Leslie can pack so much into one day…it’s amazing! I have never done one of these before so it will probably be waaay different from everyone else’s! Debbie is home and is joining us! All of the bloggers write so well…I think you’ll enjoy everyone’s take on the prompt! I hope you’ll visit all of these blogs because you are going to be amazed at, not only the diversity of ideas, but the stories of each person. As we consider ourselves a global group, if you’d like to join us, please let one of us know. We’d love to have more people from all over the planet! There’s also a link party at the end of this post!

If you’d like to join us, here are the prompts for the coming months:

• September – Poetry
• October – Birthday
• November – Superstition

Settle in…

I begin my day twice!  If Nigel has a bad night, I may get up with him three or four times.  On a good night, it’s only once or twice.  This particular night, he only got up right as I was dropping off to sleep.  I should know by now to just wake him up!  He gets up for the day at around 6:45 am.  I get up with him, push him into the dining area, and make his first cup of coffee.  He uses the wheelchair to sit at the table so there’s no transitioning between his walker and dining chair (which is tricky). For the most part, Nigel uses his walker, but the wheelchair just works better at the table.  I also take my thyroid medicine at that time.  Then, I head back to bed for a glorious hour to hour and a half.  That time is minus being half aware of his movement.  It’s probably my best sleep of the night which is not good, I realize. 

Starting the day…

I usually get up around 8:45. Remember, I’m a night owl, so it’s after midnight before I even think about going to sleep.  My first task is to make the bed.  I read somewhere making your bed first thing gives you a sense of accomplishment.  I’m not sure about that, but I do like the bed made.  Then, I take Jack out to do his business and feed him.  I have my breakfast (a protein shake) followed by watered down Crystal Light lemonade.  I sip at that all day long on days I’m not going to the museum.  If I have an appointment of any kind, I try not to drink too much.  Then, I check email, read a couple of blogs, and head to the shower. It’s about 10:00 by this time.  If I have to wash my hair or even just rinse all the previous day’s product out, it’s going to add another five to ten minutes to my getting ready time.  My hair is thin but porous so blow drying it takes some time.  Oh, I forgot the most important part about my getting ready routine. I get out ye olde laptop and find a YouTube video to watch. My favorites are either Suzy’s, Bailey Sarian, Arne and Carlos, or Roscoe’s Tavern (reviews of Drag Race).  I tell myself they help prevent hot flashes because I’m not constantly thinking about having a hot flash!  At that point, I’ve done my skincare, brushed my teeth, and have started on THE HAIR.  Ugh!  Honestly, it’s the worst part of my day because it (THE HAIR) truly has a mind of its own.  I never know how it’s going to behave.

Continuing…

I blow it dry upside down and use a round brush on my bangs (when I have them).  Then, it’s on to the curling iron and Velcro rollers.  On a good day, I can get my hair set in about 5-7 minutes.  Next comes makeup which is fairly minimal.  I use a really good SPF, eyeshadows (at least two), mascara, and eyebrow pencil.  I do my eyes, then use the SPF as a kind of eraser should any of the eyeshadow have gone where it shouldn’t!  I use a setting powder because the SPF is a little sticky.  I use a touch of bronzer and then some blush.  Of course, during all of this, I’m also checking on Nigel and Jack to see if they need anything.  I sometimes fix Nigel’s lunch for him.  Jack gets lunch, too.  I know most people feed their dogs twice a day.  I divide what Jack gets into thirds so he gets three meals, too!  After all of that, my hair has cooled enough to take the rollers out.  But, I also re-curl those sections as I take them down.  Once it’s all down, I spritz it again with hairspray (told you I use a lot of product).  Then, I finally get dressed. 

A little more…

Once dressed, I style THE HAIR follow THE HAIR’S directions and try to zhuzh it up with texturizing spray then another hairspray to solidify the style!    Remember, during all this time, I’m also watching (and talking back to) videos on YouTube.  If I’ve waited too long to start all this rigamarole, I skip YouTube because I know that slows me down!  I do pick out what I’m going to wear the night before so it’s just a matter of putting the clothes on.  I also select my accessories and shoes the night before.  During all of this, I’m practicing my tour…running my intro repeatedly as well as my transitions and information about the art and artists.  The night before, I’ve already gathered anything I might need during the tour.  These are usually photos of something relevant to the art.  I make sure it’s all in my bag and at the door so I can just grab it and my purse on the way out the door. 

At the museum…

After one last check in the mirror, I give Nigel a kiss, and Jack gets a pat on the head.  It takes me about 25 minutes to get to the museum.  There are two different routes I can take.  One puts me on the interstate and then on to 465 (which I detest).  The other takes me to a different interstate and dumps me right at the museum.  After getting to the museum, I make sure I have my lanyard on and sign in for my tour.  I try to get to the museum about 20-25 minutes early so I can wrangle some guests into coming along with me. I’ve gotten quite a few takers doing this.  I am sure it’s my winning smile…hahaha!!  Most of the time, you can read the body language of people and know they want you to just leave them alone.  I also take photos of people in front of Robert Indiana’s LOVE sculpture.  If you’ve seen the sculpture around the world and not in Indianapolis, you haven’t seen the original!  We’ve got it at the IMA!  I make my way back to the Ambassador’s desk and chat with the people in the area.  Honestly, that’s one of the things I love about being a docent…just chatting with people, finding out why they’re at the museum, where they’re from, and ask them if I can help them with anything.  My tours last between 30-45 minutes. It depends on how chatty the guests are as well as what kind of tour I’m giving.  On this particular day, I was giving a VTS tour titled “I Wonder What She’s Thinking.”  Luckily, I had several people who wanted to talk about the art! 

After the tour…

When my tour ends, I usually have guests who want to chat just a little bit more about either the museum, special exhibitions, or the art we’ve looked at during the tour.  This can last as long as 30 extra minutes.  I am more than happy to talk with the guests because my job is to make sure they have a good experience at the museum. After I finish, I sign out of my tour.  I usually take a spin around the museum, visiting all the galleries to see the new art that’s been installed and note which has been removed.  I almost always see a couple of guards I “know” and talk with them for a bit.  Of course, I hit the gift shop to see if there’s anything new.  Right before I leave, I get my Diet Coke for the ride home.  I use that drive to decompress a bit.  I’m not as apprehensive about tours these days, but I do still get anxious that I’ll forget something important. 

Home again…

Once home, I take Jack out, give him a snack, and then I chat with Nigel about my tour and how it went.  He has yet to take one of my tours. I’m hoping that happens before the end of the year.  Depending on how I feel, I may or may not change clothes.  I almost always use this time before dinner to work on blogging whether that’s reading and commenting on others, responding to comments on mine, checking in on Instagram, or writing a new post.  Then, it’s my second least favorite time of the day…dinnertime.   I honestly hate cooking, and one of us has become quite picky in his dotage. As I’m cooking dinner, I get all the medications arranged for both of us, so I don’t have to do it later. I’m considering another meal plan or going back to Hello Fresh.  Actually, I just want to win the lottery and have a cook!  After dinner, I clean up the kitchen, load the dishwasher…all those kinds of things.  Next is a walk for Jack.  That’s always fun…hahaha!  For some reason, the goof always poops when we go for walks.  I’ve learned to take more than one bag because it might be more than once! 

Evening hours…

Then, it’s back to blogging (see above).  Nigel goes to the bedroom fairly early to do his physical therapy.  I have about an hour and a half to continue blogging activities or read.  Sometimes, I work on a new tour, researching the artist.  I have several photos on my phone, and I’m always trying to come up with ways to link them together to form a new tour that’s engaging and informative.  Around 9:00, I’ll start my evening skincare.  I use micellar water to remove my makeup, then cleanse again with a Fresh product.  I toggle between AHAs and tretinoin and then a really good moisturizer.  I floss and brush my teeth, then take Jack out again. 

The last few hours…

I should note I’m constantly taking Jack out because he knows there’s a bunny out there!  He wants to catch it so badly, but he’s always on a leash.  One reason is it’s a requirement of the HOA, but, more importantly, he’s always been on a leash outside (poor dog).  I’m not sure what he’d do, especially if he saw that bunny!  Jack is such a funny dog because you can set your clock by him!  He knows when it’s lunchtime, snack time, and bedtime.  If I don’t put him in bed by 9:30, he’ll go into his crate anyway.  Once I’ve made sure the doors are locked, and the outside lights are on, I head to bed.  We are currently watching “Grimm,” and I knit while it’s on.  Around 10:30, Nigel is ready to call it a day.  I either go back to the living room and work on the blog, or I read on my iPad in bed.  I know that’s supposed to keep me awake.  It doesn’t because my sleep is so bad right now.  I fall asleep shortly after that.

Huge announcement…

I am so excited for this September! Alicia Keys and her husband, Swizz Beats (AKA Kasseem Dean), have a massive art exhibition that’s going around the country. And, they’ve selected the Indianapolis Museum of Art as one of the places to receive the exhibition! I cannot wait to see this and even hope to catch a glimpse of Ms. Keys! The exhibition, Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys, will be on the fourth floor. I hope to be able to do something there. If you’re in Indianapolis from September 19th through February 28th, 2027, be sure to check this out! We are the fifth or sixth museum to host the exhibition! You can read a bit about it here. You can also just google it and discover so much more!

Wrap it up, Marsha!

So, how is my day different when I’m not at the museum?  Good question!  Those are the days I clean, do laundry, take Nigel to appointments, or talk him into going to the mall.  I’m also working hard at cleaning out rooms so my kids won’t have to do that when the day comes.  I’m failing miserably at that!  I’m also constantly going through my closet, deciding what isn’t me anymore and deciding what to do with it.  That’s the hardest part.  I read, all the time, about the huge amounts of clothing sent to third world countries which have no need for the stuff they get sent.  I try to give a lot of these clothes to friends.  I do sell lots of Gudrun clothing on Facebook in a group I’m in. So, can we talk? What’s your day like? Are you an early bird or a night owl? Have you seen the LOVE sculpture? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as soon as possible.

Thank you!

I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for reading, commenting, subscribing or emailing! It truly means so much to me! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.

What others are saying…

Suzy “writes about the little moments that make up her everyday life, from puppy chaos and yoga to coffee, creativity and cosy evenings at home.”

Cat is turning the pen over to her cat: “Gundel is talking about Cat and her days.”

Sally “discusses how the rhythms of her daily life have changed 1 year on from leaving her job.”

Amy shares, “her still fairly new routine as a stay at home dog mom/retired high school Spanish teacher living in Louisville, Kentucky.”

Leslie writes, “When she was still working, Leslie’s favorite day of the week was Thursday with the weekend finally in sight. Nowadays, at long last comfortably settled into retirement, Leslie’s favorite day has switched to Monday. Here’s a look at a ‘typical’ Monday in her life.” 

Debbie writes, “A long day of travel. It might have been longer than 24 hours, but who’s counting? “

And, now, it’s your turn!

If you’d like to link up your posts about sunshine, you may link up here or at any of the other blogs!

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