The Normals

It’s funny how fast normal sets in. Post-Labor Day my work life went to normal fast. This is my normal. It came too quickly.


Within the first 15 minutes I am sweating. It’s 8:15 in the morning. I had just gotten out of the shower at 7:15am. Why do I even bother? People already excuse my clothing choices because of my sweaty profession. A t-shirt and jeans wouldn’t usually fly for the first day back, but when you are lifting weight and crawling around on your knees all day it does. If they already accept my slovenly attire, they should accept the funk as well. I think I just convinced myself to boycott the shower. It’s all for them after all.


As the first hour passes I am already bleeding. What? My skin must have gotten soft over the summer. I have strong feelings of dislike towards band-aids, but to stop my spurting and abide by hygienic standards, I begrudgingly bandage my thumb into unbendability.


The rest of the day goes by with hugs, kisses, welcomes and talk of summer, summer, summer time.


Day two kills the love with 10,000 spoons. I’d rather it be a knife. Tempers are back to normal. Missed family members are just plain family members again. Stress has begun circulating through the ventilating system. A bunch of Chicken Littles thinking the sky is falling. The muscles that had relaxed over the last three months are strung tight once again. That truth is worn by everyone’s posture.


The third day I am working on my day off. How quickly I am asked to give up my free time and how quickly I have no choice but to accept.


By the fourth day I am already rolling my eyes at my workload.


Opening Night fell on my fifth day and I remember what I do this all for.


Day 6 - End of week, I am logging overtime. Breaking the hourly laws.

The seventh day was the longest. My first 12+ hour day of the season. Totaled 13.5 that day.

Somewhere within the 8th or 9th day I gave myself a wicked blood blister. I had to set up my doctor station to drain it. Figured it was better to do self-surgery than to take the risk of ripping it open while working. It is weird that I am used to cutting into my own skin?


On the 10th day I was ten days deep in one of my classic no-day-off-stretches. A trip to Milwaukee should fix that….


Already on day eleven, I am working remotely from another city. I give up a few hours of my first day home to finalize materials that I spend lifetimes waiting for each week.


Huh … I don’t like writing out my normal.






*Brought to you by a Swear-Free America*