back to school

I've been watching too much tv lately. This seems to happen in waves - I'll go through a reading/project phase, and then a vegging/tv phase. In the 2+ months of bed rest, both have happened several times, which keeps things sort of balanced. And honestly, there are some little benefits to the tv phase: time passes quickly, it keeps me generally relaxed and calm, and the house doesn't seem quite so lonely when Will has to work late. But I just finished blazing through another series, and there are other side effects as well: I don't sleep as well, I have a shorter attention span for reading, and the days blur together.

Now I'm definitely not going to swear it off altogether (guys, there is a LOT of time to pass in a day), but I just realized that for as long as I've been on bed rest, there's still quite a ways to go (hopefully). I think it's time to get more strategic. And since nothing motivates me like a list, well I'm obviously making a list:

1. Come up with a schedule for the day. Like I said, there is a ton of time to fill when you're not even allowed to do chores around the house. I don't nap (I wake up and go to bed basically when Will does), because I want to make sure I'm able to sleep well at night even without exercise. And it's incredibly frustrating to look at the clock and realize that only half an hour has passed after doing some little "project." So I think coming up with a schedule for reading, meals, talking on the phone, etc. will lessen the need for mindless time-killing activities (fingers crossed).

2. Be smarter about what I read. It's hard to stay motivated to just "know what's happening in the world," but coming across this article reminded me of something: when you have a good teacher, everything can be interesting. I'm going to make an effort to track down the articles my favorite college professors are writing, and try to broaden my scope a little that way.

3. Be smarter about what I watch. Like I said, I'm not swearing off tv. But I think I can safely decide to not watch full series anymore (turns out I can't pace myself...helloooo self-awareness), and stick to our weekly shows and good movies that I've been wanting to see. For example, The Hobbit will finally be happening some time in the near future (I'm not ashamed...plus the baby has to like that score. Who doesn't? Good Lord, the soundtrack to The Fellowship of the Ring still gives me goosebumps.).

If all of this seems ridiculously simple and kind of silly, it's because it is. But friends, I couldn't remember the name for what sugar in a coffee shop comes in today (a packet ding ding ding!), which was enough to cause a bit of a breakdown. Steps have to be taken, simple and silly as they are.