Weekday mornings

Again being self-referential, in previous post to my blog, I mentioned how everything changed for me in January, 2010. One of these changes involved my trading shifts with a coworker, he now works on Saturday and afternoons on Monday through Thursday, and I work mornings on Monday through Friday. I truly like having off a contiguous weekend of Saturday and Sunday.

I have now been working weekday mornings for three weeks, and regardless I am still going through a time of adjustment. For many years, most recently since September, 2006, I had no need to report to work any earlier than noon, thus I was able to sleep until at least 10:00 a.m., giving me enough time to watch something on TV and eat a fairly leisure breakfast/lunch. I was also able to remain awake as late as 3:00 a.m. the previous night, if I so chose.

At least two nights a week, I had attended classes at ITT Technical Institute until mid-November, 2009. Depending on the rehearsal and show schedules, I could usually be found at the Roving Imp Theater in Bonner Springs, Kansas, at least two days a week: Monday for my workshop and Saturday night for the shows.

Before my scheduled working hours were briefly reduced, I worked thirty hours a week over six days. My department was merged with Information Services on Monday, May 12, 2008, and I.S. suspends service and support on Sundays in the summer semester, so my sixth work day would rotate from Sunday to Friday. My Sundays were open for something besides coverage of NASCAR.

This last summer, a new improv class for beginners was started on Sundays at the Roving Imp Theater. From early July to late August, 2009, I was able to attend class, then my schedule changed back from summer hours, but two weeks later my hours were briefly reduced, so I was again able to resume class on Sundays.

Later in September, a few days before I began recording and posting my average fuel consumption, I took a technical workshop at the Roving Imp Theater, where I learned to run the lights, recording devices, and audio for the shows. Rehearsals for non-class shows are generally on Thursdays, and after the technical workshop in September, I would go the Roving Imp Theater just to hang out, after the show rehearsals ended at 10:00 p.m. until about 1:00 a.m. , a habit which was not a problem because I was off work on the following Fridays.

Because this post is not titled, "Botch-fest," I am not complaining that further adjustment has obviously been required for how late at night I can remain out; this situation is further complicated by the opening of the Roving Imp Coffee House and my desire to be part of the fun activities. Either for workshops and shows at the Roving Imp Theater and or activities at the Roving Imp Coffee House I now find myself in Bonner Springs, Kansas, on five or more days a week.

Independent of how many hours of sleep I have the previous night, I still have periods of intense drowsiness on weekday mornings, and to counter this I drink soda containing caffeine. At first I drank twenty-ounce bottles of soda, once a day, but purchasing these from the campus vending machines at $1.35 each becomes expensive, especially when I do not have the finances during this lean time of the year. I devised the plan of buying a twelve pack and taking two cans a day with me after borrowing the idea from a coworker. I drink one can when I arrive at work, and one can with my lunch.

In summary, I have no need to curtail my weeknight activities, because I cope with periods of drowsiness on weekday mornings, despite getting more sleep on some nights and consuming caffeine, like your girlfriend.