A Day In My Life

I had an unexpected change of plans this evening.  A perfect opportunity to catch up a bit on the things that have already fallen behind - decorating, laundry, cleaning, maybe a little yoga.  Instead, I talked my husband into taking me out for dinner after work and when we got home I put on my jammies, grabbed the Swedish fish and my laptop and snuggled up on the couch ready to blog my heart out because really, what would you do without my witty prose to delight and entertain you?  What can I say, I'm procrastinating a giver.

I have often wondered what a reality show about my life would be like.  I'm pretty sure it would be summed up in one word - boring.  People would be turning the channel before the first commercial break.  Before you start protesting and trying to tell me I'm not boring let me say that I think the world would be a better place if we all strived to live our lives in a manner that would make for boring reality television.  While I sometimes find it difficult to turn away from the drama of other people's lives I am relieved that drama is not my reality. 

At the same time, I think there is some curiosity surrounding my life.  While it wouldn't make for great reality TV the fact that I am married - without children - seems to be a point of interest.  I've actually been asked what it's like to not have children on more than one occasion.  So for you voyeurs out there here it is - a day in my life!

5:00  - My alarm goes off and with any luck at all I actually get up and head to the treadmill.  More often than not I hit snooze a couple of times and then turn the alarm off completely.

5:15 - Let's assume I've managed to get myself out of bed and into my workout clothes.  It's time to run!  I'm currently watching Friday Night Lights while I run on the treadmill.  I can usually get about 5 miles in before it's time to stop - this is a HUGE win for my day when I make it happen.

6:15 - Time to stop running and hop in the shower.  I walk into the bedroom and say "time to get up buttercup" to my dear husband and then start getting ready for the day.  I know, my sweetness kind of makes you want to gag - but the endorphins are running high at this point and it's one of the rare times I'm actually tolerable in the morning.

7:00 - Chris packed my lunch while I was getting ready (he's a keeper) so all I need to do is make my coffee and head out the door.  Chris will drive to work so I get to relax a bit before the work day begins.

8:00 - The work day begins - if we left around 7:00 and there wasn't any weather we'll actually get to work pretty early but things don't always run smoothly and sometimes we don't get to work until after 8:00.  It all evens out in the end but on a good day we'll make it to work right around 8:00.

12:00 - On Wednesdays and Fridays it's time for Pilates!  I'll eat my lunch at my desk when I get back but the next 45 minutes are all mine. 

4:45 - The work day is over.  This is were variety enters my day.  I'll give you the run down for a typical evening for each day of the week

• Monday - Bible study at church.  When we get home from work I grab a quick bite to eat and then head to church.
• Tuesday - Volunteer at the food shelf.  The shift starts at 6:00 so we go to Chris' parent's house after work (they live about 5 minutes from the food shelf), I grab a quick bite to eat and then head off to volunteer.  When I'm done I pick up Chris and we head home.
• Wednesday - Bible study with friends.  I'm a bit of a Bible study junkie : )
• Thursday - I try to keep Thursdays free - a little down time.  I often run on Thursday nights if I need to catch up on miles or just cross a few errands of my list. 
• Friday - Free Pizza Friday!  This could be a whole post of its own but basically, Friday's are Family night - my designated time to get my niece and nephew fix and connect with my sister and parents. 

8:30 - Most nights my evening activities are over and I'm home by 8:30.  From here it's all about preparing for the next day.  I make my lunch (which Chris will pack in the morning), choose my clothes for the following day, pack my gym bag and get the treadmill ready for my run the next morning.  Now would be the time to respond to emails and waste a little time on the Internet.  This is also when I'll work on my Bible study "homework".

9:30 - I try to be in bed by about 9:30 (I don't always succeed) - a little WWF and a few chapters of my current read typically end the day.

10:30 - Lights out!  Ideally, lights are out before 10:30 (if I'm planning to get up and run at 5:00) but a busy day or a good book doesn't always allow for this.

There you have it!  Obviously, each day is its own but this is a pretty accurate picture of the general rhythm of my life.  I think it's pretty normal and balanced - and maybe in that sense it's not normal at all!