Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The morning news…

Breaking News So for the last 40+ years I have always read a local morning paper. I have done this for so long that my early mornings have become quite ritualized. I wake up fairly early in the am… so early that I am sure that in a previous life I did something wrong and was cursed to a lifetime of rising before the sun…

So… as a result, I subscribed to the local newspaper and would look forward to rustling through the pages each and every morning. So each and every morning has always included this one act – reading the morning’s newspaper.

My ritual has evolved over the years to include reading blogs and newsgroups on the computer but it has always meant that at some point in the morning I take the stroll out front to pick up the morning paper. Today’s ritual is fairly simple…

headline story copyI wake anytime from 4:30 am to 6:00 am but rarely outside of these times. I then usually make sure the coffee is set up and start the coffee (if it hasn’t auto-started)… hearing the wonderful perking sound is how I know my day has officially begun. Next, it is off to the computer to catch up on the financial news, some RV boards, and several blogs that I follow on stock picking and RV’ing. Once the perking sound stops the alarm sounds signifying the coffee is done and I get my first cup of coffee and stroll outside to look for the newspaper. Inhaling the morning air and soaking in the predawn darkness or light is all part of the ritual.

Once I have secured my paper I then return to the confines of my bed where I separate the glossy pieces (advertisements) from the rest. Scanning very briefly through the ads unless they interest me I discard them to the stack and start with the front page. I have an order to how I read the paper – I don’t know why but I have always read it in the same order for years with sports being the last section I read. Then before tossing the paper I do the Sudoku puzzle. After this mental challenge I am ready to get on with the rest of my day. 

But one morning it was different… Why, you may ask? I didn’t renew my newspaper subscription. Since I won’t be getting them delivered to the RV I figured I may as well get use to it now. Alas! What am I to do now? My ritual has been disrupted and now must evolve again. S0 what do all the full timers do for morning news?

6 comments:

  1. Don't worry, that morning ritual will, I'm sure, be replaced be an equally comfortable one when you hit the road. My AM ritual has not changed much, as I have connected with world goings-on for some time via the Internet. Local news, CNN, BBC and different weather sites keep me up on what's happening. Morning walks are nice. :)

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  2. You can still have the paper delivered, and cancel it when you are ready to hit the road. Then, like Texas Yellow Rose said, bookmark your favorite news sites on your computer. My morning ritual on my days off is to get the coffee, put my laptop on my lap and web surf the blogs, forums and news websites. Ease into the day. Try it and see if you like it, and if not, keep the paper for a while longer.

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  3. yes i think i am ready for a new morning ritual and i think an early morning walk might just work :)

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  4. I think you will adapt and begin some new type of morning ritual. We usually read the news via the internet and then watch a few news shows on the TV. We then take a walk and when we return we begin breakfast...usually sitting outside if possible.
    Change...don't you love it??? :-)

    Mike & Gerri (happytrails)

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  5. Heh heh I tried to enlarge that news article to read it, tee heeeeee

    My coffee time is shared with blogs and checking the emails of friends, with the local and national news on the tv in the background. Mostly I watch the weather nowadays, and try to tune out the negative stuff they bombard ya with.

    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
    Karen and Steve
    (Our Blog) RVing: Small House... BIG Backyard
    http://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com/

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  6. We have always enjoyed the morning paper in bed with a cup of coffee on the side. We become increasingly dismayed by the shrinking size of the paper! I would cancel it if I didn't need the newsprint for art work and fire starting.

    I have asked for a laptop for Christmas. I am hoping to start reading the paper on it.

    For now my husband frequently reads articles from the New York times, the London Herold and the Aukland (NZ) Herold on the computer.

    We will change with the times.

    Looking forward to it!

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