I woke up at 3.30 this morning, it's always 3.30 or thereabouts, it's like my brain has a built in alarm clock set to that time and no matter what time I go to bed, when I wake up it will be 3.15, or 3.20, or 3.30. I live on 4-5 hours sleep a day, I'm always tired but that's how it is. I read a book for an hour and then just lay there until at 5.00 the central heating comes on. Pipes and radiators start too creak and pink as they expand and I wait for fifteen minutes for the chill to go off the house and then I get up. I don't have anything special to do but I'm just fed up with laying in bed awake. I look out of the window to assess the day. It's dark of course but at least it's dry, just lately it always seems to be damp or rainy but this morning there are stars in the sky.
So, what to do now that I'm up and it's dark outside and will be for another couple of hours. Look at the laptop I suppose, look at the few blogs that I follow, see what postings have been made over night. Just after 6.00 go to the paper shop, bring back The Telegraph and read it while I eat my porridge and wait until the daylight begins to brighten the sky.
By 7.15 there is a brightening of the sky in the east and so, with my dog in the car, we head off for the nature reserve, several miles away. It's a routine that I repeat seven days of the week most of the time. Routines, once you are well settled into retirement, as I am, creep up on you until you find yourself getting irate if the paper shop doesn't open on time, if pouring rain stops you going to the reserve at your normal time, and so on - boring old fart does seem a well used but suitable description.
I'd substitute contented for boring - never made a difference by being the same as everyone else!
ReplyDeleteYes, you are right Dylan, I was letting myself down by pandering to a common perception.
DeleteI am happiest waking up at 5:30-ish every day, but sometimes I wake up at 3:30 or 4:00. I do love an occasional afternoon nap, though, as long as it is still light when I wake up from it. Do you ever nap?
ReplyDeleteYes, I do have occasional afternoon naps Wilma, but far more common are the half hour naps in the evening.
DeleteI know what you mean about the attraction of routine as we grow older. When I was young I lived much more randomly and liked it that way but now I seem to want more certainty, more habitual happenings in my life. By the way, to get to sleep have you considered investing in an inflatable woman? A puncture repair kit is also advisable.
ReplyDeleteInflatables are not my kind of thing YP, I'm afraid, I'd rather be an insomniac.
DeleteI am just the same Derek. I have now been retired for thirty four years (I took early retirement at 50) but I am still just as much of a creature of habit. The farmer was the same after he stopped milking - still rose at 6.20 every morning.
ReplyDeleteIf I wake up early in winter I do my duolingo lesson or watch Italian TV. In summer I get by on less sleep, even though I'm more active. Life is odd.
ReplyDeleteI too often wake at 3:30. I keep myself busy until I can no longer and then head to the office. May as well work if I'm awake.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying some new things and hope that they will help.
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