How do you spend your first two hours of the day?

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrabbler1 I like the first 2 hours of my day a lot more now.

Me too, although I didn't have the commute you had. I only had a 1.5 mile commute that took 6 minutes. My alarm was set for 5:30 AM, and by 6:00 AM I was sitting at my desk.

However, the rest of my first two hours when I was working was occupied by sitting there bleary eyed and extremely grumpy, while downing massive quantities of coffee, avoiding contact with others, and trying to look and behave more like a human being.

[mpeirce]

Up a bit before seven (basically when DW is done with her shower) and straight into the shower. Then get dressed enough to walk out to pick up the paper on the driveway - no use scaring the local kids waiting for their school bus. Fill the bird feeder. Cook up eggs for DW and me. Usually some variation of an omelet along with bacon or sausage. Then settle down with the local paper eating and drinking coffee.

Finally wander into my office and sit in front of the iMac. Check email (almost nothing these days - YAY!) and read/scan a dozen or so web sites. I have a folder containing the sites I check, so I open a new window, select Open In Tabs and they all get loaded up at once. I close each one as I read them. When I close the last one, I head up to brush teeth/etc and then I move on to whatever else the day has in store for me. This is usually about nine.

[nash031]

*IF* I had two hours in the morning before work every day, I would use one of them to knock out a workout. On the rare occasion that I do get a morning off, I never do that, instead opting to make a bacon and egg breakfast and enjoy my coffee with the newspaper.

As it stands, I have about 45 minutes in the morning, and I take a quick shower, let the dogs out, eat breakfast, prep lunch and out the door... I love my mornings when I don't have to rush...

[RetireAge50]

Surprising how many here check email. Is there something worthwhile there? I stopped checking mine awhile back.

I'm still woking so first two hours predictable: shower, breakfast, commute, tea, water, work.

[Eagle43]

Can't sleep later than 6a.m. Coffee, breakfast, check news, email, and a couple of internet forums. When I was working, I was up earlier and at work by 6: 30. Don't miss that at all.

Sent from my AT100 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

[AnIntentionalRoad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 48Fire Ok, now that I am awake, I can now say what my morning is like. Today was very typical. Woke up to a beautiful sunrise with my wife at 7:30.....sure beats tiptoeing out of the bedroom at 5:30. Had a couple of fresh-ground cups of coffee in the courtyard as the sun came up.....trumps gulping down coffee on way to work and spilling it on my pants occasionally. 30 minute walk with our dog. Homemade granola with local strawberries and blueberries, and fresh squeezed orange juice......much healthier than pre-ER habit of no breakfast or donuts at work. During all this, had several nice conversations with my lovely wife, including one of my favorite questions - "What time are you planning on golfing today?" Watched ESPN for a few minutes, and got ready for golf. What I DON'T do is even more important. I don't check Quicken, get on the computer, or watch the news. It is usually fluff or depressing.

I barely ever watch the news since ER, which is a big change foe me. DW and I have been life long CNN/current affairs junkies but now the TV is usually off until well after dinner is cleaned up. And then the news channels are rarely on.

[48Fire]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derslickmeister OK, now you're just rubbing it in

It's hard not to come across that way. I won't tell you what my afternoon was like so you don't feel any worse. I hope some of this motivates OMY sufferers or others to stay the course towards ER. Comparing today to my pre-ER Mondays is pretty amazing.

[audreyh1]

DH make me coffee and breakfast.

More than half the mornings we get on our field clothes, hats and bins, and then cycle into the state park. Lately we've been heading to Hawk Tower where we sometimes get to watch the morning hawk liftoff. And talk to the counters as we watch the migrating hawks cross overhead.

Usually some cool nature thing to get us out first thing in the morning, even if it's just bird watching from the back patio while we enjoy our coffee.

Haven't watched morning TV in many, many years. Definitely not since I got an iPad.

[Katsmeow]

I am not a morning person.

Most days I get up between 10 and 10:30. I get a large glass of iced green tea (it used to be Coke Zero but I've cut it out), then I go to my computer and check various websites while I wake up. I check usually my email, Slate, this forum, maybe the NY Times and Washington Post, and just meander around.

I log onto the game Hearthstone to see what my daily quests are and maybe play a couple of games (it is a collectible card game played online).

I usually eat a Kind bar for breakfast while I'm doing this, pet the cats a little bit and generally work on getting awake.

Three days of the week are different. On 2 days I take my daughter to school and wait for her to get out. She is going to community college but doesn't have her full driving license yet.

Then, on Friday mornings, DH and I go to a Weight Watchers meeting so I have get up about an hour earlier.

[redduck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 DH make me coffee and breakfast. More than half the mornings we get on our field clothes, hats and bins,

audreyh1 (or, anybody else), what's a "bin"?

[MissMolly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by redduck audreyh1 (or, anybody else), what's a "bin"?

Binoculars - for bird watching

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissMolly Binoculars - for bird watching

+1

Yep, sorry - bird watching vernacular!

[redduck]

Thanks, MissMolly and audreyh1;

I initially googled "bin" but that was a mess (and no help at all).

[aja8888]

I thought it was a container to hold wild mushrooms in that you picked..

[MBAustin]

After about 2 years of ER, my internal alarm clock started going off between 8-8:30 most days. Take morning pills, dress in sweats or shorts (depending on the season) and head out for a 2 mile walk around the neighborhood. Fix coffee and one egg with toast, eat while reading the newspaper. Head to the computer to read morning scriptures/devotional, check e-mail, stock quotes, and Facebook. Shower and dress in real clothes for whatever the day has in store. Sometimes I reverse the shower and computer just to change things up a bit.

[mickeyd]

Sleep from 6AM to 8AM.

[Derslickmeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 48Fire It's hard not to come across that way. I won't tell you what my afternoon was like so you don't feel any worse. I hope some of this motivates OMY sufferers or others to stay the course towards ER. Comparing today to my pre-ER Mondays is pretty amazing.

Yup, it's definitely motivation for me. Keep it up, I need the occasional reminder as I get closer to the finish line

[redduck]

I added something new to my first two hours in the morning-- I work on a jigsaw puzzle for about 1/2 hour. I used to do this as a kid, started again for awhile after college, and then forgot about it for about 30 years.

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by redduck I added something new to my first two hours in the morning-- I work on a jigsaw puzzle for about 1/2 hour. I used to do this as a kid, started again for awhile after college, and then forgot about it for about 30 years.

Are you saying that you kept that unfinished puzzle for 30 years?

[redduck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound Are you saying that you kept that unfinished puzzle for 30 years?

You know, I think that's exactly what I said (but it isn't what I meant). Nice catch.