It's going to be that kind of a week...

My new thing this year, this busy season, is to get up EVERY DAY at 4am so that I am in the office by 6am at the very latest. Can I just say that for the better part of my early 20s, I wasn't even in BED at 4am? I mean, seriously? This working thing, I get it, I do it. BUT 4am? It's just that time where you wake up and want to either hit your head on the wall to make sure that you don't really have to be awake or you want to throw up because it's so damn early... AND, I'm even a morning person. Early for me is pretty much ungodly for most people.

But, regardless, I'm doing it. I'm getting in early so that I don't have to work until 9 or 10pm at night...because, generally, I function much better in the morning. Things that really cramp this 4am wake up time: sick dogs, husbands that take naps and then can't go to bed by 10pm, still having to work until 8 or 9pm. This week (already) has been rough in the sleep regard. Ok, last night in particular. Because, one of my vices? I can't believe I'm going to admit this publicly... I watch the bachelor. No, really, I do. I watched it in college and all of my college friends had a bachelorette party when Trista/Ryan got married. I've been hooked ever since... well, not technically, EVER since. I missed a good few years in there. But last year, I just happened to catch an episode where the guy was the bachelor and also from Seattle... everyone was talking about it here so I joined in and watched. And of course, got hooked. Then the bachelorette was one of the girls that Jason, the bachelor from Seattle, had dumped and she was adorable so I watched that season and NOW the bachelor is one of the too freaking cute guys that SHE dumped. It's just a vicious cycle that really needs to be broken.

So, last night, of COURSE the bachelor was on until 10pm and NATURALLY they hook you in like you wouldn't believe. It makes me so mad because I really think that so many things are rigged just for the drama of it all. But, I'm a sucker and just had to stay up and watch even though I knew that my 4am wake up call was just getting closer and closer... So I didn't go to bed until after 10pm and then my poor husband was not feeling awesome. So by the time I got to bed at 1am? 4am was a mere 3 hours away... I think this morning I finally managed to drag myself out of bed at 5am. Yikes.

So, it's Tuesday and I'm already wiped. The past few weeks with this 4am thing, I start to feel it by Thursday or Friday, which is fine. Feeling like crap already on Tuesday? Not a good sign. BUT, luckily, I have my ways of waking up: tea, exercise, and eating right! Focus on now? TEA!

Starbucks just converted all of their tea "bags" to loose leaf teas- the one above is the Tazo chai tea (a blend of black teas/spices). It's MUCH stronger than the bags were and SO yummy... definitely has a little kick to it.

One of my favorites- Caffe Ladro, a local Seattle coffee shop- has my favorite choice organic teas. I usually buy the choice teas at Whole Foods and take them in a commuter mug to work (I like the darjeeling) but this week, I'm going to have to make a trip or two... or three... to caffe ladro to get their organic breakfast tea which is amazing also... the tea coupled with the walk to Ladro will sufficiently help to clear my head on mornings like today where it (the head) is a little bit slow moving and foggy...

I'm not a coffee drinker and not because I don't like the taste- I do. I've just done my research on it and don't really think that it's THAT good for you. Everything in moderation, definitely, so I do still have the occasional cup, maybe once a month or so. But for the most part, I just really love tea and have grown to like its taste OVER coffee. Additionally, tea is widely known for it's health benefits, plentiful antioxidants, etc. And it still has a reasonable dose of caffeine which gives me a little kick in the mornings. I also really love green teas, but I've posted here about the teas that I use as my coffee replacement (ahem, morning cup of "please wake my ass up").

Tonight might not be any different on the sleep front, though, I might add... Another vice? Biggest loser. I am FASCINATED by that show. I caught it last season for the first time in years and MY GOD. How do people LOSE that much weight?! Of course, anything I can get my hands on regarding diet/exercise/nutrition, I am all over, even a silly show. I know, I know, LOST is on too but I haven't watched that show since, like, season 2 (I KNOW!!)... so, as such, I'm kind of out of the lost crowd and I'm way more excited for biggest loser. While I still have SOME time at nights since it's just the beginning of February, I'm just going to watch it...my days of free nights are going to start to become numbered starting soon. So, I guess tomorrow I'll have to decide if I'm good with just my commuter cup of choice darjeeling tea, or if I want some loose leaf tazo, or if I want to make the trek to Ladro...Hmmm....