Why 5:30

Well, Sn, you asked (on MySpace where this blog is duplicated) why I get up at 5:30, so I thought I'd tell the world. Basically, when we first moved out here in 2004, once the kids started school, I found myself staying in bed later and later in the day than I should have. It was upsetting to both the kids that I wasn't available in the mornings, not just in case someone needed a check for lunch, but just for general purposes. So for my 2004 going into 2005 New Year's Resolution, instead of a bunch of resolutions that I couldn't possibly keep, I made one simple one, to be up and roaming around before the kids leave for school. For the rest of that school year and all of last year, that basically meant I had to roll out of bed between 6:30 and 6:45 because they went down to catch the bus around 7 a.m. Then over the summer, I didn't set an alarm and just got up whenever. Most days, that was around 7:30, some days as early as 6:30 and a few times as late as 8:00.

This year, it's been changed up some because T is taking what's known as a "Zero Hour" class, meaning he has a class before the official start of the school day, or 6:30 a.m. He leaves shortly after 6 to get to where his ride is. Therefore, I set the alarm for 5:30, hit the 9-minute snooze twice, and roll out of bed at 5:48(ish). Today I thought about going back to bed and just saying "fuck the resolution," but T, goddess bless him, had pushed the button on the coffee maker, and the coffee was waiting for me. So, coffee on board, I'm now up and at 'em, but technically I can't start working for another 2 hours and 47 minutes (or 10 a.m.). On Wednesday, I can start working as early as 6 but the other days, I'm supposed to complete 8 hours of work between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Pacific. Sometimes I'd really rather start earlier in the day, but other days, I can't face the thought of work before noon (no matter how early I get up), so this is a good system for me. It's not quite a flexible as my former employer's "just do as much work as you said you would within the 24-hour day," but it's my understanding that they're actually more strict about shifts now than my current employer. Which is part of why I left them; I saw changes coming that I wanted no part of.

And, besides wanting to spend a little time with the kids in the morning, even if all we do is grunt at each other, I'm not a person who gets up and gets going in the morning. I putter. I drink coffee for a while, usually finishing my first cup while I read the paper. Then I drink more coffee while I'm doing my first internet surf of the day. I am online pretty much all day while I'm working, but before work, my internet time is my time. I have a routine of sites I go to, things I do, comics I read online because they're not in my local paper, stuff like that. In total, the coffee, newspaper, and internet part of the morning takes around 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Then, and only then, on good days, I work out, shower, eat breakfast, and then start working. On less good days, I shower, eat, and work. On bad days, I eat then work and leave the shower for later. A lot of what determines a good day versus a less good/bad day, is what time I've gotten up and gotten started with my day. The earlier I get up, the more likely I am to have a good day.

Finally, in addition to being someone who putters, I just cannot eat first thing in the morning. It takes a good couple of hours before anything but coffee interests me. According to Weight Watcher's, this is not good, and I should eat breakfast very early to start my day right, but I absolutely can't face the idea of food until after I've worked out and showered (on a good day), after I've showered (on a less-good day), or after I've decided to shower at night and gotten dressed (on a bad day).

And that, dear Sn, is why my old, wide (but getting perkier) ass rolls out of bed at 5:30 a.m. during thes school year. Or at least this school year. Once T graduates in June, I'll go back to my more slothful rising time of 7:30 or so.

Currently Reading: Nothing right now. Yesterday I finished The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (loved, loved, loved it). Then I picked up the latest Lynsay Sands A Bite To Remember and finished it. Enjoyable, like a nice dessert after the full meal that was TTTW.