Doing too much

[cjsmith]

Around the turn of the year I took on a few new projects:

1) A real exercise program -- not the "I'll hike once a week and pretend to be fit" idea. Currently, I have a program that recommends five days a week of cardio workout and five days a week of weight training - can overlap those two fives in whatever pattern I want.

2) Learn C4 (trying yet again).

3) Clean up the stuff Rick left behind. Today we estimated how much time it would take to go through it all, from the first sort to final disposition of everything. We decided two weeks of work for both of us, if I took vacation from my job so we could both do this day AND evening, would just about do it.

Along with my other time commitments, this is a strain. I'm not sleeping enough. I'm never relaxed, even when I try. I'm afraid I'm not giving full measure at work.


Here's how my day could look:
8am - out of bed
8:30 - at the gym, working out
10am - at work, showered
7pm - leave work
11pm - get ready for bed

Advantages:
Almost nine hours of sleep
Only one shower per day

Disadvantages:
Sleep schedule totally out of whack w.r.t. Rob's. Every night, fight for the right to go to sleep on time; every morning, get dressed silently in the dark.
On Wednesday, when I have an hour-long appointment plus driving at lunchtime, this doesn't give a full work day.
On Thursday, when I call for a square dance club in San Jose, I get no dinner.
Can't do anything that involves staying up later, like bi coffee or hanging out with Chris, without losing sleep.
Won't work after February 8 because my commute gets longer.
The evenings have to cover studying C4 and cleaning up Rick's mess, and dinner of course, and maintenance stuff like bills and laundry, which doesn't leave a whole lot of me time or couple time or fun time.

I think it's just not doable, and the major time sink is the workout (and associated travel).

Here's how a REAL day looks - how 'bout today:
9am - wake up
Spend supposed workout time looking in vain for missing tickets
10am - at work
Noon - leave for appointment
1:30 - back at work
5pm - leave for dinner
6:45 - concert at Stanford, assuming they let me in without tickets
11pm - probably get home
Feed the cats, clean the litterbox, find my passport, pack for weekend trip, talk to Rob
Probably get to sleep around 1AM

Or a generic Thursday:
9am - up
9:30 - at gym
Skip half of workout
10:15 - at work, showered
Maybe get lunch, maybe not, if so it's a short work day
6:30pm - plunge into traffic via a Wendy's
7:30 - start calling
10:30 - back home
Feed cats, clean litterbox, study C4?, clean Rick's mess?, talk to Rob
Probably get to bed around midnight

Something gets shorted each time, usually by about an hour. Ideally I'd only need eight hours of sleep... but that's not reality. I keep waiting for the beneficial effects of exercise on sleep to kick in. But they haven't, and I can't wait any longer. Something has to give.

Plus I need another painkiller again, @#$!it.

Comments

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Catching up on sleep on the weekends works for me, too. This year I am booked for just about ZERO square dance weekends -- those are what usually throw a big monkey wrench into the sleep-catch-up plan.

I like the idea of a night "off". Wonder if I could sell the idea to important persons in my life. Good thought. Thanks!

And thanks for the good wishes for control and de-stressing soon! :-)