Another day that started a little late, but hey, I did get to sleep in! I woke up at 7, which on a weekday is basically luxurious. Practically a vacation. Anything past 6am feels rebellious at this point. I often feel weird waking up later on a weekday. Almost guilty. I feel my day should be started early.
I was watching the Clutterbug podcast the other day (which is supposed to be about decluttering, but occasionally sneaks in life advice to personally attack me). They had a sleep doctor on, and he explained that we should wake up at the same time every day, weekends included. Sir. Respectfully. I am not waking up at 5am on a Saturday just to prove I’m disciplined. Weekdays? Fine. Weekends? That’s when my body finally remembers it enjoys rest. I like sleeping in when I can, and I’m not ready to give that up for the sake of “optimal circadian rhythms.”
Today’s later start was partly because Tommy had a doctor’s appointment. I woke up at 7 to make him coffee and pack his lunch into his backpack. He left for work a little after 8, which meant I didn’t make it to my computer until around 9. So much for my early start fantasies.
Everest is here today, and she’s currently outside playing with Merlin. It’s loud, chaotic, and adorable, basically the soundtrack to my morning.
Speaking of soundtracks, what should I listen to today? Yesterday I spent some quality time with the Final Fantasy XI album, which was excellent company. Today I’m torn. Do I go with another gaming soundtrack and fully commit to my “main character quietly saving the world while studying” energy? Or do I choose lo-fi, the musical equivalent of a gentle nudge that says, “It’s okay, just focus, no thoughts, only productivity.”
Either way, the coffee has been consumed, the ritual is complete, and I have officially run out of excuses. I haven’t started studying yet, but that ends now. Soundtrack selected (I chose lo-fi), brain engaged (hopefully), let’s do this.
Karissa told me this morning, right as I was sitting here writing, that she likes that I write every morning. That stopped me for a moment, in a good way. I don’t usually think of this as something anyone else notices; it’s just part of my routine, like coffee or opening my planner. But knowing she sees it and appreciates it makes it feel a little more meaningful.
It also made me wonder if seeing me write regularly might encourage her to write too. Not in a forced, “you should do this” kind of way, but in that quiet, lead-by-example sense. If it does, that would be really nice.
Yesterday afternoon, right in the middle of posting my journal, when I was feeling productive and accomplished, no less, my Shift key decided it was done with its job. Completely over it. Instead of capitalizing letters like a normal, functioning key, it started pasting whatever was living in my clipboard. Every time I tried to type a capital letter, surprise! Here’s that random sentence you copied five minutes ago.
It made posting my journal… challenging, to say the least. I briefly lived in a world where Proper Nouns were impossible, and my computer had developed a mind of its own. Naturally, I went straight to Settings to interrogate Sticky Keys. Were they on? No. Enabled? Also no. Existing in any meaningful way? Apparently not. Yet chaos persisted.
After some quality time spent glaring at my keyboard and questioning reality, I did the most classic tech fix of all: I restarted my computer. And just like that, miracle of miracles, the Shift key remembered its purpose in life and went back to doing what it’s supposed to do. No explanation, no apology. Just vibes.
I’ve put a few solid hours into studying today. I had lunch, nothing fancy, just a sandwich, but it did the job.
We’re expecting snow this weekend, and supposedly a significant amount. I’ve already marked it in my planner with a cute little snowman stamp, which might honestly be the part I’m most excited about. I really do love decorating my planner. I can’t help but wonder how much snow we’ll actually get, though. The last time snow was predicted, it barely amounted to anything. Meanwhile, the weather has been sunny and warm, lingering in the 50s, which makes the snow forecast feel a little suspicious. But then, weather can turn quite quickly. `
We’re heading out tomorrow to do a grocery run and stock up before the storm hits. One of those “just in case” trips where you grab the essentials, a few comforts, and inevitably something you didn’t plan on but absolutely need. Here’s hoping the shelves are stocked, the lines are reasonable, and we make it back home just as the sky starts to look dramatic.
I have about an hour of studying left. I’ve made myself some tea, and after that I plan to read The Book of Three. I’m almost finished with it.
Alex just popped his head in here to announce, with great conviction, that he hates math, and then promptly walked away, as if filing an official complaint with the universe. No explanation, no context, just a drive-by declaration of suffering. I’m going to take a wild guess and say math is currently kicking his butt, stealing his lunch money, and laughing while doing it.
