Typical Day
Gary likes February.
In February, Gary doesn't have a whole lot of work to do. He gets to sleep late, sometimes until 10:00AM if his wife takes the kids to school. It's cold out, so he starts his day with a hot cup of coffee in his wool pajamas. He'll watch the highlights from last night on SportsCenter (he's a big hockey fan).
After he makes himself some lunch, he'll take a look at various catalogues for the newest products in his line of work. In the evening he'll have dinner with the family, ask his wife about her day, maybe even go out for hot chocolate. He'll stay up late, too, just because he can. He'll casually fall asleep half-watching Conan. Gary likes February.
But today is not a cold day in February. It's a beautiful warm day in June. You might be surprised to hear it, but Gary is fine with that. He may like February, but he loves June. That's because Gary is a professional pyrotechnician, and this is the beginning of his busy season.
That means he gets to get paid for creating explosions in the sky.
The alarm clock buzzes at 4:30AM; Gary is awake before most sane human beings. This is out of necessity. With only twenty-four hours in a day, he'll have to use as many of them as possible to get everything accomplished. Shower, shave, a bite to eat, and he's out the door by 5:30AM.
Gary owns a fireworks company, which sets up and blows up dozens of pyrotechnic displays over the course of the year. While he has sporadic work during most months, the summer is filled with festivals, fairs, and Fourth of Julys. The sheer volume of events means Gary has to stay organized. He says good morning to his secretary, Ann―reliably early as always―before he heads into his office and starts the day's tasks.
Today's task list is a doozy. He's got a shipment of ignitors coming into the warehouse today that have to be sorted before the weekend. One of his crews had four volunteers drop at the last minute (apparently, there's a bug going around), so he's got to find some replacements. Throughout the day, he checks in with the crews out setting up and testing displays. His only break time is lunch, which is when he checks in with his wife. (She's fine, in case you were wondering.)
He clocks out at the office about 4:00PM, but he's not headed home. One of the perks of owning a fireworks business is that Gary also runs some of the shows. Tonight, there's a festival a few towns over, and he's going to be supervising the crew. It's a job Gary doesn't take lightly: Not only is his business on the hook, but so is the safety of both his crew and the people coming to watch the show.
Gary greets each crewmember by name as he arrives. He's worked with most of these men and women before. Some of them are professionals like Gary, and some do this as a fun summer outing. The only requirements he has to join one of his crews is that you do what you're asked and you do it safely. He snags a slice of their pizza, which is okay with everyone because Gary paid for it.
The festival band finishes its last song, and the team gives their display its finishing touches. Once the fire marshall has given the signal, one of the crewmembers ignites the first rocket and the night lights up with the burst of a humongous green-and-blue fireball. The crowd shouts its first oooh of delight.
Gary stands off to the side, head tilted towards the sky. These are the moments that make his job worth it.
Pulling into his driveway around 11:00PM, Gary takes it slow so as not to make too much noise. He washes the few dishes in the sink and straightens up. He checks on his kids and closes their doors tight. No time for Conan tonight. He brushes his teeth and climbs into bed.
Gary sets the alarm. Five hours of rest, and then back to work. He's okay with it, though. It's June, and Gary loves June.