Taking The Day Off

The youngest brother is in town and of course we're doing a pub crawl in honor of his annual visit.

I'll be taking the day off.

Even though I won't be at a desk with paper and pen to write, I'll be working on the new manuscript. The story never quite leaves me, even if I don't put the words down that spin around my skull.

Transitions from one scene to the next will develop in the back of my brain while I pickle the rest of the grey matter. A fragment of conversation that I might chance to overhear at the pub will be plugged into the mouth of one of the characters in the manuscript, rolled around and tried out for size---taken home like a souvenir.

Over the course of our crawl, we plan to sample the kegged commodities at a variety of establishments. Raise a glass among the old gents who still do the liquid lunch. Tip a pint surrounded by blue collar workers in their dusty work clothes. Sip a brew with the office workers who favor the trendy. Finish off at our favorite spot, where the bartender serves up our preferred beverage the minute we walk in the door.

After that, the work that was left undone will still be waiting for me and I'll put in a few hours making up for lost time because I don't actually have the time to spare.

Unless my legs are too weary after all the walking we'll be doing as we crawl along. I may need to take the night off as well.