The Orange Line: What I take to get to the office

In a recent post on his blog, social media guru Chris Brogan described a day in his life to his followers. He goes through a step by step thing through his day and how he does all that he does. In talking to people back home we discuss how things are a lot different here as far as a day to day routine. I'll try and briefly follow Chris Brogan's lead and go through a few days in my life just for those out there that want to know what I do up here. Here is how this week has been:

Monday

5:30ish (depends on how often I hit the snooze)- wake up, shower, put a roast in the crock pot for that night, make breakfast, watch the news and make lunch for the day

6:45- Walk out the door of my apartment and head to the L for my commute to work. Usually spend this next hour reading, listening to my iPod or some awkward combination of the two.

8:00- Arrive at the office. I do my social media chore list, drink coffee,  write blogs, drink more coffee,  tweet, another cup of joe, manage items on our company's VAR communication portal, take my 15th bathroom break because I drank so much coffee, go to Nicky's for my chili dog special (that I no longer have to order...just walk in the door and they start making it), and then work some more.

5:00- Leave the office and take the train back home.

6:15- Arrive at my apartment, do a quick change and run (literally) to Fleet Feet to meet a group for a run. I used to take the train straight there from work but then realized it took less time for me to go home, change and run the 2.6 miles there.

8:00ish (depends on how fast I run back)- Arrive back at the apartment after a total of 11-12 miles of running. Get a shower so I don't sweat all over our one bedroom and stink out my roommate.

8:30- Cook up a side of rice and eat my slow-cooked roast.

9:00- Make some phone calls out on the rooftop since AT&T doesn't like my apartment.

11:00- Go to bed after going through mail, bills and watching Two and a Half Men

Tuesday

Same routine through 6pm.

6:30 - Eat my leftover roast from the night before and make another nightly phone call.

7:00- Get called from a friend to come to a cookout that I completely forgot was that night

8:00- Arrive at the cookout and eat another dinner and meet even more people (one guy who has lived in 20 different countries, another one swimming the English Channel next weekend).

11:00 - Get back to my apartment and crash

Wednesday

Same morning routine

6:15ish- Get to my apartment and make some dinner

7:30ish- Arrive at Justin's, a local pub in Wrigleyville, to meet up with my bible study. Yes, bible study meets at a pub.

9:30- Walk back home while making my nightly call. Have to cut it short because I walk by Wrigley Field during a game and can't hear due to the 7th inning stretch "Take Me Out To The Ballgame."

or

Ride home, change and run 5 miles to a local track. Take a few friends through a track workout and then run 5 miles through a somewhat questionable area of town back home around 8:45ish (what I typically do on Wednesdays. Sometimes this workout is followed up by a 10pm dinner with our running group at one of our homes).

 

Thursday

Same morning routine

6:15- Arrive home and do some laundry and pack a duffel bag and cook and eat dinner simultaneously

8:30- Go out with a buddy of mine for his birthday. He turned 21, was new in town and didn't have anyone to celebrate with.

Midnight- Arrive home, finish packing for the weekend, eat some Oreos and crash on the couch a little before 1.

Friday

Head to work at the same time

4:00- Leave work early and head to Midway Airport

6:15- Board a plane to Nashville

7:45- Get picked up at the airport and head to Bowling Green for the weekend

Sunday

Arrive back in Chicago at 9:30, take the train home and arrive at my apartment by 11pm.

That's just a snapshot of this week. A little bit more going than stuff at home. However, I like being busy so this lifestyle seems to suit me just fine for now. The one thing about sleep that is different now is that 6 hours is the new 8. Now that I've adjusted to little sleep, when I do get the opportunities to sleep in I can't do it. When I visit friends, I'm the first one up in the morning, usually making myself lie in bed until 8 just for the principle of the thing, even though I'm wide awake by 6:30. I never thought I would turn into a morning person like this!