Thursday Ramble: A glimpse inside my day

Most of the time I sleep well, I go to bed a little after 9:00, usually turn off the distractions by 10:00* and wake around 6:00 AM.  I don't set an alarm, I haven't for years.  The first stop is the call of nature, most nights I sleep through without attending to the necessities. Then wash my hands, take my daily pills, and go turn the coffee maker on.  While magic elixir of life is brewing, I put three ice cubes in a glass, and fix a little breakfast. Toast most mornings.  I like to catch the first drip on the coffee, it is stronger, and it goes over ice, hot liquids have always burned my mouth.  Then I settle into the chair at the desk in my bedroom, and take a quick look at personal email, make sure no one was reported dead on Facebook (at my age it happens.) Then I work through my blog reading list.  On some I leave a daily comments, on others only if something strikes me. I respond to early comments on my blog, most likely from late the night before, my posts generally go up at midnight.  I usually take a quick look at the home page of the Washington Post, though I limit myself on what I read these days.  Then shower, brush my teeth and pull some clothes on.  If I am working at home, I am usually logged on before 8:00 AM, if I am going to the office I try to catch the shuttle bus to the station by 7:32.  My ride in takes about an hour, and I read on the train.  I love reading on the subway.  Work always starts with email.  Some mornings that only takes 10 minutes, some days it takes a couple of hours to go through what is there.  I try to touch it once, if I can I reply to it before moving on.  Some answers require time to think and edit.  Some don't.  I have a lot of video meetings, and no later than 9:45 my electronic calendar will start reminding me where I need to be in 15 minutes.  If I can find time there is a dash the bathroom mid-morning, checking the mailroom on the way. If not, that gets attended to at lunch.  When I am home I make lunch and work and eat at my desk.  In the office I run downstairs to the deli and order a ham and swiss on whole wheat, not toasted with mayo and pickles - almost always the same thing, and most days eat at my desk while continuing to work.  More meetings after lunch, documents to draft or edit, or review.  I try to finish by 4:00, more often it is 5:00.  If I am in the office it takes me an hour to get home.  When I get home, I say hello to my sweetie bear, then take off most of my clothes and check personal email, return blog comments, and check the web.  If I work at home, I generally cook, if I work in the office Jay generally cooks.  The one who didn't cook, cleans up the kitchen and sets up the coffee for the next day.  We watch a couple of hours of television, often with me reading or playing games on my IPad, then I am off to bed a little after 9:00.  On the weekends, on Saturday I make a run to the farmers market for goodies and pastries first thing in the morning, return home and work on blogs for 2-3 hours (these things don't write themself.) I try to get out for an hours walk on Saturdays and Sundays. On Sunday I take an early walk, watch the CBS Sunday Morning Show, then veg.  I try to catch up on my YouTube viewing and reading. Sunday evening I watch 60 Minutes, then an hour of British television in the living room with Jay, recently Mary Berry, for along time it was Escape to the Country.  

It is a predictable routine, but I don't think of it as boring. More like settled, serene.  I read a lot, I almost always have music playing in the background. I find joy the daily cycle.  

*I have a 60 inch Television in my bedroom, and a bed computer, a laptop that 99% of the time is used only when I am in bed.