Routine

I need a new morning routine.

The one that I have been using for the past...whole entire life....is not working. It is surviving.

Here is my current routine. It comes very naturally for me.

• Snooze until I absolutely have to wake up (and then one more).
• Rush to shower and get dressed.
• Comb hair.
• No time for breakfast or to dry my hair.
• Brush teeth.
• Leave for the day.
• Finally start to become hungry (I am not good at having an appetite in the morning.)

This routine is exacerbated by the fact that our bedroom has no windows, and absolutely no light comes in at all. Ever. If I wake up at 3am or at 10am, it is still so dark you can't see your hand in front of your face, and you have no concept of time. Don't get me wrong, it's wonderful for sleeping. Horrible for waking up, especially if you're slow about everything in the morning. Slower than usual.

Anyway, I tried to take a picture of how dark it was in the room, but there was nothing to focus on. I ended up probably just wasting battery power. Much like the time I was in Tallinn and tried to take a picture of how blue the sky was. The camera could not find anything in the blue to focus on, so I had to include some buildings in the shot.

I recreated what the picture of the room would've looked like in paintbrush:


This morning I had a different routine. One that I would like to try again. It involves getting up a half hour earlier...and I'm exhausted right now...but it's ok. I think. Will have to try it for a while.

Here is what happened. I had to get up and proofread, and I had set the personal goal to get that done by a certain time. When I woke up I was very cold (no heat here yet). So I put on a sweatshirt and a thick blanket and went to the living room to proofread. I just realized this is an incredibly boring post. It's boring but it's my life.

Anyway, while I was sitting on the couch trying to get used to the blinding light the computer was throwing out at me, Steve was discovering that there was no hot water to be had in the building. So while he was fixing that, I was proofreading. I wonder if you're still reading this? Anyway, I finish proofreading, and while I wait for the hot water to come back on, I decided that I've been up long enough to actually be hungry for a bowl of cereal. Then by the time the hot water is back, I am awake enough to take a reasonably timed shower (I would not go so far as to say a fast one).

Anyway, what I'm trying to say, is that I need a new routine. And this getting up an doing something other than rushing around is really appealing to me. I wonder how long it will last? I will try tomorrow. On Saturday, we're getting up before the sun to go to Vilnius, so routine will be thrown out the window.

Here is a picture of the blue sky in Tallinn, the most interesting and beautiful thing about this post (Tallinn is beautiful. And interesting). The picture was taken right before the camera's battery died, because I wasted all the power trying to focus on the blue sky.


Heck, here is another. Tallinn is so far north that it doesn't get too dark in the summer, and pretty much stays dark all winter. Here it is, nearing midnight in May.

So, what is your morning routine?