A Quotidian Custom
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
It seems to me that the word routine has been given a bad
name perhaps because of its overuse. A less frequent but with a similar meaning is quotidian or every day.
It was
perhaps around 17 years ago my friend Mark Budgen (who died in the waning
months of 2015) told me that I could get a daily subscription to the New York
Times.
Since
then we have been getting the paper daily. It shows up at our doorstep around
four in the morning but on Saturday nights, not later than nine in the evening
the large Sunday edition crashed on that front door. The daily NY Times
initiated a routine that became a never-to-be taken lightly pleasure. This is
the pleasure of having breakfast in bed with my wife in which she gets to read
the NY Times while I read the Vancouver Sun. We alternate then as we also
alternate who prepares the breakfast and brings it up in our Filipino made
wicker tray that we spotted in the little window on the Robson side of the
long-gone Eaton’s.
Ten
years ago we had bacon on Sundays. Now breakfast is the same every day except
on insomnia mornings (many with this terrible slow move from the big old house
to the newer small duplex). On those insomnia mornings I make myself a couple
of soft-boiled eggs (3 minutes 45 seconds) and a large mug of very strong
Yorkshire Gold loose tea. On some mornings I make my rosemary her favourite
cream-of-wheat sweetened with brown sugar. She has her usual decaf, a glass of
orange juice while I partake of the smooth and seasoned V-8. Since Venice Bakery disappeared I now get my bake-in-the-oven scissor rolls (no butter or jam on them) at Save-On. Rosemary opts for President's choice Buttermilk Waffles with Bonne Mamam Strawberry jam.When she makes the breakfast she does not use butter on her waffles. When I make it I do. In the picture you see the two little trays with the pills that people of our age seem to need in order to have quotidian life.
Even in
times of stress we make sure one of our iPhones (my 3G or her 4) wakes us up
with enough time for breakfast and the papers (and a bath) before we embark on
whatever will be our less satisfying quotidian event of that day.
Note that today we slept in and breakfast was ready at 10:19.
Note that today we slept in and breakfast was ready at 10:19.
