The Early Shift

#shortstory #comedy #adventure #deardiary

Dear Diary,

My day was going by like any other. I woke up, ate breakfast and went out to walk around my neighbourhood. Enjoying the morning air I met up with my friend, a german sheppard with the puffiest fur I have ever known. We hung out chasing a few balls, birds, and the mailman who seemed to be riding off on his bicycle in a hurry…all we wanted to do was to say hi. Meh! We’ll catch up with him tomorrow; he’s always coming down this path, making his rounds around this neighbourhood.

After the morning run, I stopped by the local deli, Irv, who works at the deli always has my order ready to go. A turkey bacon sandwich, on an Italian style bun, tomato, lettuce, cheese, mustard, a-little mayo, with extra pickles, a chocolate milkshake, and some regular chips for dessert. Y-U-M! I take my lunch down by the water to watch the boats swim out on the lake. Boating season has opened up for the spring so there are a lot boaters who want to go out to enjoy the weather. It’s still a little cold, definitely not warm enough to go out for a swim, but most people are still enjoying the outdoors dressed in their winter jackets. The people I did see pass they were walking down the shoreline with a warm drink in hand, or strolling down the park trails with their hands in their jacket pockets, or wearing gloves.

Finishing my lunch, I went back home to do some chores, you know, the usual, pack the roof gutters with a few nuts for the local squirrels to have something to snack on. Give the house plants a bath, they tend to collect some dust throughout the week, I keep telling them it’s not glitter. Last month I held a party and my neighbour Jerry thought it would be a good idea to set off a glitter bomb for a group photo. I think the plants liked how sparkly it was cause since then, anything that floats in the air they think it’s a glitter fleck...they’ll figure it out soon I hope…And of course you can’t forget opening the bin lids for the racoons to have hiding spot in case they decide to play hide and seek later tonight.

All in all, it was a good rounded day, by 10pm I went to bed. WHEN I WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING……something was off, I don’t know what….but something was. Everything looked to be in its place, nothing appeared to be out of order, but, deep down I felt that something was OFF. Trying to brush off the feeling I went about my day. Everything was fine up until I stepped outside….on my walk I didn't see my german sheppard friend at our usual spot.

Waiting there for a couple minutes they were no where to be found. Maybe they couldn’t make it so I continued along on my walk, that’s when I see him chasing down the mailman who AGAIN, seems to be in a real hurry to get down the other end of the street on his bicycle. We were supposed to catch up with the mailman together! Trying to join in on the chase I do my best to catch-up with them, but it was a useless effort. By the time I caught up to the end of the street, they were already rounding the corner over to the next block.

Out of breathe, I decide to let it go and catch up with them tomorrow, instead I make my way down for my lunch. All that running has given me an appetite. Thinking about why his friend didn’t wait up for him, he steps into the deli where Irv was busy assisting other customers with their sandwich orders. Seeing me from across the diner, he waves, and says, “You’re late!” Pointing towards my order placed on the opposite end of the counter. Late? Sven thought, I'm always stopping by the diner around this time. Paying for the order, I take my lunch and head down to my usual sitting spot. Watching the boats setting sail, I immediately noticed that there were a lot more boaters out on the water than there usually were around this time of day. Then again, the weather was a little warmer so they could be taking advantage of the opportunity.

The rest of the afternoon passed by uneventful by 7pm that's where it got weird again. By this time I'm dressed in my jammies, turning on my reading lamp by the living room window to read a few pages. But the sky was still light enough to not need any extra light yet. Up until yesterday I couldn't read a single page without turning on my lamp, but now suddenly it's not? Why is it so light outside? Confused, Sven tries to rethink back to earlier this morning...maybe I woke up early...but then I wouldn't be waking up to my alarm. What is going on?!

Finally, I check the news, and right there on screen, in big bold letters it said, DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS. Now everything is making sense, the weird feeling from this morning, my sheppard friend not showing up, Irv's comment back at the diner, and the sky being so light. Walking out with my tea cup, I glare out towards the sun which coincidently was starting to hide behind some hills. All he could do is yell at the sun with, “You forgot to tell me you're starting the late shift at work for the next couple of months! I thought we were friends!”