I knew it.
I heard the rumbling under my pillow. It was 6:00am. My phone was easing me awake.
I opened my eyes and struggled a bit. As I turned off my alarm, I looked around the room. The faint light of the bathroom cut into the quiet darkness of the early fall morning.
My wife has been giving me a lot of grief for sleeping in until 7:30ish in the morning. Even when I get up at 7:00am, I still get a hard time. She’s on her way out the door while I lie in bed every morning. She wants me up earlier. I want to sleep.
Working from home is a double-edged sword.
When you’re single and living alone, it’s great: you can set your own schedule. But when you’re married, it starts to work a little differently. Now, there’s a “house schedule”. And it’s a compromise.
She rushes in, running late for work. After a kiss on the cheek (I have morning breath that could take the paint off the walls), she sprints out, down the stairs, and out the door.
Silence. Darkness. It’s so peaceful. Peaceful enough to roll over and go back to sleep.
I looked wide awake when she left. I was using the bright LCD screen of my phone to tell my body to wake up. I could go back to sleep for two more hours and she wouldn’t even know.
And then, like Homer Simpson in the golden years of The Simpsons (note: that would be seasons 1-9ish, and possibly season 10), I started having an argument with my brain (though I never threatened my brain with a Q-tip).
- Just get up. You’re already awake.
- But I’m still tired! It’s still dark out! She’ll never know!
- You’ll know. Don’t lie to her. Besides, you like getting up early.
- I know, but it’s so hard. I’m so tired. I didn’t get to bed early enough.
- Doesn’t matter. Remember how she’s working out now and you are encouraging her?
- Yeah.
- So you keep telling her that her body will adjust. That she’ll start getting used to it, but it’s going to be hard right now.
- So?
- Tom, get your butt out of bed. Your body will adjust. You’ll start getting used to it, but it’s going to be hard right now.
- You suck.
- I know. But remember the days of college when you couldn’t get out of bed before 10:00am? Now 7:30am is considered “sleeping in”.
- Bleh.
- Just get out of bed.
So I did. I got out of bed, took my water down to the living room, and turned on my DDP Yoga DVD. After 20 minutes, I was sweating, wide awake, and fully charged to start my day.
Stupid brain.
I hate when he’s right. Always one step ahead.
Now, it’s just after 7:00am. Instead of struggling to drag myself out of bed, I am knocking out my writing for the day. I’m fully showered, and I am smelling the bacon frying in the pan at the kitchen table.
It’s going to be a good day. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have eggs I need to scramble.