put a plastic lid on it

The warmth of the shower is hard to adjust today. It is either too hot or cold. But then-it works, wash the head, the armpits, the feet, the back, all inside five minutes. Do not shave today. Check the man in the mirror. old and ugly and tired now. Nothing there that could deny that. Oh well, too bad.
Leave the house, walk down the middle of the alley, taking care to walk over the manhole cover right in the middle of the road. It is just like the behaviour pedestrian crossings,  always walk on the white stripes, always take stairs two at a time.
Take care to walk ober manhole covers.. Rubbish: this borders on superstition. The hand is itchy, there where the watch used to be. Is it a nickel allergy or some bite of a winter insect?
Walk through the town, pass through that shadowy gate, the light from the bakery to the left. Dolores is ahead, slow, just reaching the bus shelter now. Wish her a good morning, the teacher man arrives, wish him a good morning too. Then a cyclist passes, a loud radio fixed to his bicycle. He is the noisiest thing this morning.

The cafe at the railway station is deserted today, there are no customers standing in line. The young woman with the big black-rimmed glasses puts on the coffee machine, places a mug under the spout, then she looks over, says good morning and stamps the little discount card. Then a second customer arrives, and she turns to him.
Take the coffee, put a plastic lid on it, and go on to the waiting room. Sid dam, write notes. There is so little

happening today, most of the usual commuters are on christmas leave-
The platform has very few people on it, and the train, punctual, has fewer than usual disembarking. Today, the Friday before Christmas, people are taking holiday leave from work.
At the first station after Landshut, that-is Moosburg the trend continues. Two people board the train's carriage. That is at least ten fewer than usual.
The coffee is finished, empty. The next stop will he Freising, the place to get off, to go down the granite stairs between the tracks, along the tunnel, up the stairs to where the local train will be on
the platform waiting. The remainder of the journey. the slow steamy local train, more steps, more tunnel, then a piece of pretzel from the Neufahrn bakery, a wait at the bus stop for the bus.
There will be a bus ride: short and lurching through the dark countryside.
But now-first Thing: Freisng.