esrosedotblog

OPERATING HOURS

A blog-reader was worried about my sleep patterns. There are so many 330 AM entries in the blog, he thought maybe I was working off insomnia.

No. Just normal operating hours.

I suppose my schedule is, to say the least, eccentric. But, not unhealthy.

I get up about three so I can get everything done. But, then I go to bed about 800 PM. Seven hours. Then a nap to make it the recommended 8!

These are a combination of desert and geezer hours. Well, no. I have always gotten up early. When I was on the road, I tried to get to the gym before I started working and I started working at 730AM, so that meant a 430 rise time.

Out here, I started getting up even earlier. The morning is the best time. The desert stars are brilliant; no humidity. At three there is little light pollution.

We can see the sun rise over the easterly range, way out there. The light coming up on the mountains behind us (west) is pretty dramatic. There are birds. It is cool.

I get up and do some opening business; peeing Franklin (after me), a little walk together under the stars, feeding Franklin (before me), doing some beneficial readings, meditating, checking the email, reading the NYTimes on-line and some of Salon (subscription). Then some breakfast and the LATimes; hard copy delivered by 4AM.

By that time, it is light enough, depending on the time of year, to do the biking. An hour out over 5-6 different routes. Back home for a swim and change and then out to do something depending on the day. Three days, 'something' is a Meeting, two days it is shopping, one day it is general chores. The seventh day I rest. It is Sunday and the Times is a big one. Then there is the NYTimes Crossword.

I work in about an hour of net-reading in the morning then do another similar stint in the afternoon. I have about twenty regular stops in the day.

My mid-day is about 10 AM. I need a nap. Then up and lunch and, if we have one, a movie. After that, blog some, read some, make dinner, and then, after we eat, it is my turn to walk the dog for his second hour-long outing of the day.

By that time, I am ready to pack it in. We all go out to the spa for awhile and soak. Well, Franklin runs around and does his end of day patrolling. He doesn't do water. We are grateful. Then it is bed time.

Somewhere during the day, I am able to get in some time with John, work with friends in recovery, do some visiting and phoning. I have enough friends to keep me out of my head and have something of a life beyond my little domain. Every once in awhile something spontaneous happens and that it is good too I suppose. I like my routine but breaking it makes me realize how and why I have it in the first place.

So there we are. Operations. The hours. Busy but not overloaded.

It is a good thing I don't have a job, there is not enough time to squeeze it in.

NOTE:

The 'clocks' in the lower diagram were put there for purely graphic effect. They came up on a google image search and I thought they were fun for the piece; mangled time, and all.

As it turns out, they are the actual results of a mind/hand coordination test. People with Alzheimer disease have difficulties with drawing a clock face with the hands at a quarter to two. This has also been used as a screening test to detect AD.

I know. I know. You tried it too. I figured you would. How did you make out?

I made it.

And I did it in ink. No one timed me though.