Routines

The holiday season is officially over. It’s back to work day for a lot of people, BDH included. And for me, it’s back to routine day.

There’s a lot to be said for getting back into a routine. I spend most days following kind of a loose schedule of things to do, because my job is to not only write each day, but to keep the house clean, the fridge full, the laundry done, and all that house stuff. So when the routine is interrupted by holidays, travel, cat crises, whatever, then the house gets dirty, the cupboards get a bit bare, and things don’t get done. I take holidays, too.

So yeah, the house gets a little messy. But beyond that, our routines as people get all screwy. We stay up later than we would normally, watching videos or playing games or reading or whatever. Our sleep patterns get all funky. We eat a lot more junk food and take out food because we’re feeling lazy or there’s grocery shopping that needs doing. We emerge from holidays looking more tired and paler and flabbier than when we went in.

Last night was rough. BDH had a lousy sleep — probably a combination of the bad routine, and the inevitable mental scheduling and review about whatever is coming up in his work week. My sleep was slightly less lousy, but still fitful, thinking about what has to be done this week, bills, the vet call about Opus today. We both woke up feeling tired.

But I also woke up feeling relieved. I have a list of things to do today. I know that today is the first working day of the week, so it is laundry day. I made my coffee and got the dishwasher loaded and was ready to roll. Laundry is underway. Blogs are being written. Tasks are being accomplished around the house. I enjoy the feeling that I am getting things done again, that a schedule is being followed, that I have a purpose to my day. I like having a routine again.

Holidays are great. I love time off. But there’s something to be said for getting back into a routine again. Maybe it’s because I am at home full time. I am sure I’d feel different if I were going off to an office each day. But I enjoy that I have a schedule and a plan. Things are getting done. It’s nice.