9:00
Read the following message
Hey Jasper,
Curveball: my manager moved the Toronto workshop up a week, so I’m flying out this Friday at 18:20 and won’t be back until next Thursday on the 23:40 from YYZ. I was going to ask you to check in just once, but now I need a proper house-sit on three evenings—Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday—plus a couple of quick morning drop-ins for Nova. I’ll owe you big time.
Cat logistics first. Nova eats at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.; her pills are half a tablet on Tuesday and Thursday mornings—score the line and press gently into cream cheese or she spits it out. If she hides, rattle the tin by the window and she’ll appear. Please scoop the box each night. If she vomits (rare), it’s usually hair. There are lint rollers under the sink.
Plants: water the pothos and herbs every second day, but skip the snake plant unless the soil is totally dry. If it rains hard, you can delay a day—the balcony drains slowly. I left a sticky note with dates on the fridge. Also, the building’s doing a planned power cut on Wednesday from 6–8 p.m.; the emergency lights stay on, but the elevator pauses at 6 sharp, so arrive before then or you’ll be stuck taking the stairs to 11.
Keys used to live with Auntie Lin, but she flew to Hong Kong yesterday. The super (Mr. López) has the master, yet he won’t release it without me present. So I put a small lockbox on the bike hook outside my door; code 1968. The dial’s a bit sticky—push down before turning or it won’t catch. Please scramble the code after you close it. Don’t prop the fire door; the alarm chimes.
The tricky bit is a courier: a camera lens I sold is being picked up Tuesday sometime between 10:00 and 14:00, and it needs a signature. They usually buzz around 11. If you can’t make that window, Amal can cover Monday or Tuesday (I texted her already), but she can’t do evenings. I’ll be in the air after noon Friday with my phone in airplane mode, so assume I’m slow to reply until a layover. There’s $40 on the bookshelf for groceries or Ubers if it pours. Spare ice packs are in the freezer—use them under the lens box if the hallway gets warm.
If any of this collides with your class, tell me what you can’t do and I’ll reshuffle. Thanks for saving me—again.
—Mia
Curveball: my manager moved the Toronto workshop up a week, so I’m flying out this Friday at 18:20 and won’t be back until next Thursday on the 23:40 from YYZ. I was going to ask you to check in just once, but now I need a proper house-sit on three evenings—Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday—plus a couple of quick morning drop-ins for Nova. I’ll owe you big time.
Cat logistics first. Nova eats at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.; her pills are half a tablet on Tuesday and Thursday mornings—score the line and press gently into cream cheese or she spits it out. If she hides, rattle the tin by the window and she’ll appear. Please scoop the box each night. If she vomits (rare), it’s usually hair. There are lint rollers under the sink.
Plants: water the pothos and herbs every second day, but skip the snake plant unless the soil is totally dry. If it rains hard, you can delay a day—the balcony drains slowly. I left a sticky note with dates on the fridge. Also, the building’s doing a planned power cut on Wednesday from 6–8 p.m.; the emergency lights stay on, but the elevator pauses at 6 sharp, so arrive before then or you’ll be stuck taking the stairs to 11.
Keys used to live with Auntie Lin, but she flew to Hong Kong yesterday. The super (Mr. López) has the master, yet he won’t release it without me present. So I put a small lockbox on the bike hook outside my door; code 1968. The dial’s a bit sticky—push down before turning or it won’t catch. Please scramble the code after you close it. Don’t prop the fire door; the alarm chimes.
The tricky bit is a courier: a camera lens I sold is being picked up Tuesday sometime between 10:00 and 14:00, and it needs a signature. They usually buzz around 11. If you can’t make that window, Amal can cover Monday or Tuesday (I texted her already), but she can’t do evenings. I’ll be in the air after noon Friday with my phone in airplane mode, so assume I’m slow to reply until a layover. There’s $40 on the bookshelf for groceries or Ubers if it pours. Spare ice packs are in the freezer—use them under the lens box if the hallway gets warm.
If any of this collides with your class, tell me what you can’t do and I’ll reshuffle. Thanks for saving me—again.
—Mia
Choose the best option according to the information given in the message:
1. Main purpose?
2. Delivery window?
3. Backup person?
4. “They usually buzz around 11.” Who?
5. “Buffer” closest meaning?
6. Tone?
Here is a response to the message. Complete the response by filling in the blanks. Select the best choice for each blank from the drop-down
Hey Mia,
You’re covered. I can take Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday evenings, and I’ll do quick mornings for Nova. For the courier, I’ll be there 7.... and will have ID ready. If they miss, I’ll message Amal so one of us catches it. The lockbox code 8....—I’ll press down before turning and scramble it after. I’ll aim to reach the building before 6 so the elevator pause doesn’t trap me; if not, I’ll 9.....
Cat plan noted: half pill on Tue/Thu mornings in cream cheese, scoop nightly, rattle the tin if she hides. I’ll water on the fridge schedule and 10.... if we get a downpour. Thanks for the cash; I’ll keep receipts. If your flight shifts, I’ll still stick to the three evenings unless you text otherwise. We’ll keep the lens cool with ice packs if the hallway heats up.
Travel safe—11.... once you land.
—Jasper