Welcome to week 3 of this year’s A to Z Challenge Blog. So far, so good. I’ve managed to post on time daily, read other people’s posts, and follow a few new bloggers. I’ve discovered that for one reason or another, I can’t comment on some WordPress blogs, but at least I can like them. I’m not sure why I get a message that I’m not logged in when I am, but such are the mysteries of the Internet and its various resting places.
Today’s letter is M and stands for Mondays. Before I retired from teaching, I used to dread Mondays. The students were either wired or dragging their asses after a weekend involving too much–work, fun, sugar, misery–you name it. I used to joke that some didn’t wake up until Wednesday while others never slept until then. We never got much done from whatever I’d planned on Mondays, so I made sure never to schedule a test, a movie, or a guest presentation that day. And since attendance declined sharply on Fridays, essentially I had two to three productive days to work with. My favorite day for important work was Thursday. Then, I retired.
Suddenly, there was no difference in the days of the week. In fact, I often wasn’t sure what day it was until evening when my favorite television shows dictated the day. In some ways, it’s still that way 14 years later: Monday, Murdock Mysteries, Tuesday, the FBIs, Wednesday, the Chicago series, Thursday, 911 and Discovery (Or whatever new Star Trek is on), Friday, Blue Bloods, SWAT, and Fire Country. Weekends varied depending on the season. We could watch a movie or just go out with friends. Come summer, we only watched TV on rainy days.
Since I started writing, Monday has become the day I organize my writing hours, my home duties, and my social calendar, not that I have that active a social life. This week, I have a lunch date with a former colleague. Until my mother died, my calendar contained the days I would drive to Alexandria to visit. Now, I rarely have a fixed activity. It’s strange. I have more time than ever, but I seem to get less and less done. It’s a mystery, another great M word.
This morning, I plotted the subjects of this week’s blog posts, set my writing guidelines for the week, and took a few minutes to meditate, another M word, this one designed to lower my stress level and help me sleep better. I like to listen to music while I contemplate the day.
Thought I would leave you with a couple of my favorite Monday songs.
That’s it. Hope you liked one of my favorites. This week, of all the songs, Karen’s song seems the most appropriate as we have another rainy Monday.
Come back tomorrow when I’ll talk about my choice for the letter N.
Check out blog posts from other participants here: https://tinyurl.com/w54yupwe
Living the Dream 
Now I have retired I still have a working week. That is, Monday to Friday I get up at 6.30 to go to either aqua fit or Pilates. When a Saturday arrives I can sleep in. Bliss.
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I’m hoping that once I get the joint pain remedied, I’ll be able to get into a more regular fitness program. I used to walk 10,000 steps a day but then I screwed up my knee and it’s been downhill from there.
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Mondays are hard because it starts the work and school week, but it really should be a day of taking things slow. Organizing our week on a Monday is actually the first task. I used to do that on Mondays when I wasn’t working a full-time job.
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Proponents of a 4 day week might agree with you, but then Tuesday would start the week. You can’t win.
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I find it frustrating on some blogs in trying to comment… and like you I’m logged in but told I was not. Blogger sites even harder and often no Like button.
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I found a way around it on WordPress as long as they follow me. Since I have a blogger account it isn’t a problem there.
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“Manic Monday” describes my Mondays perfectly 🙂
Ronel visiting for M: My Languishing TBR: M
Manticore
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Some of mine, too.
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