Who's Sleeping Where ?

Often overlooked by guests when planning a vacation sleepover at a friend's house is today's title post question.  I think on some level the guests just make an assumption that the hosts will consider their bed situation and designate specific areas, locations, beds, cots, couches, etc. for their guests to sleep on.

How fortunate we Traveling Case Circus members are that our good friends the Amsdens are excellent sleepover hosts!  They rearranged almost everything to make us almost more comfortable than we are in our own home.  Shout out to Breanna for giving up her supposedly super comfy bed and her room for Karen and I (and Spencer since he's still so little).

That said, it sometimes takes convincing to help some visitors that the sleeping arrangements are going to be just fine.
To the right is a picture of the eventual sleeping set-up for our three younger girls (this was the original planned set-up but it took quite a bit of discussion to finalize with these three girls).  Catalina didn't think she could fall asleep with us playing games in the next room.  Myra wasn't tired and wouldn't lay down.  And Savannah didn't want to be all alone in the bed.

Long story short, everyone (and there are 9 of us) has a great spot to sleep for the night (and tomorrow night too) and we're looking forward to some great fun together over General Conference and Balloon Fiesta weekend!


Song Of The Day:
One of the girls (I forget who exactly) was also concerned that they might wander away in the middle of the night.  That phrase reminded me of the song "River Of Dreams" by Billy Joel, which has lyrics referencing going walking in the middle of the night.  I promised the girls we would find them if they did wander off ... not sure if that helped them much.  :)

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Early Bedtime ?

This evening I am going to bed early.  Like really early.  Like right after writing this post early.  Yeah, check that time and you'll see I'm talking about before 8:00pm.

This is, of course, a rarity for me, but this is NOT the first time I have prescribed an early bedtime for myself.  Every so often, it becomes evident that my body and brain need a reboot of sorts.  I am hopeful that catching this feeling now and forcing myself to go to sleep when I'm truly tired, will help me avoid the typical migraine that ensues when my brain and body need a reboot.

I suppose only time will tell, but at this moment I am ready to sleep.  I know my wife and I send our kids to bed early when they seem to need it (see: extra grumpy, quick to fight with their siblings, or starting to fall asleep at dinner).  Almost always this works very well and the next day is much better for everyone involved.  I am hoping the same logic applies for me.

Good night!

Song Of The Day:
Because an early bedtime doesn't have to be just for kids, I think lullabies should have to be either.  So Billy Joel can sing me to sleep tonight with his tune "Lullaby" even though it's really not for me.
I also love the song "Lullaby" by my cousin's a capella group Eclipse, and listening to it is a relaxing way to head to sleep.

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Can Angry Birds Make You Less Angry ?

I am a very impatient person much of the time.  Don't believe me?  Ask my wife or my kids.

I hate waiting.

I hate having 'nothing' to do.  Even when I'm supposed to be relaxing, I want to be involved in doing something.

A scene from Angry Birds Rio,
which has LOTS of added levels
and bonus challenges to complete

The other day, while sitting at a typically long stoplight, I pulled out my phone and played a round or two of Angry Birds on my iPhone.  No wifi needed.  No data used.  Just flinging birds against bricks, crates, and piggies.  A few minutes later the light changed and it was time to drive off.  I was actually more bothered at having to put the game away than I was troubled at how long I was stuck waiting at this stop light.

And since I almost always have my phone with me, I realized that I don't have to let short waiting periods bother me any more.  Not only can I play a mindless game to pass the time, but I can read scriptures, make notes and to do lists for the future, or look through photos in my gallery.

It's like a life-changing situation brought about by technology ... and I'm very grateful for it!


Song Of The Day:
Even better than regular a capella music, is a capella music that finds popularity on mainstream radio.  "The Longest Time" by Billy Joel was one of my first introductions into a capella music and it's success as a single led to much radio play when I was an easy-to-influence youth.  That song is another example of technology having a profound affect on my life forever after.  Without the radio and pop music, I doubt if I'd ever have found such love for a capella music.

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Why Do YOU Work Out ?

I got into a brief, but interesting, conversation with a friend at work today.  She is aware of my P90X workout commitment and saw that I was bringing in some "unhealthy" snacks to work.  She chuckled and asked how the workouts were going.  I think she was surprised when I said they were going very well.  The conversation quickly turned to the fact that many people have very different reasons for working out or being physically active.

Some people work out to look good.  They appreciate their own physical appearance and want others to appreciate it as well (or maybe they don't appreciate their appearance and want to make it better).

Some people work out to lose weight.  I think most people claim to be in this category, but some have to lose weight (doctor's orders kind of thing) while others are probably a hybrid between the "look good" and "lose weight" categories.

Some people work out for the energy boost.  Anyone who has consistently exercised has felt the endorphin rush and metabolism increase that comes from sustained cardio work.  Exercise is a great way to improve your mood if you are feeling depressed.

Some people work out to get rid of negative energy (anger, stress, etc.)  This is different from the energy boost people because the goal is to exhaust oneself rather than rejuvenate.  It's hard to stay angry when you're physically tired.

And lastly, some people work out so they can live the rest of their life however they want to (i.e. eat whatever they crave, participate in whatever they enjoy, and whenever they want to do those things).

I think this last category is the main reason why I work out.  I do want to prove to myself that I can do the workouts.  I am interested in making my physical appearance more appealing.  I want to maintain a healthy weight (in recent years it has started to fluctuate more than I would like).  I love to get that energy boost and also get rid of that negative energy.  But deep down, my main reason for committing to working out has everything to do with being able to do whatever else I want (eating, playing sports, etc.) whenever I want to do it.
I want to not feel too guilty about eating a monstrous bacon cheeseburger with fries and a chocolate shake.  I want to be able to jump into a pickup basketball game no matter what time of day it is.  I want to have energy available for whatever comes my way, while also being able to just have a lazy day and not feel like a slothful person because of it.

Song Of The Day:
Again, a little stretch here, but I like the concept of Billy Joel's hit song "An Innocent Man" as related to my reasons for working out.  There is a tremendous sense of guilt associated with most forms of exercise and eating, etc.  I'm working hard so I don't have to feel any of that guilt for the indulgences I grant myself.  I think we would all be a little happier if we took that approach.

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