I’m a morning person, I just am. I take pride in it, I suppose. Every morning I like to push the limit to see how functional I am at any given hour in the morning. Can I grade papers at 5:00 AM? Can I write papers at 6:00 AM? Can I read and comprehend Proust at 7:00?

Even though I’m usually a little groggy, I really do enjoy the 7:00 AM hour the most. I feel like it’s not early enough to be obnoxious, but it’s still early enough to belong to me and me only.

But Not So this week! This week, the inn has tenants directly above us who are early birds. And they are not doing the quiet, reflective, “getting the worm” kinds of things that I like to do in the morning. No.

They are clomping around like hippopotami in high heels. They are shouting and laughing like it’s noon! They seem to be eating jackhammers for breakfast, and pacing back and forth while they do it. They are dropping frying pans on their floor (my ceiling). They are sneezing at uncomfortably high volumes!! And I swear on my life they chose 7:00 AM to rearrange all the furniture in the inn. They are “early-birding” all over the place and it makes me mad.