For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for May 02, 2024

Afternoons are my mornings.

My favorite time of day is dawn’s early light. When I lived in NYC, on Election Day, I was usually the first voter there when the polls opened at 6 AM.

Mr. Spouse is a “Connie” and I am not. When I retired, I let my system do what it wanted to, and turns out I like 3:00 am to 10:00 am for sleep.

In my 40s & 50s I worked graveyard shift, which was great because I’m a night person. But my diurnal rhythm would bottom out about 5 am, so I would walk for an hour between 5 and 6—safe enough on the military base where I worked (the security patrol got to know me). Some of the best times was when sunrise happened during my walk—sometimes I had to do the last westward mile walking backwards so I could look at all the glorious colors behind me.

Since I retired, I usually get up about the crack of nine.

El is tree hugger!

Love the “snork” sound effect

Over 25 years ago when I started working for my current employer I was a young man who preferred sleeping in. I became friends with a guy about 15 years older than myself who grew up on a farm. His personal feeling is that if you get up past 4:30, “The day is half shot.”

His influence, along with various life circumstances, brought me to the point that my alarm is set for 4:00 a.m. every weekday and never later than 6:00 (usually 5:00) on weekends.

On the rare occasion I’m in bed when my kids get up, they all want to know “What’s wrong with Dad?!?!?”

I am indeed a fan of sunrises.

Ironically yesterday somebody said, “At least their arms and legs are in the correct runner’s position.”

That was in Elly’s dream! Today they are back running with their legs and arms wrong.

Not a morning person, but definitely a moaning person…

“Early to bed, early to rise.”

Sometimes it’s cool to crash out at 8 pm and wake at 4 or 5 am and be wide awake in time to watch the sunrise. Unfortunately I usually have to stay up all night the night before to be sleepy enough to be able to go to sleep at 8 pm. ;-)

I’m impressed that Connie can talk so much while running at full speed.

Which explains why Elle is married to a dentist and not a farmer.

I notice that not only has the running stance reverted from dream Elly and Connie, but those matching track suits are also gone. Dream Elly and Connie looked better in all the ways.

Ooga Farley!

Booga Farley!

Googa Farley!

Wooga Farley!

I’m a morning person. Totally p!sses my wife off bu she appreciates her coffee being ready when she gets up.

I don’t think Ellie is, either.

Is Elly eating the tree? Or is she in love with it?

Nothing special about the Mississippi Bottoms — morning or not.

I am a morning person. I am almost always up bright and cheerful by 5a. I have been told repeatedly that I am disgusting, “No one should be bright and cheerful at 5a. Go away for at least 2 hrs and when I do come back, I’d best have coffee!!!”

I used to be a morning person. The Army cured me of that.

Runners own the mornings!

Mornings should not start before lunch.

She ran into a tree and immediately fell asleep? (And a very thin tree at that, one you would almost have to try to hit.) That’s not the sign of someone who’s “not a morning person,” that’s the sign of someone who just shot herself full of heroin or something.

First and foremost “if” I got up early I would NOT be “jogging”! (the end)

You might even say “she mourns mornings”.

I’m not a morning person either. LOL!!

‘El’ is a ‘tree-hugger’ (but only while she catches a quick nap) ! ! ! !

Would think after 3 children, Elle would be a morning, noon, and night person.

I used to be a morning person. But that was many, many, many moons ago.

Funny how our perspectives change. These days in my late 60s my day typically starts around 4 am because that is when my natural circadian rhythm is. Back when I was was in my 20s 4 am was typically the time I went to sleep

My dad would say this. “If God had wanted us to see the sunrise, He would have scheduled it later in the day.” I heartedly concur!