Dawn's Early Light

So, the first step in leaving The Perfect Room is becoming a morning person.

“What the F&*?” you say.

Yes. And yesterday went fine. The alarm went off as it does every day at 4:55am. I opened my eyes and said “I am a morning person. I wake bright and alert at 5am.” I said this several times in a sort of three margarita slur, but I felt that it was a positive and ironic thing to say and that M would laugh. Which would be a good start to the day.

I looked at him. Sound asleep.

“Did you hear the alarm?” I shook his arm.

“Bleah! Whaaaa –?!?”

This made me feel slightly superior and smug, which continued as I made my coffee, did yoga and wrote. 

But this morning. Maybe some of the oak tree magic had worn off – we’ll get to that this week, I think – but the alarm this morning was bullshit.

However. At 5:08, I rousted out of and went to make coffee. There was a green and white plastic thing stuffed through the coffee pot handle.

M was conducting his wakeup. I’ve got him figured out, now. He stands by the sink, looking out the window, eating a banana with PB and by the time the banana is done, he is awake. Without drugs.

This is so unfair.

I stared at the green and white thing in the coffee handle uncomprehendingly for a period of time. I needed to make coffee in order to understand what it was, and yet I couldn’t make coffee. Total conundrum.

“We’re out of diapers,” M said.

“Ah.” It was a diaper package. A note where he knew for sure I would get it.  “I’m tired of this shitty weather,” I said as I dumped yesterday’s grounds into the worm cache.

“Morning people don’t mind the weather,” said M.

“Shut up.”

“Morning people are uncompromisingly optimistic without good weather,” he said.

Now who’s smug and superior?

Can I just say, though, that this is a wonderful, funny, handsome, amazing man? Who, by the way, was the corporate sponsor for the FAFAWOF that put my ass in this here chair at 5:39 am, second day in a row, drinking coffee and listening to the dogs fart while I leave The Perfect Room with my writing. I should have worn his logo on my sneakers during the trip.

He knows something about being a morning person. I can hear him downstairs learning a new song on his guitar.

He also knows something about how to love a woman, be a good father, a loyal friend.

I don’t think I have ever admired someone more than I do M. I mean, yeah, I was pretty blown away by Coco Chanel in the movie “Coco Before Chanel” wherein Audrey Tatou portrays Coco as a poor orphan who founded a fashion empire and who ended the use of corsets in Europe. Amazing.

But, I never watched Coco struggle with insomnia, or too many dogs, or not enough Peanut Butter to complete the ritual at 5am. I mean, these are small things, not the hardest we’ve been through. But with or without PB he keeps getting up every morning at 4:55 am and coming home to me every night and learning new songs. Plus, I love his big hair.

Yesterday he came home from work, having read my blog. “So, you are going to leave The Perfect Room?” he said, smiling.

And I said “Yes.” This is a way too late, first tribute to M, the sponsor of the FAFAWOF, musician and morning man. It is 6:20 am. He is out the door and FF is awake.