“Alexa,” I call out. “Set the timer for five minutes!” I like my tea precisely steeped. I scamper away at a sexagenarian pace to empty the dishwasher. Feed the mutt, almost trip over him; sparkle my water, better than still; halve an English muffin, drop it in the toaster; peel a banana; slap peanut butter onto the popped-up muffin. Juggling laptop, water and food, I wobble to my desk, calling, “Alexa, how much time is left?” Ten seconds. I scurry back to the counter, chuck the tea bag into the compost. Now off to the business of writing. Sweet victory!
Virginia Foley writes overlooking Lake St. Clair in Ontario. Her work has appeared in Dorothy Parker’s Ashes, Read650, The South Shore Review, Canada’s History, and Talking Writing. Find Virginia at www.virginiafoley.com, on Twitter @vcfoley, and on Instagram @vclarefoley.