I’m up at 4:30 this morning.

That’s the same time, more or less, that I got up yesterday.

We’re riding my route today to determine approximate mileage….and “approximate mileage” determines whether or not my route gets cut back to a more “manageable level” (=less pay)….so I need to get to the Post Office a little early to get my “ducks in a row”.

I’m driving the full route with my Postmaster….then coming back to the office to deliver the last half of the route.

I need to case everything so that the sub who’s coming in to help on the other half of the route today won’t leave it all for me to do the next day.

I need to be preemptive so that my day won’t be so hard tomorrow.

I need to get enough done this morning so that I can finish what needs to be done today without being at work for 11 hours.

Yesterday, in my nervous excitement, I got up and threw my clothes on..made the coffee….got the computer turned on to start on the morning post….and had all my t’s crossed and was looking for the i’s.

I was ready.

I was a conqueror.

Jenny got up a little ways into my preparations and asked me what I was doing.

When I explained, she said, “it’s Sunday.”

“You don’t have to go.”

Those are good words to hear when you’re nervous and up too early.

Yesterday, I got to go back to sleep.

Today?

Not so much.

I don’t suppose I’d care all that much if it wasn’t such a “money thing”.

I’m bumping up against my “route ceiling” (currently, I’m a 46K….which means my route is graded at taking about 46 hours a week to run) and if I go over that limit, they talk about creating a smaller auxiliary route and taking enough hours from me to allow them to be able to pay someone to run a small section of what used to be on my route.

So….that’s why I’m a little nervous about the outcome of riding my route today.

It’s all kind of goofy, this Post Office stuff.

I wonder if I’d listen if Jenny came out and told me, “you don’t have to go….” this morning?

Those words are true no matter what’s going on, though.

We always have a choice, don’t we?

I’m glad that there’s two days in a weekend….and that yesterday I didn’t have to go to work.

Thanks for getting up in time to stop me, Jenny.