Perfect Mug for a Perfectly Hectic Week of Buzzing About: Over-Committed, Laughing, and Somehow Getting By

One of the highlights about getting up super early to stay on top of the game is watching the sunrise in the east. I wake up, make my coffee, sit at the desk, and watch the orange sparkles begin to throw their flares above a row of houses and naked trees, until it becomes a full orb, too blinding to look at.

I can also say that the new health alarm that turned itself on within my iPhone is actually pretty kind in how it wakes me up. It starts with a really light melody that is barely audible and grows louder every 30 seconds or so. I appreciate it, because I rarely allow it to get loud....just enough music to say, "Get in the shower, Crandall. It's going to be a long one.

Last night was The Write Time - Kwame Alexander and Tyler Jones and it played back nicely. I've begun the habit of putting it on the large screen t.v. and laughed when Edem noticed, "Hey, isn't that your mom in the chat?" It was. Ol' Popeye, however, hit the anger button instead of "like" or love. It was an easy fix to coach, when I called her afterward. "Hey, Bryan. Why'd your mom hate the show so much?"

The next two days are two of my favorites, as I'll spend them with Joel Barlow High School in Redding (well, online) scoring junior writing portfolios and reading wonderful work. So rare is a writing-driven school and it is joyful to see the skills kids bring when an entire district embraces writing processes. It is night and day compared to those that do not. I am inhaling and given the school my time, knowing that when I creep off that screen at the end of each day, there will be a need to creep onto other ones to fix what I missed by not being around all day. 

First dogs barking. I guess other households are beginning to wake up. Too bad...They missed the entire sunrise. She's up and full blast already.