I spent most of my morning cleaning up the bathroom and getting everything ready for the plumber. They were originally supposed to come around 3:00, but now they’ve pushed the appointment back to 4:30. So, for now, I’m just waiting around and trying to be patient.

I also had my interview with Walmart this afternoon. When they first called me, they said the position would be in the bakery, so that’s what I expected. But during the interview, I found out that the job would actually be in the area where they prepare the fried foods you see when you first walk into Walmart… the fries, chicken, and other hot foods.

Honestly, it doesn’t sound too bad. I think I could handle the work itself, and it would be nice to get back into a job and have some steady income. The one thing that really caught me off guard, though, is the schedule. The shift starts at 4:00 a.m. Wow. That is really early!

I already wake up around 5:00 every morning, but having to get up at 3:00 a.m., get dressed, get ready, and then be at Walmart by 4:00 would definitely be an adjustment. I’m usually not even ready to go to sleep until much later than that, so I would probably have to completely change my sleep schedule.

Still, a job is a job, and right now I really do need one. I’m trying to keep an open mind about it. Maybe the early schedule wouldn’t be as bad once I got used to it, or maybe another opportunity will come along that works out better. For now, I’ll just have to wait and see what happens with Walmart.

Tommy has practice, so we are fending for tonight. I’m not sure what I want to eat. I’m not hungry right now. Alex came over and spent the night and a bit of today here. He made me and Karissa a big sandwich. I still have half of it in the fridge. I may have that tonight if I get hungry.

I’m still waiting for the plumber… or at least, that’s who I thought I was waiting for. They keep pushing the time back, and I’m starting to wonder if anyone is actually going to show up today.

The handyman finally arrived, though. Kel told me that it was the handyman coming, not the plumber. Apparently, there’s a difference, and I’m just along for the ride. Anyway, the important thing is that someone is finally here, and the toilet is being worked on as I write this. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that whatever they’re doing will actually fix the problem. It would be nice to have one less thing to worry about around the house.

In the meantime, I have absolutely nothing to do. What do people normally do when someone is working in their house? Do you go about your business as usual? Do you find something productive to do? Or do you just sit around awkwardly, wondering where you’re supposed to be?

That last option seems to be what I’ve settled on.

I’ve been hanging out in the living room, scrolling through my phone and trying to look occupied. That worked for a while, but eventually, even scrolling through my phone became boring. There’s only so much mindless scrolling a person can do before it starts to feel like a complete waste of time. So I went and got my laptop, brought it out to the living room, and decided to write for a while instead.

At least writing gives me something to do, and I can pretend I’m being productive rather than just waiting for the day to pass. Besides, sometimes having a little unexpected downtime can be a good opportunity to get some thoughts down on paper, or, in this case, on a screen.

The funny thing is that I’m not even particularly busy today. It’s not as though I have a long list of things I desperately need to accomplish. But being stuck in the living room because someone is working in the house makes me feel strangely limited. I could go into the office, but I feel weird doing that while the handyman is here. I don’t know why. It’s not as though I need to supervise him, and I certainly don’t want to stand around watching him work. Still, disappearing into another room somehow feels awkward.

And I definitely don’t want to linger around the bathroom. Nobody needs an audience while they’re fixing a toilet!

So here I am, camped out in the living room with my laptop, waiting for the work to be finished and for the house to feel like my own space again.

Kel and Chris should be home soon, which will make things a little easier. Once they’re here, I won’t feel quite so much like I’m wandering around trying to figure out where I belong. I can go back to doing whatever I would normally be doing without feeling self-conscious about it.

It’s strange how having a stranger working in your home can disrupt your entire routine, even when the person is only there to fix something. You suddenly become very aware of where you are, what you’re doing, and whether you’re somehow getting in the way. You don’t want to hover, but you also don’t want to feel like you’re hiding. You want to be polite and give the person room to work, but you still want to be comfortable in your own home.

Maybe I’m overthinking the whole thing. It wouldn’t be the first time!

I suppose most people just carry on with their day. They work, watch television, read a book, or do whatever they need to do. The person doing the repairs is probably used to people being home while they work and doesn’t give it a second thought. Meanwhile, I’m sitting here analyzing the situation as though there’s some unspoken rule of home-repair etiquette that everyone else knows about except me.

So now I’m curious: What do other people do when someone is working in their house? Do you carry on as usual and ignore them, or do you find yourself sitting in another room, waiting for them to finish? Do you feel awkward, too, or am I making a bigger deal out of this than necessary?

For now, I’ll stay right here in the living room with my laptop and hope that the toilet gets fixed, the handyman finishes soon, and I can get back to enjoying my house without feeling like I’m a guest in it.

I’m also updating my laptop. It wants to restart now, but I told it not to. I’ll restart once I’m done writing.

Oh, yay! They finished fixing the toilet, and they said there’s no more leaking! Apparently, some of the seals weren’t tightened enough or were just old. They also replaced the valve, so hopefully that takes care of all the problems.

I’m going to switch back to my computer now and let my laptop restart and finish installing its update.

Ok, back on my computer. My laptop is now updating. I think I’ll play Final Fantasy XIV for a little bit before Kel comes home. I put a hold on an audiobook. Now I’m just waiting for it to be available.