The marketing articles I read talk about "what gets you up in the morning" as the key to your success. I am stymied on this concept because the two things that get me up in the morning are my cat and my bladder. Their idea of "in the morning" is 4 am.
"VrrrrrrrrMEoooWWW" Nixie says, as she stretches. That means, "I want a snack and then I want to out."
Sometimes she will go back to sleep, but generally, she continues to move around, stretch, and if she really wants to go out, she will knock things off my dresser. I suppose I could clean off my dresser, but so far, that hasn't happened.
By now, I am awake. While I am irritated with the cat, I am also aware that I'd be a lot more comfortable if I got up and shook the dew of the lily. So, I roll out, do my thing-cat gets to wait.
Then we go into the kitchen to the back door, but she has to get a bite of cat chow first. This morning I had no patience for that, and just picked up her and set her on the back steps.
"MERoupp?" She gives me a sad, 'I wouldn't do this to you' look that I can see even in the dark.
"You can come back in when it gets daylight." I know, but I have always talked to my cats and my kid as though they understand English. I trudge back to bed, careful to stick to my path, as I don't want to catch my toes on something that I forgot that I set out.
I crawl back onto the mattress, and pull my quilt over me, still warm from my body heat. But now I am awake. If I think about the tasks of the day, I won't get back to sleep, and if I get up now, I'll be ready for a nap by time to go to work.
I put my mind on the soft warmth of the quilt and my old feather pillows. I breathe deeply to relax. I feel the textures of the bedclothes and remember that it is good that I can get up, that I have a cat, and that my house is warm. In a few minutes of calming my mind, the edges begin to melt together, and the next thing I know, my daughter is up, which means I have 20 minutes to get to work.
Where's the motivation in that?
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Comments: 38
So what gets me up? I set the coffee pot for 4 am, and it wakes the danes, and we start our day. I have to have at least 2 hours of reading or computer time before I go into work. If its a beaut morning, I'll walk to the curb for the paper, and have coffee, then leash the danes. But it is the coffee, always the coffee.
Love your posts.
Wilka
yes. i do these reality checks myself to keep me grateful.
:)
One day when my oldest was off from school, I actually got to sleep in a little, which is a rare thing. Well, my five-year-old son, decided that it was time for Mommy to get up. He pulled all the curtains, and he came to me and said: "Mommy the sun is up, so you cannot sleep any more!"
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But how do you get ready for work in 20 minutes?
Great article.
When I read the title of your article -- the first thing that popped into my head was "my cat"! (GMTA, huh? ;o) )
"MERoupp?" <-----I LOVE THIS! :^D (I think your Nixie and my Plunkett must've been educated in the same part of the country... They speak the same dialect!!! ROFL!)
Thanks, Katherine. I have a friend whose cat learned to say MAMA, just like a little child. And some folks think cats are dumb!!!
Thanks Denise, at least my cat likes to sleep and not poop in my bed.
Yes, Jean, they both speak Southern Feline-ish!
JC, some days I get up, get dressed and DRIVE to work in 20 min. My job is only 6 miles away, and I don't take a shower on those days....good thing I am in an office by myself!
Thanks, Danielle, Bonnie and Phyllis.
Stacie, can you teach me some Polish? I can yell in Spanish and German (not that what I would say woudl make any sense in any context).
Ruth, I've had more than one cat, and at times was not working, but I keep on looking to be grateful for funny things to write about.
Thanks for stopping by Christina, Amanda and VB.
Jean B, thanks for anothor reason to be thankful--no soyotes to eat my cats, and dogs have a leash law. I used to leave a window open for her, but then the chipmunk came in--another story for antoher day.
Thanks Peaceowork, K Anne, Judi, J Wright, Erica, Sara, Kathy, Jerri.
Donna and Sara, a cat is a lot less trouble than a husband...had two of them. At least you can easily pick up a cat and toss her out!
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