I wake up straight away when the alarm goes off

I never hit snooze or go back to sleep

Leaping out of bed wide awake

Perhaps a legacy of working ten years as a first responder

My first task is taking my daily medication

Counting the pills and identifying each one individually

Disregarding the fact that I had carefully preloaded them into a weekly container

Then its off to hunt for my favorite mug

Tea does not taste the same in anything else

I watch the kettle heat up close to boiling

Switching it off before 190F for my green tea

I always make a second cup for the wife even if she is still asleep

If the dishwasher has run I always unload the top tray first

The bottom tray is next with the cutlery last

I put them in the cutlery drawer like little soldiers standing to attention

Knives are first in followed by forks and spoons

The dishwasher is always reloaded in reverse order

If its a bike riding day I will pump up the tires next

I always pump up the rear tire first

I imagine the front tire would eject the air if inflated before the rear

All my riding gear will have been neatly laid out the night before

No need to hunt for anything in the morning

Next up is my protein shake

I line up the ingredients in the same order every time

Allowing myself a few minutes of browsing while drinking the shake

Now its time to load my drink bottles on the bike

The front bottle always in the holder first

Clipping on the rear flashing light before the front

Next is a quick shower with its own set of ablution rituals

I always shave my face before shaving my head

It seems like the essential order of grooming

Now its time to get dressed for riding

My left foot always greets the first sock

Not sure why because my right foot is dominant

My right leg is always first inside my shorts or pants

Once ready I wait to the same exact same daily time before opening the door

It would not feel right to be a minute early or late

Wheeling my bike outside into the fresh air

I always take a few breaths to meditate before riding

My right leg swings over the bike to mount up

I have never tried mounting from the other side

My left foot clips into the pedal first soon followed by my right foot

Next task is to verify all the sensors have connected to the bike computer

I could not imagine myself riding with a sensor was missing

Once rolling I change the gears up and down and test the brakes

My helmet rear view mirror must be perfectly aligned

I never start a ride without all these “pre-flight” checks

Before coming to a stop I always unclip my right pedal

Leaning the bike to the right as my right foot finds the ground

I would probably fall off the bike if I tried to stand on my left foot

Pushing off with my right foot when moving again

The end of my right bike shoe is almost worn away from starts

My left shoe is unblemished

My conscience is seriously blemished by all these OCD rituals