First Day of School

As near as I can figure, my first class at Vanderbilt would have started at 11:10 today. This is what I was doing instead.

That's scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and crême fraiche in the foreground, mimosas in the midground, son in the background.

An Unexpected Benefit

For the last several years, I've slept at most seven hours every night. If I went to bed at 11:00, I'd wake up at 6:00 and couldn't get back to sleep. A 10:30 bedtime meant waking at 5:30. This was true during the school year, spring break, the long summer break; whether I was at home or away.

One morning about a month ago, I was surprised to realize I'd slept eight hours. Was I getting sick? No, I was fine.

And then the same thing happened the next night, and then the next, and now eight hours is my new norm. Some nights it's even eight and a half!

This started happening at about the same time that I decided to take off one day a week. Clearly I'm feeling less pressure to get up and make the most out of my waking hours!