For no really good reasons at all, I did not get to bed early on Friday night; in fact, I was so late getting to bed that I did not get up for church, either.

This was probably for the best, though. I had promised my little brother that I would drive out to the far end of Long Island–the same place from which we picked up the Saturn–and pick up most of the pieces of a queen-sized bed. We can use it, and he needs to make space for the very nice pool table that just came his way. I had originally figured on returning from church, taking the trash to the dump, making an early dinner for everyone, and being out of here between three and four; but more things stacked on my schedule than anticipated, and I was not out of here until after seven, and then had to go half an hour out of the way to drop of medicine for a sick friend. (I’d like as charitably as possible to say that she is not my friend; the person whose friend she is had other obligations which did not admit of as flexible a schedule.) I also had to stop for gas and money and eventually for chocolate (works something like coffee, and if the weather’s not too hot it’s harder to spill). It was well after midnight before I was within spitting distance of Montauk Point, and approaching four before I was back as far as Staten Island. I had already abandoned any notion of calling a friend for a late bite to eat together, although I almost called him anyway as I want to ask him something (I might call him tonight, in fact). I stopped for gas and a bit of food to try to help keep me awake, and probably somewhere on Staten Island shifted from listening to my CDs to singing the entire planned Collision repertoire as loudly as I could, which actually got me back to areas even I consider South Jersey before I ran out of music. I was back in the driveway at seven thirty in the morning, and in bed mere minutes before eight.

Needless to say, I slept in today–but not as late as I’d have liked, and I have not been fully functional either. But I did get the new bed off the truck before dark, and am hoping to be in the old one before midnight–although we’ll see how that goes.

–M. J. Young