This morning I woke up and my analogue watch told me it was the 31st. I didn’t believe it.

I could have sworn that I put my October bus pass in the little compartment of my bag where I keep my change, lens cloth, lip balm, stash, and prophylactics, but instead, I left it on the shelf in my room. This is the same bus pass that I bought seven days prior so that I wouldn’t have to wait in inordinately long lines, and wouldn’t forget on the first of the month and shell out $2.60 in change.

So I ended up paying the driver anyway, noting the 10¢ increase since the last time I paid with change. Groggy, I make it to the stop just in time to catch my next bus, something that never happens, but I let it go by anyway in favour of buying a caramel corretto from Second Cup.

For the last two weeks I’ve been trying to ween myself off coffee. It’s satisfying to have something warm and sweet (and caffeinated) to sip with a bagel in the morning. I’ve recently gone to the lighter orange pekoe (from two bags to one bag), and I’ve avoided buying coffee if I don’t feel the need for one.

But today is Friday.