Why the Change?

You know how you consciously try to change things (lose weight! exercise more! get up earlier and accomplish something in the morning!)? But how you don't change things but stick in the same ruts?

And then one morning you are suddenly up earlier than usual. Oh, it's only thirty or forty-five minutes earlier. It's a little darker, it feels like you have more time. Before you usually get up, you've done your daily blogging to the Austin Daily Photo site (about a tree-climbing dog, ha) and you've checked e-mail and facebook and not much is happening. People are asleep. FFP is still asleep. You make a cup of coffee, get the three newspapers inside (but only look at front pages). The place is quiet (except for the door creaking, must get some WD-40 on it; and except for the coffee machine grinding and groaning). I have the quiet aluminum Apple keyboard.

You are as surprised to be up as if you'd found a bunch of doll heads in your easy chair. (Well, maybe not that surprised. Picture taken Monday at Blackmail on SoCo.)

Yeah, that is how my morning unfolded. It's not even seven and I am on with my day. Maybe I'll get some exercise in before nine. I'll have lots of time to get a shower and go see about things at my dad's before taking him to a memorial service for a friend.

I like being up earlier. It's true I've gone to bed slightly earlier the last few days. Not much though. To what can I attribute this early start? I have a nagging fear that because I didn't drink last night I was more lively this morning. Not even a glass of wine or a beer. I spent the whole day in the condo, cleaning, doing computer chores, goofing off a bit. I didn't eat too much and developed a headache before taking an Advil and venturing the ten feet down the hall to the gym. I felt better after that but I didn't want to risk it. When FFP wanted some white wine with the grilled sandwiches he was making, I said open it but I was having any. He just skipped it, too. (He's still asleep so maybe drinking isn't at the core of it.) Hey, but I also didn't drink any coffee late. It just didn't sound good. I wanted a soda, maybe a Root Beer or Ginger Beer. But I would have had to go down to the store (down the elevator, walk a hundred feet) because we didn't have any on hand. We did have some snacks I dipped into. And I ate a chocolate bar someone had given us in a gift basket. I don't usually eat chocolate.

This weekend is the start of the dreaded Daylight Savings Time. You wouldn't think it would make a difference for a retired person but tennis games follow the government's whimsical clock because things people do after change times as well (meetings, Bridge games, lunches, etc.). Everyone adjusts, like it or not. But this morning I'm just up earlier than usual. For no reason.

So, on with my day. And I hope that's the only surprise in it.