I’ve never been an early bird person. My eyes and my thought processes just don’t want to take it. The earliest I’ve ever willingly dragged myself out of bed to start the day was 4:00 am and then only to catch an international flight (the jetlag starts from the minute I wake up, I swear!) This week I had the questionable delight of getting up at 5:40 am as youngest progeny is trialling for an Open A netball squad at her high school. This wouldn’t be a problem if eldest progeny didn’t have an early class at Uni and had to take the kids car into Uni for the day, or if eldest progeny had her full licence and could take her sister up to school in time for 7:00 am training. And, since the man of the house came in early from night shift and was already in the depths of sleep (lucky fellow!), it fell to me to get my youngest up to school on time.
Now, you’d think that an hour and twenty minutes would be sufficient time for a sixteen year old to get ready and get up to training on time, wouldn’t you? Especially when she’d packed her bag with uniform, books, towel, bathroom gear, sandals, etc. last night. Well, wouldn’t you?
Suffice to say, my darling youngest child is not an early bird either. We made it at 6:59 am and as I drove back home, in the dark, listening to the news bulletin that I usually lie in bed and listen to before I get up in the morning I realised she must really really want a place in this squad to get up this early.
Of course there are benefits to getting up early. By rights, I should be able to get more writing done, and since both progeny finish school and Uni later, on this wretched early start day, I get a bit more time in the afternoon as well. But I’m so tired! Maybe I should nap instead 
On the ‘bright’ side–I got to watch the most beautiful sunrise through my office window. There’s a bit of a cloud base and I could see golden/pale apricot rays in broad strokes breaking through the cloud here and there. If only the digital camera wasn’t in the bedroom with the sleeping man of the house I could have shared it with you all too. Maybe next week…yawn. But that will be my last shot because (yay) after next week eldest progeny will have her full licence and guess who’ll be chivvying youngest along to training in the morning! Ha! If that doesn’t get her ready in time, nothing will :
D
I used to be a night owl, and there are times I still make it (usually deadline times) but now I think I’m very definitely something in between. So which are you, early bird, night owl, or something in between?
Hi Yvonne,
When I was little, I didn’t mind getting up early. Now, I am an extreme night owl. An 8:30 class makes me cringe [and yes I have one now.] I was so spoiled in college - my earliest class for the longest time was 10:30. In fact, I went a few quarters with my earliest class starting at 11:30. [And I never took evening classes either!] I’m much rather have to go to sleep @ 4 am than wake up at 4 am.
If I had to be somewhere by 7:00 I’d wake up at the latest time possible. I still can’t believe I managed to get to high school on time, which started @ 7:30 - we had to be there earlier because of the parking nightmare- so I’d get up at 6:50 [that time makes me shudder now]- and be running out the door by 7ish, and book it to school. In college I could walk to classes, so I’d be rolling out of bed 40 minutes before classes started, since it was generally a 20 minute walk to classes. Oh, the good life
Comment by limecello — 16 March, 2008 @ 8:20 pm
Ha, I think when I was young I was even worse than I am now. I’ve always been a morning bed bunny! My mum always used to wake me up and I can still hear the increase in irritation in her voice as she had to keep calling me and calling me before I’d actually raise my body from my cocoon.
My eldest has started Uni this year and the commute in light traffic is half an hour, but in peak traffic it can be an hour and a half. She’s up at 6:00/6:30 to leave home by 7:00 and then spends an hour twiddling her thumbs waiting for her 8:30 class. Thank goodness she only needs to do that twice a week. Her other classes this semester are 10:30 starts. Most civilised.
Comment by yvonnelindsay — 16 March, 2008 @ 9:02 pm
P.S. Youngest child did make the Open A Squad so that early start was good for something! Now it’s just training every Tuesday at 7:00 am…argh!!!!
Comment by yvonnelindsay — 16 March, 2008 @ 9:04 pm