Routine

Routine generally gets a "bad press". Many people hate the idea of any "routine" in their lives. I feel differently. My belief is that a basis of routine makes it easier to accomplish change. Some family members find it amusing that I have a standard breakfast item for each day of the week. I am not totally wedded to these choices, but I find it helpful that i don't need to wait for an agreement with my wife before starting to prepare my food. She is always welcome to her own choice of breakfast, and sometimes we share an item that is not one of my regular choices, for example, on Tuesday I came down after she was already busy in the kitchen, and I was delighted when I found that she had made huevos rancheros. I simply moved my day for bacon and mushrooms to Thursday, normally a day when I would have a fried egg. My preference for routine goes far beyond food preparation. For example, I usually know what clothes I am going to wear each morning, so I don't waste time wondering what shirt or cardigan I will wear that day. Barbara and I like to watch the PBS News Hour, starting an hour or so before we start preparing dinner. That's on weekdays: on Saturdays and Sundays we watch "Newshour weekend" (actually a half hour program) Yup: in our advanced ages we have become a boring old couple...