A new leaf?

I woke today at 7:30 for no apparent reason, and couldn't fall back to sleep. This is, in essence, a good thing because starting Monday, I have to be out my door at 8:30 every day. I know that for those of you with day jobs or children this is no big deal, but for me, it is. I like to sleep in or at least wake up slowly and stay in my pjs for a couple of hours before I have to go out into the real world. Alas, this semester I have to learn how to be a morning person.

One of the stranger adjustments I've had to make here in Chicagoland is the time difference. It's only an hour, but you'd be amazed how much difference that makes. I noticed right away that the summer sunset was happening earlier than I wanted it to, and after DST ended...ugh! It's dark at 4pm. Stranger still is that late night TV starts at 11--and this in a city where some bars are open until 4am. What could possibly be "late night" about 11?

I don't know if it's a pavlovian response or what, but when I watch the evening news (which should be on at 11 but is on at 10), I start getting sleepy. So--Chicago is turning me into a morning person, because I'm hardly ever up past 11. I guess this is a good thing. Except that I don't know, without my late nights, what my best time of day for writing/thinking is.

That's why I'm here at 8:30 am. Because I can't jump right into working, and blogging seems like an easy transition. Now let's see if I'm ready to work on that syllabus...

Random Thoughts Before Bed

I have a sore throat. Hopefully it is from the incessant practicing of my poems from the last couple of days and not the inevitable spring cold. Although, it was about this time last year that I got so sick I lost 10 pounds, and that would be welcome (the loss of ten pounds, that is).

I haven't caught up from AWP yet. Promised my students I'd return their papers on Monday but only have one graded so far. Also haven't written much of my paper about "I Go Back to May 1937" (Olds) that is due Tuesday. Tomorrow is going to be a fun day.

Today, I did five loads of laundry at Mom and Dad's. That's a $15 savings.

Anybody watch American Idol? Did you notice how bad it sucks this year? And how not like Chris Daughtry that Phil guy is? Just because you're bald doesn't mean you're hot and sexy too. Weirdo.

It was warm today. I'm afraid it's just a big tease, though. I think it will get colder before it gets warmer. Blah.

Daylights savings time...what's up with that? How come the government even gets to screw around with our clocks? The good thing is, even though most people are losing an hour of sleep, I'll be gaining one (sort of) because I don't set my alarm clock and just wake up when my bedroom gets light.

Off to bed now. I'm such a loser...in bed before ten on Friday and Saturday nights.