Crazy Busy Morning Time

BEFORE: Everything laid out to make breakfast, lunch, and prep dinner.

AFTER: My breakfast, my lunch packed, dinner prepped, and M's breakfast & lunch are ready!

When I was a kid, my mom had to pry me out of bed to get ready for school. I remember being a teenager, and hearing her scream at me from downstairs, "It's 7:45!!!!" I would finally get up and drag myself into the shower, then get out and realize then it was only 7:15. She had to lie to me, or I'd never get to school on time.

Oh, how the years have changed me. I am now officially a morning person! And, though yes, it is tough (most) mornings to get out of bed, once I do, I actually love the morning time. It is a race against the clock, especially on weekdays, but still, I like it. I guess this just where I ended up after working every shift you can imagine over the last 10 years of working in the news business.

I like this one the best. I'm in the office at about 8:00am. I have an hour commute (including my mandatory Starbucks run). I don't like to be rushed getting myself ready (I come last at getting ready, usually, in our household - that means after the cat, the dogs, and the husband, haha!)

One day last week, I documented my masterful time management skills and I even impressed myself! :) Note: Before you award me some sort of early morning hero award, let me tell you, I almost always fall asleep on the metro on my way to work, and I drink two shifts of coffee!

Here's how it usually goes down:
4:00am alarm goes off. I am either awake right before the alarm because Brokaw is stirring, or I'm awake from waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall back asleep... OR, I am actually awakened by the alarm and I absolutely cannot believe it's this "late" already!

4:05am. Start the coffee maker. Slippers and sweatshirt on, I grab both dogs' leashes and some doggie poop bags, and we go for a walk. If there's trash to be taken out, I take it now.

4:20am. Pour coffee. Pour dog food. Take up the cat food from the night before. Give the dogs fresh water. Put whatever is in the washer in the dryer and whatever is in the dryer in a laundry basket for Michael to fold later.

4:30am. Peel the pillow off Michael's head. Stretch his legs. Get a wash cloth, a rinse cloth, and a towel ready to get M bathed and dressed for the day. Do all of that. Get him up out of bed and into his wheelchair. Make the bed. Put his towels, clothes, etc. in the wash.

5:45am. Yell at Brokaw for getting into something. Pour M some coffee. Listen to the weather on the morning local news. Pack my lunch. Put something in the fridge at the middle level and in a plastic container :) for M to eat for lunch. Bring whatever meat I'm going to make for dinner down from the freezer to the fridge to thaw. Fix breakfast.

6:00am. Remember that this is the time I "should" be getting in the shower. Eat breakfast with my love. Pray. Read the Bible with him. Realize how far behind we are in From Garden to City, and just jump in on that day, anyway.

6:20am. Clear the breakfast dishes, unload the dishwasher, load the dishwasher, open the blinds and turn on the office lights for M to have on during the day. Set the army of beauty supplies I use each day (more and more all the time, I tell ya!) and my clothes out.

6:45am. Shower, get myself ready for work, double check that I have my headphones, whatever book I'm reading and my press credentials. Put my towels, clothes, etc. in the wash. Start the washer.

7:15am. Remember that I "should" be leaving for work at 7am. Kiss Michael, tell the dogs to be good, and I'm off. I walk to the metro, it's about a 10-15 minute walk. Then I ride for about 35 minutes. I almost always sleep between King Street and Crystal City. I usually read my work email and several newspapers on my phone on the ride.

8:15am. I arrive at one of two Starbucks, where I'm working on that particular day (at the Bureau, or at the White House) dictates which STBX I go to. But I almost always order a "grande bold." Remember that I should be getting a tall because I'm drinking too much caffeine.

8:30am. Arrive at work, either at the WH or at the Bureau. Phew! Now.... it's time to "start" the day!