He's making a list...

We had car issues this morning. I'm not going to go into the details since it will just upset our sweet Emma, but when we have car issues I usually end up car pooling with Bill. I prefer to drive (and drop off Bill first) even though it makes me a bit late. I really don't like being the passenger when Bill drives.

For one thing, he multi tasks when he drives. He phones, he talks into his Dictaphone, he fiddles with the radio all while having a running commentary of his fellow drivers, the passing scene and the news of the day. For another, I am a control freak and prefer to behind the wheel (unless Erin Delisanti is driving... she's a great driver.)

Today, I put on Jazz FM 91.1, settled in and told him we weren't changing the station. We passed right by the Tim Hortons on Kensington, (we were running a bit behind schedule and I didn't want to pull into the office late), so I didn't get a chance to get my large coffee with double cream. Bill's Blackberry isn't working properly - it is not sending or receiving emails and he had left his Dictaphone in his car. So, he was reduced to writing notes on a large piece of cardboard.

Now, these large pieces of cardboard play a pretty big part in Bill's life. He gets them from his laundered shirts from Corvette Cleaners. They're about the size of a legal pad so he's used to the configuration. It accommodates his large scrawl and they are readily available. He uses them the most when he designs his grocery store attack. He turns the board so that the longest side is on the bottom. He then draws out the aisles and lists the items by location. He also uses them to leave me messages in the bathroom. "Don't wake me" is a common one.

Last night, Bill got up in the middle of the night, pulled out a shirt board from the closet and began a list. Not a list of groceries, that's a Saturday task, but rather a list of "things to do" that had obviously awoken him. Today, when he got in the car, he had his shirt board with him... and a blue flair pen. He worked furiously on the list and was (relatively) quiet on the drive in.

Fast forward to tonight at 6:30 when I picked him up. He was in a chipper mood. He'd accomplished  a lot today. He said he had checked items off his list all day long. It made him feel organized and fabulous. When I suggested the old fashioned method of list making may work for him he looked at me quizzically. Then, he left a message for the IT guys at his law firm to make sure they could get his Blackberry fixed in the morning.