Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Slacking Off!

The Bag Lady was a bit of a slacker yesterday, and it sorta extended into today. She (gasp) slept in until 6:30 am! Now that may not sound like sleeping in to some of you, but for the Bag Lady it’s terribly slothful. She is usually up around 5 or 5:30 at this time of year. There is no logical reason for it, other than her body takes a little while to accommodate to the time change. She just wakes up around then. She’s an early riser. It is not at all unusual in her family. Oh, not all of her relatives are such early risers, but she has one uncle who was always up at the ungodly hour of 4:30 am, and her cousin, Leah, over at The Goat's Lunch Pail is usually awake very early.

The unfortunate part of this for the Bag Lady is that even if she was up late the night before, she wakes up around her usual time. It doesn’t seem to matter if she goes to bed at 10 pm or 3 am; she’s awake around 5:30. Oh, sometimes she manages to sleep until 7 am if she’s been up really late, but that is very rare.

The Cowboy, on the other hand, suffers from sleep deprivation most of the winter. But when he has the opportunity, he can sleep. The Bag Lady envies him that ability! When he is not working, he usually wakes up around 8:30 or 9 am. That’s the time his internal alarm clock is set for.

What about the rest of you? What time is your internal alarm set for? On the days you don’t have to use an alarm, do you still wake up at the same time? Or are you lucky enough to be able to sleep in?

15 comments:

Hilary said...

You mean it's morning?

I'm a really poor sleeper most of the time. I find myself awake frequently during the night, and for long periods of time. Last night was particularly disruptive so I'm pretty tired right now.

But generally the waking hour is 7 am, when it's time to get my son moving for school. That tends to follow through on the weekends too.

Now where's that snooze button?...

Leah J. Utas said...

dfBag Lady - 6:30! The occasional lie-in won't hurt anyone. Thanks for the linky.
Our schedules are off a bit as Mike has to arise anywhere from 4:30 to --gasp!-- 6:30 and it's been 6 a.m. the last few days. That said, I'm usually awake by 5 or so, but it's been so cold out that I haven't organized the gumption to get out of bed until he does.
I still get up and go outside for my morning prayer cycle and drink coffee.
My internal alarm is set for 5-ish now and whenever the sun rises in the spring and summer.

the Bag Lady said...

Hilary - the Bag Lady has suffered through a few years of not being able to sleep well (still doesn't, some nights, which may have been the problem this morning), but it didn't seem to change her wake time, dammit!!
dfLeah - the Bag Lady totally 'gets' the different wake times for hubby. The Cowboy relies on the Bag Lady to wake him (the alarm clock is on her side of the bed), but he managed on his own this morning. The Bag Lady vaguely remembers shutting the alarm off...

Anonymous said...

I do have a hard time sleeping in because I am also usually an early riser. Of course, even when I am able to, I have a fuzzy, four-pawed alarm clock that demands to be fed at the crack of dawn. *sigh* And he does not come equipped with a snooze button.

the Bag Lady said...

Hi, Missicat - the Bag Lady can relate to the 4-pawed alarm clocks. She has had several over the years. In fact, that is probably the original reason for her eary-rising all those years ago. Now if only she could get something important done in those early hours other than drinking copious amounts of coffee...

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

I'm like a cat. I can sleep anytime.

I'm not a morning person but I've found getting up at 5:30 to be to work by 7:00 suits me since it means I'm out of there by 4:00 and can work out while it's still light out. But since I perk up after 10:00 pm, no matter how little sleep I've had, I need an early evening nap to make it all balance out, otherwise I nod off at the office.

I've always gravitated toward a twice-a-day sleep schedule. It's probably my Spanish blood. Siesta and then stay up half the night, you know.

Crabby McSlacker said...

Missicat, I think we have the same model of alarm clocks!

I seem to find the older I get, the earlier I rise, which is probably pretty typical. I like it though--as a youngster, I used to have a terrible time dragging my ass out of bed.

Anonymous said...

Bunnygirl - I think siestas are a fabulous idea...how do I get America to incorporate them into everyday schedules? Wishful thinking, I know! :-)

the Bag Lady said...

Bunnygirl - you sound like the Cowboy - he can sleep anytime, too. In fact, he's been known to get out of bed, have a coffee, then go hold down the couch for the balance of the day, dozing, sleeping, watching a little TV. Some days (when he's had an especially hard work schedule) he then gets off the couch around 8 pm and staggers off to bed! Only after he's put in very, very long work-days.
Crabby - you and the Bag Lady must be from similar molds - she finds the older she gets, the earlier she rises, too. At this rate, by the time she hits her 70's, she'll be getting up about the time she used to go to bed as a teenager...

Anonymous said...

Bag Lady - I think I do that already....Remember when we could go out until the wee hours of the morning and still get up for school/work? Someone hand me my cane, please...

Reb said...

I am (as you well know) a night owl. Oh, when I am working a regular day shift, I do get up on weekends at the same time as on week days, but my preferred waking time is as late as I can get away with. It was hell on me sharing a room with you as a kid - remember the cat that used to suckle on our pj sleeves?

the Bag Lady said...

Missicat, you can't possibly be that old! Ah, yes, the good ol' days when we'd party 'til it was time to go to work (the Bag Lady only did THAT once - almost killed her!)
Reb - waddayamean, sharing a room with the Bag Lady was hell!? Sheesh, she was quiet when she got up at the crack of dawn to sneak outside and watch the sun come up. And wasn't that the same cat that crawled into a suitcase as soon as it was opened on the bed?

Reb said...

I do believe you are right, was it Fluffy or Patches? Actually I think all cats get into suitcases, but she was very persistent.
Of course I was kidding about it being hell - at that time I could sleep through just about anything.

Penelope said...

Karen's bedside alarm clock goes off at 4:30 in the morning. She hits snooze at least twice (maybe three times) and starts moving around at about five. I hang out with her until she leaves for work at around six or 6:30.Then Sadie and I just hang out, groom, and nap. Sometimes we surf the net and watch TV. It just depends on our mood.

-- P

the Bag Lady said...

Penelope - don't you find it annoying that Karen has to get up so damned early?! The Bag Lady's Princess dog has much the same routine as you and Sadie. She gets up with the Cowboy at whatever time he has to (sometimes as early as 3 am), then goes back to sleep in her chair until the Bag Lady gets up. She waits until the Bag Lady makes the bed, then gets up on the bed for her morning nap! Of course, the Bag Lady's cats have a similar routine - Fuzzy (the youngest cat) sleeps on the Bag Lady's legs at night, then moves to the extra chair in the office, and Tommy (the oldest of all of the roost-rulers) sleeps wherever he damned well pleases. In between bouts of scratching at the closet door where the Temptation Treats are kept. The Bag Lady is trying to find a 12-step program for his addiction, but has so far been unsuccessful.