Most of the time you can find me at my desk working usually with loud music accompanying my mission to put a dent in my work load or scoping out stores for deals and coupons.  On the rare occasion that my chair is empty, you could find me in my backyard tending to the garden, running around the house cleaning, on the floor playing with our dog, in the kitchen whipping up some tasty vegetarian meal,  or taking a walk around town.  I’m one of those people that likes to be doing something at all times.  If you find me laying in bed or on the sofa during the day it’s usually because I’m trying to get rid of a headache or I need a power nap (doesn’t happen often).

A typical day for me starts with waking up to my alarm clock around 9am-10am.  After my usual morning routine I make my way down the stairs and turn on my coffee maker.  There could be a category 5 hurricane angrily whipping at my house, but I would still find a way to make it to the kitchen to hit that little “on” button.  The second thing I do is turn on my computer and get everything started up.  The speakers are turned on, I put on my glasses , I check all the notes that I wrote the day before, I make sure my pink calculator and phone is nearby and I pick out my nail polish of the day (yes, I have my quirks).

By this time the coffee is done brewing and I make a mad dash into the kitchen to make my first cup of coffee.  The first sip is always the best and I smile a little smile as I feel the caffienne rush through me bringing me to life.  Once back at the computer I log onto DealTaker and  I check my 4 e-mail accounts for updates on sales and coupons and I put my personal e-mails in my misc. folder promising myself that I will get them at some point that day (never quite happens).  I log onto IM and say my usual good mornings to my incredibly awesome co-workers.  Surprisingly, despite the fact that some of us are scattered, we do a great job keeping in touch and keeping the lines of communication opened.

For the rest of my morning (between capping off my cup of coffee) and early afternoon I’m posting coupons, working on projects, working on the boards, etc.  Usually, around 2pm, I take a break to whip up an early dinner and enjoy my daily meal away from the computer.  I only eat one meal a day and I try to make sure it’s not at my desk.  I do enjoy a couple snacks a day that I eat while I’m working.  I can very easily tell you what snacks work best at a desk and what snacks aren’t the most accommodating.  Just recently I learned that eating corn on the cob doesn’t work well at the desk.  Once I was done I spent about five minutes wiping corn juice splatters off my screen.

After I eat I try to go outside for a half hour and engage in some sort of activity.  It’s important for me to be outside getting fresh air at some point throughout the day.  Once I’m done enjoying my fresh air and sunshine I run around the house to get a few things done before “Live At Five.”  That’s what I call the start of my scheduled shift.  At this time I work my usual evening shift that ends when most of the population is already sound asleep dreaming about chocolate fountains and running from mosters that don’t exist.

After my shift ends I normally stay on for a bit and catch up on some work or throw out a few more deals and coupons.  My music selection at this time tends to drop down to more soothing music like Enya or Enigma.  Or, sometimes, I turn it off and listen to the late night sounds coming from outdoors or my partying neighbors who always find something to dispute about on their front lawn at the wee hours.   Most nights I turn off my computer around 3am, sometimes a bit earlier if I’m wiped out.  The coffee gets ground for when I wake up, Tanner is taken out one last time, the lights get shut off, my glasses are taken off and put on top of my laptop, I jot down any notes that I might need for the morning, and I make my way upstairs to bed.

I lay in bed thinking about what needs to be done when I wake up.  I take my sip of water before getting comfortable, make sure my favorite pink fluffy blanket is by my pillow (I never grew out of the “woobie” stage in my life), roll onto my tummy and, usually by 4am, ease into sleep.