So What's Your Day Look Like

Okay, so I'm going to complain here a little bit. Now I know we are all busy and much of this is my own fault. But perhaps you can see something here and have an idea for me . . .

The normal weekday starts at the Brave Astronaut launchpad between 6:00am and 7:00am. The time varies because (a) the alarm clock(s) go off at 6:00, but the snooze button gets punched by both Mrs. BA and I (for a better understanding of why - see the end of the post - when we actually get to bed) a few times and (b) if LBA and SoBA are still asleep, there is less of an impetus for us to get up. Hey, if they're not calling for us, we don't have to get up, right? LBA has possibly already entered his teenage years as he often needs to be awakened, but SoBA is usually up in the 6:00 hour (and why is it that they can all sleep late on weekdays but not on weekends?).

Mrs. BA gets the shower first and I head downstairs for breakfast time. Breakfast time involves, well, breakfast, getting car snacks together, and if feeling particularly productive, lunch for Mrs. BA and the Brave Astronaut to take to work. The boys head upstairs a few minutes ahead of me and I quickly cleanup the kitchen and then head upstairs to shower and dress. I have managed to hone my morning routine to the point of once I get upstairs, I can be ready to walk out the door in about 15 minutes. Mrs. BA works on corralling the boys through the final steps of their morning routines.

Of late, the Brave Astronaut clan has been all leaving the house together, with me driving the boys to school and Mrs. BA to work and then I head to my office. Somehow, as long as we leave before 8:00am, that entire process takes about one hour and fifteen minutes from house to my office. If it is after 8:00, add about another half hour to the trip. SoBA gets dropped off first (by Mrs. BA), then I take LBA to his center. I come back and pick up Mrs. BA and take her to her office. Then its the hike back out to Maryland to my office. I don't mind this as I like us all being together and come the fall, it's all going to change anyway (LBA will start Kindergarten in town, while SoBA will still be going downtown with Mrs. BA).

Once at work, (currently) my day starts between 9:00 and 9:30. This means that I will not leave until between 5:30 and 6:00pm and I'll address in a moment why that's a problem. My current workload has plenty to keep me busy and unfortunately, I spend much of my days keeping the smoldering embers of things I need to get done from roaring into uncontrolled conflagrations. There's meetings, administrative functions, and other responsibilities that pushes me into making a series of lists (a To-Do list for the week, a daily To-Do list, long range goal lists, timetables and schedules). I would likely benefit from a time management course.

Leaving the office, if it's a day like it has been of late, I am going to head to the Metro station to pick up Mrs. BA and the boys from the train, as they have taken the Metro home. Ideally, I would have (and have in the past) gone home first to get dinner started for the boys (and if there's plenty of time - for Mrs. BA and me). With the summer months upon us, it's OK for the boys to play outside in the yard while I get dinner together. I would like to be more diligent about menu planning and making use of "timed cooking" (i.e., a crockpot or using the timer in our oven), but that hasn't happened yet.

Once dinner finishes up, it is usually coming up on 8:00 and that means bath time and bed for the boys. Mrs. BA graciously takes on that task (baths) and then the boys will usually settle in for a show (current favorites: Arthur and Cyberchase, and the occasional Thomas). Then the boys will get a few books read to them and it is off to bed. SoBA is a very good sleeper and goes to bed very easily. LBA still needs a little encouragement but both boys are usually down and out by 9:30 at the latest.

So finally, it's grown-up time. Mrs. BA and I are both TV addicts and we would certainly like to just veg out in front of the tube and watch something (we have an extensive list of shows of our own on the DVR list). We both usually wind up working on our computers, although it's possible that I might spend a fair amount of time on Facebook, playing CafeWorld or Lexulous. I can't tell you why, but CafeWorld is mindless entertainment and it relaxes me. Mrs. BA is usually dealing with laundry, as that task never ends, with two small boys in the house. Some nights, I or Mrs. BA will announce we are "up," which means we are heading to be, sometimes with the computer, sometimes not. Now because we are not smart people, there is a TV in the bedroom and it will most of the time get switched on. We will often get sucked into some bad "B" movie, the occasional "A" movie, or a rerun of an old sitcom. What that results in is lights out usually around midnight. And then it starts all over again just six short hours later.

Next week, I'll talk more about some of the specific things I am involved in and discuss the things I would like to be doing and things I really should be doing. Feel free to comment away.