"This is a pie chart describing my favorite bars...and this is a bar graph describing my favorite pies"

I thoroughly enjoy reading blogs.  I especially like a blog that follows someone through a process.  I have been trying to think of something that I could write and would actually want to write.  I've had some ideas but nothing even worth writing about...until today.

The above clip is one of my favorites from "How I Met Your Mother."  I reference it as much as I can.  My wife doesn't seem to think it is quite as funny as I do.  While browsing around Urban Outfitters today, she found this book and purchased it for me:

The book is filled with blank charts, graphs, maps, and other fun things to fill-in.  This could be the beginning of  long, fulfilling blog filled with excitement, not only for me, but for the reader.  Or I might post for a week or two and just forget about it.

Enough idle chatter.  On to the first graph!!!

Breakdown of Morning Routine

This is a pie graph that breaks down my morning routine into percentages based on how long the activities take me.

First off, I have included snoozing as a part of my morning routine.  I go through both snoozing and non-snoozing phases in my life.  I am currently in a 20-minute snooze holding pattern.  I really hate alarm clock sounds so I have my alarm set to a classical music station.  Since I am a pretty light sleeper, I always wake up even if a calming lullaby is the first song to play in the morning.  The classical music snooze also doesn't bother Shanna, my wife, as much.

Next, I like to wake up while sitting on the toilet.  This is when I really show off my multi-tasking skills.  During this time I check email, facebook, read Entertainment Weekly/Sports Illustrated/current novel, play Angry Birds, and... well you know.

Then comes shower, shave, and other basic grooming/dressing.

My morning routine usually stops here for a couple of minutes.  I made a New Year's resolution in 2009 to never leave the house without saying I love you to Shanna.  According to her, I haven't missed a day.  So at this point in my routine, I wake Shanna to talk for a couple minutes before leaving the bedroom area.

I quickly prepare breakfast/lunch.  Breakfast is piece of fruit/pop tart/nutrigrain bar.  Lunch is whatever frozen thing I grab from the freezer.

Next is my commute to work.  My drive is about 20 minutes.  I spend this time eating my breakfast and either listening to my Ipod or Mike and Mike in the morning.  Recently more Ipod.  I am currently in the process of listening to all 5000 or so songs on my Ipod in alphabetical order.  That sounds geeky but I don't care.  If you don't judge me, maybe I'll talk more about it later.

The last twenty minutes of my morning routine is all preparation for class to begin.  I check my mailbox, check my school email, attend conferences and meetings, and make last minute adjustments to the day's lessons.

The only variable in this routine is my daughter Ani.  She inserts herself intermittently into many of  these activities throughout the week. 

That's it for the morning and should cover everything in the graph.