Of To Do Lists and Sleeping In by Konnie Enos

I’m lying in bed after yet another trip to the bathroom, trying to get comfortable and looking forward to sleeping in. I know can sleep in for several reasons. I’d reminded my co-workers of my day off yesterday and Jerry about garbage day last night.

It has to be the middle of the night because my husband, who gets up alarmingly early each morning, is still fast asleep and snoring next to me. So I’m wondering why my brain is insisting I need to be awake.

The whole thing leaves me arguing. It is the middle of the night and I have no appointments today or even anything pressing.

True, it is payday, I will need to do some finances, and I’ll need to go to the grocery store later, for which I should write a shopping list. Tony wants to get some more driving practice in. (I’m the designated new driver trainer in this household because Jerry panics worse than I do.) Fortunately, that means he can drive me to the store.

Then there is Royce. He helped me clean and organize my side of the bedroom last Sunday and I promised him a reward. I’m assuming clothes shopping for him will take up part of my day.

Then there is the fact that Jerry and I promised each other we would use my day off for dates. I’m assuming we’re going to try, yet again, to fit it in. Though I’m not sure when or how. Not just because of my schedule but because we have a minor household repair Jerry has to work on, the sooner the better. So far, in two days, all he’s managed is to gather the supplies and tools he needs.

I’m honestly thinking we will not go out because we both already have so much on our plates and our children are bound to come up with something else that desperately needs done. There aren’t enough hours in the day. Although, it isn’t morning yet and there isn’t any reason why I can’t tackle it all after I’ve gotten enough sleep.

However, no amount of telling myself I cannot do any of it until it’s actually morning, as in after the sun comes up, is working.

So instead, as I toss about trying to get comfortable, I’m going over each little thing I know I have to do. No amount of arguing on my part would get my brain to believe it could wait a few more hours.

After several minutes of tossing, and arguing, I finally get myself comfortable. I’m just beginning to feel sleep take back over so I’m telling myself, “See all those things can wait.” Then my brain leveled me with its final argument.

You see there was one vital thing for me to do first thing this morning; something imperative with a set finish time. It couldn’t wait. Worst of all, it was something I had done absolutely no prep work on. None.

That woke me up. I had to finish before the deadline and I knew it could take me a while. Not because it was altogether that time consuming but because it could take me a while to figure out exactly WHAT I was doing and it’d take time to actually do it.

I ended up popping out of bed just as Jerry’s alarm went off. Now we’re both up well before the sun and on our computers.

What was so important to wake me up at that early hour?

THIS!

I hadn’t written my post yet. Apparently even having today off isn’t helping me have the time to actually write even this short post twice a month. I’m going to have to work on that.

As far as being woke up in the middle of the night by pressing tasks, this one was not stressful or earth shattering. I’m thankful it wasn’t a problem I couldn’t solve or something traumatic or distressing that woke me up.

Now if I can just get my muse to talk to me maybe I can get some other writing done that is if I can fit it in.

Now that I’ve gotten this post written, I’d like to get some more sleep but my alarm has already gone off and now I’m remembering another very important task I still need to do prep work. So much for sleep.

Does anybody else have mornings like this?

Smile. Make the day a brighter day.