10 steps to the perfect day

In reality, it is:

1. 17 degrees in my little town on the Mississippi River.
2. 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5
3. Soon going to be time to tackle the the first task on my to-do list for today.
4. A challenge to find a decent topic on which to blog about this morning.
5. Much easier to waste time on Facebook.
6. Even easier to read dozens of stories about the standoff in Oregon. I particularly liked this.
7. Tempting to just go back to bed.
8. Time to ask myself: Why does this list need to have 10 points?
9. Possible I need a second cup of coffee.
10. True that I’m ready to move on the the real reason for this blog post.

Since an easy topic wasn’t immediately presenting itself, I took a stroll through The Daily Prompt, a blog written by the editors at WordPress that is meant to help other bloggers like me overcome bouts of writer’s block. The prompt from Aug. 15, 2015, Nothin’ But a Good Time, said: Imagine that tomorrow, all of your duties and obligations evaporate for the day. You get the day all to yourself, to do anything you please. What types of fun activities would make your day?

In other words, what am I going to do after I win Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot that is estimated to reach $400 million?

Here, in no particular order, are the 10 activities that will fill my days after I win the lottery, my duties and obligations have evaporated and I can do anything I please:

1. Buy this.
2. Move and live here part of the year and here the rest of the year.
3. Wake up every morning without an alarm clock.
4. Work out.
5. Enjoy a leisurely cup of this with my best friend.
6. Spend the rest of the morning writing.
7. Go on a long bike ride with my best friend.
8. Eat a late lunch here.
9. Spend the rest of the afternoon reading and lounging around here.
10. Dinner and a movie with my best friend.

Yeah, that’d be a perfect day.

But remember item No. 3 up in the first list? Duty calls and it’s time to go make today perfect in other — perhaps more difficult, but just as rewarding — ways.

See you tomorrow.