Clean and Jerk

New routines are hard. I'm not just talking about trying to learn the choreography for a new Britney video. No indeed. I'm talking about reprogramming your body clock and developing new habits.

My new goal is to be up at 6am, fill 3 pages of brain drain, free-writing, morning pages, whatever, have some breakfast, get to the gym, and be to work before 9am. Preferably by 8:30.

The shrink used to tell me the first step for not going to a return ticket out of the dark place was to be on a regular sleep schedule. One should always try that before medication. Of course, he put me on meds anyway, but whatever. So I'm in England now, the shrink doesn't do phone sessions, and I'm still trying to be off the happy pills (which is not as simple or easy as the judgmental know-it-alls serotonin-blessed who've ever needed them can attest ... and please, do attest).

"I don't believe in them. If you want to be happy just be happy," I was told. Well that's just great. And not many happy steps away from the fanatics who don't believe in doctors and it's better to put your health into G*d's hands rather than team up with modern science. And creationism is the way ... I did not evolve from a monkey. What's right for me should be right for everybody!

But I digress.

Accomplished all on my morning list yesterday. *bows* Well done, me. While I know that exercise in the morning is a good thing, in theory, I always feel so sluggish. Took in more than one mouthful of pool water and felt a bit like Shelly Winters for the first 10 minutes of the swim.

Gurgling underwater cries of "Manny" were lost on my fellow strokers, but at least I entertained myself.

Today though, I did the fall-back-into-bed thing (old bad habit). The new comforter is soooooo, well, comfortable. But I rallied, was up by 6:15, got my pages written (so what was that dream about me being in the 1st episode of Sex and the City -- and since when did my new best friend Carrie meet Big at a baseball stadium?), and protein smoothie made.

Alas, I'd left my gym stuff at work last night (it's all not carrying excess baggage), and I really didn't need a third backpack of crap at the office, so I said no gym. Perhaps a quick run, that's a good idea (even though it's a weight day, not cardio).

Or ... we could just put in the Personal Trainers DVD I picked up the other night.

Well, I got a little exercise at least. And some motivation to lose more flab.

And made it to work with one minute to spare before my 9am.

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Valentine's bonus -- just bought tickets to see them. Maybe that's an anti-Valentines?