Smoothing Things Out

Cutter's Log - Stardate 1102.50.21
Current Song - One Headlight (The Wallflowers)

I went downstairs to get a sandwich and a pop before writing this blog entry. Just by walking on the floor I woke up the dog. Thus, I woke up my dad. When I can't even move around the house at night, that's a problem. At night I feel like I'm pinned to a particular spot in my house.

Then again, most people are pinned to a particular spot at night - their beds.

I've been reminded many times over the years that it's best for me to wake up in the morning and sleep at night. When I was working, I couldn't be up all day and then go to work because I was slack around 11 p.m. and not get stuff done. I changed my routine around to where I woke up an hour before going into work for the night. That worked out well and I got my stuff done, and then when I came home I was wanting something to do. That's how I got introduced to Antenna TV: Hitchcock at midnight, Burns and Allen at 1 a.m., Jack Benny at 2 a.m., then to ESPN for Sportscenter at 3 a.m. and going to bed after that.

Even for covering games a considerable distance from home; I'd get home at midnight and have a story to type. The line of work pretty much makes me stay awake at 1 a.m. Now with this going on at home, I really don't know what to do. It has been suggested to me that I stay in one location during the night, either upstairs in bed, upstairs on the computer, or downstairs on the couch. Not going back and forth. Pretty much, getting my sandwich and pop at 11 p.m. and heading upstairs for the computer without having to go down at night.

Then if I get a job that makes me walk in the back door at 2:30 a.m., what's going to happen then? Do I sleep in the car and wake up at 7 a.m.? Roy's going to wake up no matter what, and when he wakes up he think's it's morning when it's really nighttime.

If only I could wake up as quick as Roy, and sleep as quick as my dad. BTW my dad works at the new wind farm near Paw Paw, which is a lot of work to do so he does get really tired when he comes home.

But other than getting to a regular sleep schedule, the reason why I wanted to write this post was to try to figure out how to get myself back into physical confidence. Since I literally cannot afford to eat out, this helps me from not eating things that are not good for me.

Now to find a way to move more. Today I went out grocery shopping for the home. Since I rarely do major grocery shopping, I'm one of those guys who you see at the market making an appearance in aisle 1, then 6, then 4, 5, 9, 7, 2, 1 again, 3, 5 again, etc. Most regular shoppers, since they've done it enough to know where everything is, will tailor the grocery lists up and down according to aisle. Mentally I can't do that. But physically, I don't mind doing that because I move around a lot. Plus, what always helps is parking at the far end of the parking lot.

As to outside of grocery shopping, going on a walk is going to be a little difficult for me because its is cold outside. But that's pretty much what I'll have to do in order to get myself going physically. Walking when its cold out is nothing new to me. Challand and SHS were a 3/4-mile walk from where I live, sometimes in the dead of winter with snow on the ground. There were times that I walked from my house to RFHS for basketball games, which is a four-mile round-trip. I wonder if the more I walk will help me, or will I bail out due to the weather?

It also used to be that when I went on drives to games, I would stop at the gas station and not just put gas in my car, but grab a bite to eat along the way. Can't do that anymore. Then with concession stand prices are what they are, I'd rather bring my own stuff in my bookbag.

I have also thought of incorporating walking exercises with the locations of where I cover games. Park elsewhere in town and walk to the school, and walk back when done. It's not like I'm on deadline or anything with the stuff I write. I have something in Sandwich and Rochelle this week, so I'll scope something out maybe.

Just anything to get myself back in good health. Who knows, maybe I'll be well enough to start, oh, running?

For confidence, I look no further than the previous post (see the post below):