A funny thing happened when I didn’t HAVE to wake up at 5:45 any longer. I started sleeping until 7:00am. It’s been life changing. Honestly. That extra hour makes all the difference in how I feel all day. I’ve been sleeping really well. No hourly clock checking, no 3a gut checks about life and work. Just good sleep. 7:00a has always been my “go to” wake up time on weekends and I assumed it was just because I needed to catch up from the week. (Or night before). Wrong. Turns out it’s my natural wake up time and the closer I can get to that time, the better my energy and attitude are. I know it’s not possible for everyone to wake up at 7:00. Credit radio morning show talent for getting up at 3:30 or earlier. That was worth half the final mark during performance review time. It’s not easy. And turns out it’s bad for you. It’s the same with shift workers. Staying up all night with inconsistent week on and week off schedules, not good. First responders, police, fire, care givers and hospital workers, are 24/7 occupations. Much respect and thanks to those who sacrifice their well being to serve the public. Too many of us are sleep deprived. After 6 weeks of sleeping better, I have some free advice so it’s worth every penny. Make a commitment to improve your sleep habits. Nothing is fixed in life with a finger snap. But if you don’t make a commitment, it will never change. Pick a bedtime. Stick to it. Don’t eat too late. Don’t drink too late. A full bladder does nothing to improve restless sleep. Give yourself some time between the screen (any screen) and climbing into bed. In fact, this one is tough. Leave your phone in the kitchen all night. You don’t need it. Honestly. What will you miss from 10 or 11p to 7a that can’t be addressed when you wake up? You need to sleep. And c’mon naysayers, (easier said than done) of course there will be nights when you have to sleep with your phone and be available. But those nights are few and far between. I’m talking about checking your social feeds when you wake up to pee and having your notifications on all night. It disturbs you. When you’re a parent you sleep with one eye open that’s true. But you don’t need to do that with your mobile handcuff. Also, Exercise for 20 minutes sometime during the day. You don’t have to “hit the gym”. Just walk if that’s all you have in you. Doesn’t matter when, but preferably not the last thing you do before bed. How many of us set super high and unachievable expectations in January? How’s that working? I’m advocating for sleep. Make it a priority and your life will improve. Mine has.

We’ve been going to Costco virtually every week. In the past, I would not step into Costco unless it was the right time of day or I had a unique need. (Like a 278 meter plastic wrap). Now I love it. It was way more about the patrons than the store. Too many territorial and entitled rude people who are really only there for the free food. The odd ball people are still there but it’s fun going aisle to aisle to see what we don’t have or need. And to make that impulsive decision to buy it.

I’ve caught up on a lot of on demand series too. We got into Succession and are finishing that up. I started watching when it first came out but couldn’t commit to it. It was me, not them. Next time you think your family is a mess, Watch an episode of this. We binged The Morning Show on Apple TV. Really enjoyed it. Seemed pretty on point behind the scenes but as always, no one ever seems to be able to accurately portray “on-air”. Larry David’s Curb your enthusiasm is back for a 10th season. Same old brilliant cynicism and awkwardness and hilarity. Love that show. All in all, with Crave, Prime, Apple, Netflix, Starz and AMC, plus true regular OTA tv, there is an overload of content. Too much choice. Not enough eyeballs to consume it all.

We have even been to matinee movies at public theaters. That’s an adventure I avoided in the last few years. Too expensive all around with admission and snacks. And then you endure the fellow patrons (some respecting the atmosphere and others pretending they’re at home). I saw Star Wars on my birthday, then we saw Bombshell and I saw 1917 with Brady. All enjoyable outings. However we noted how shaky the movie theatre business is these days. Each time, the buildings were virtually empty. Another industry disrupted by technology. I can’t image many theaters surviving the next few years. The revenue model is such that I don’t think they get any of the gate or very little at best. They rely on concessions. That’s why we pay $25 for a medium popcorn and drink. And on screen advertising. The amount of ads is frustrating for consumers. We’ve already paid to get in and for the most part that should inoculate us from too many ads. At Star Wars, there were 20 minutes of ads after “official start time”. No word of a lie. It was brutal. I don’t think trailers have the same stigma. We actually like those, as cliche as they are. At any rate, upgrade your home video and audio, that’s where you’ll be watching most of your movies in the near future. If you’re not already.

Dawn and I have just set a record for having dinner together every night for the past 30+ nights and counting. It’s been a nice routine of, one pretty competitive “spite and malice” card game, one cocktail (?) and a partnered collaboration in the kitchen. Suffice to say, we’ve been eating well too. Not decadent, not over the top, just enjoying well prepared and cooked meals. It’s also fun to shop everyday for your dinner. Speaking of, we received a Sous Vide for Christmas. Colour me skeptical but curious when opened. I’m now a disciple. An amazing way to cook meat and fish. As you may know, the device brings the food to a certain temperature in water, and holds it. Without cooking it through. We have done filets at 2 hours and salmon at 45 minutes. Insanely good when finished in a pan with brown butter. Highly recommend.

To wrap this edition.

It’s been a busy 5 weeks. 2 trips to Kitchener, picked up Jude from school one day as he was sick, saw a beaver, got a new windshield, changed my oil, kept the driveway clean, gave blood, worked out every weekday, watched NFL playoffs, took Blue Jay photos, (birds, not the team), visited 9 chip wagons that were closed for the season and oh ya, got some sleep. Thanks for reading……until next time.