My friend Richie from up the street asks me, “When do you find time to write?”

“Late at night is the second best time,” I tell him, “for me anyway.” He waits for the rest of my answer.  ”But my favorite time is before sunrise.  Five a.m.  While you’re still sleeping.”

Richie cringes just at the sound of  ”five a.m.”  ”You set your alarm?” he asks.

“No, I just wake up some mornings and know it’s time to write. I awake the hound (Simone, our Italian greyhound) and we go downstairs together. She goes back to sleep on the sofa and I pour a large mug of Kona coffee and head for the keyboard.

One fast desktop computer with all-in-one printer: $1,750. One ream of paper for the printer: $2.85.  One cup of freshly brewed Kona coffee next to the computer: priceless.

This is my writing world. Throw in some good music coming from the computer speakers and I’m ready to write.  At this moment I’m listening to “Java Jive,” first from the Ink Spots, and then the Manhattan Transfer version.  “I like coffee, I like tea, I like the java jive and it likes me.”  The tempo slow and easy, telling you to take your time, enjoy the journey, don’t get too buzzed.