The Clipboard

The Clipboard

by Mark Lyons

Image by BRRT from Pixabay

SammySocks Etc. Blog - Comments and Observations from Someone Who Is a Retired Educator and the Father of Sammy of SammySocks Etc. Visit us at www.sammysocksetc.com.

            “Today is the day I am going to get started on my To Do list for the home,” said Mark. He rolled out of bed at the unspeakably early hour of 9:30 am. “So, this is what it is like to get up with the chickens!”

            “So many things kept me from getting to the list: COVID, the holidays, summer, TV, lunch, the Super Bowl, weekdays,” said Mark. “But now it’s painting, sawing, hammering, nailing, cleaning, mowing, cutting, and more mowing. All good stuff!”

            Mark pulled on his work clothes: pants, a t-shirt, a long-sleeved flannel shirt, socks (from SammySocks Etc.), boots, and a baseball style cap.

            “I am ready, eager, able, willing, and organized,” said Mark. “Now where did I put my list?”

            Mark started to look around but then he remembered he needed a good breakfast first. As Bob Vila always said, “Eat a good breakfast before you start any project.” Or was it “Don’t hit your thumb with a hammer.” Either way, good advice.

            Mark rustled himself up a hearty breakfast of steak and eggs, biscuits, black coffee, grits, beans, and more beans. Once he finished, of course, he did the dishes, tidied the kitchen, threw in a load of laundry, stamped the outgoing mail, and fed the cat.

            “Wow, I’m tired all of a sudden. I missed my early morning nap time and now it’s about time for lunch,” said Mark. “I could start. I should start the To Do list now. Yes, let me get started. I can check off 2 or 3 To Dos before lunch. Where is that list?”

            Mark looked everywhere. He looked in his pants, and his other pants. He searched his desk, under the bed, and in the couch.

            “Ooooh, a penny!”

            But no To Do list.

            By then it was lunch time. Mark fixed himself a healthy meal of beans and more beans. And again, as after breakfast, Mark cleaned the kitchen, put the wet laundry into the dryer, and freshened the cat’s water bowl.

            Mark resumed his search for the To Do list. He finally found it in the box of bills he kept on the shelf next to his desk. It was a wad of paper folded several times. Mark pulled the sheets apart and smoothed them out. He discovered that there were nine sheets of paper of the To Do list. “I guess I have been adding to this for quite a while,” he muttered.

            Pieces of paper from the To Do list were strewn all over the place. “I’ve got to get this organized,” said Mark. “I know what I need. I need a clipboard.”

            Four hours later, Mark pulled into his garage, a proud owner of a brand new, wood back, full size, metal clip clipboard. “Too late to get started on the list today. But it was a good day. Tomorrow I will get started. Oh, wait. There’s an Andy Griffith marathon on TV all day. Maybe the next day.”