Hi, I'm plum, and I'm 97 years old

In the space of the past four months, I have managed to change a part of me that I have been prone to be for 27 years... that's pretty amazing, surely?

You see, for as long as I can remember, I have always been a night owl... with the exception of when I was a kid and my dad used to put us all to bed at 6pm as we lived in a college at the time, and he had lessons he had to teach at 7pm... but other than that, I have been a person that seems to come alive at night. I have always stayed up, been productive and sociable and just generally wired from about 7pm onwards, leaving room to only sleep once the time hit morning.

As great as this has been, it has had it's significant drawbacks in the sense that waking up again the following day would always be a problem. Every job I have ever had, every morning commitment I have ever made, has always led to me being late... I had about three different alarms that went off at different times, a watch that was at least ten minutes fast and still I could not trick my mind to get up in time. A long time ago, I had resigned myself to the fact that early morning was just not the time for me...

Then, four months ago, I started to save money and, with that plan, my small insignificant and pathetic excuse for a social life, disintegrated into non existent as I chose to stay in, in contribution to said saving of money. All that being said, I found myself coming home at around 7pm, having something to eat, looking around my room, seeing my bed, and thinking... well, there's nothing else to do, I might as well just go to sleep now. 

And so, in these recent months, I have been making a habit to go sleep no later than 8pm every evening... It started as a way of ensuring that I get up early for work in the morning, all the while promising myself that I will be nice and sociable on a Friday and Saturday evening, when the early morning routine was not as important. However, (and I can't decide whether I am ashamed to say this next thing, or whether I am holding on to the fact with pride), lately I have been finding myself on a Friday night, when others are preparing to go out and dolling themselves up for a night on the town, looking around my room, glancing at my bed, then at the clock, and thinking... might as well...

All that being said, the upside has been that I have been waking up ridiculously early each morning. Gone are the days where I would need to lay my clothes out the night before, pack my bag and make sure that any food I need are pre-made, all designed for the inevitable late emerging from my duvet the following morning and following rush out of the door to ensure that I don't get fired for my constant lateness. Instead, I have been finding myself waking up at around 5:30am, a whole hour before my alarm goes off, and within that hour, I have found myself doing productive things.

Yes, ladies and gents, I have become a morning person... to the extent that, two weeks ago, I had managed to publish and advertise my book (have I mentioned I've written a book?) all before 6am.

How ridiculous is that? Who does that? I was almost ashamed at how practically geriatric I have become. In bed by half 7... usually before The-5-Year-Old has even put on her pyjamas. And then not just getting up early, but actually doing worthwhile and productive things at that hour! My every being is protesting against it... except for the tiny part of me that rather enjoys the 12 hour sleep... which, let's face it, is considerably less when you take into consideration the sheer amount of times I wake up shouting (and this is a true story from a couple of nights ago) "My grandparents would never approve of that." ... Don't ask... I can't remember what that was about, all I know is that it was another nightmare that had woken me up and, whatever it was about, my grandparents would not have been happy about it happening.

Now that the need for me to save is no longer as important (I am no longer going to America, anymore), you would thing that perhaps I might start to socialise more... and I have been considering this, however there have been a few invitations for things during the evenings that have been starting at 7pm and I have found myself laughing at, exclaiming: You want to meet at 7pm? What planet are you on? We're not teenagers anymore.

....

Yeah, I may need to work on that... I kinda like my early nights... and I've been doing this cross stitch lately as well as finding my old knitting needles... I've been meaning to finish that cardigan for months now...

Oh goodness me, is that the time? 7:30am on a Sunday morning? I really should be getting going, that mobility scooter isn't going to ride itself to the shops... and I did just collect those coupons for Asda...

Peace out my lovelies