With the nights becoming shorter and colder, the warmth of one’s bed becomes a little more irresistible. The protection and heat provided will keep you pressing that snooze button on those freezing cold dark mornings.

But when closing your eyes for just a couple more minutes is not an option, it can be one of the hardest tasks to rip the band-aid off and jump out of bed.

On Friday, I had one of the best feelings ever…right after one of the worst. I woke up that morning to realize it was 4:05 a.m., well past the 3:30 a.m. time I usually on weekdays to head to the gym. What’s 35 minutes, you ask? Well, I usually plan my mornings right up to the minute with exercise, chores, getting the kids ready, taking them to school, and commuting to work. Even running five minutes off my schedule can throw everything off and put me in a cranky mood.

I was alarmed to wake up and realize that it was already 4:05 a.m.

But the schedule adjusting I would need to do because of my “sleeping in” wasn’t my only issue. I had to snap out of the best sleep I had in several weeks on probably the coldest morning we had so far this autumn in Spokane. I needed to kick off the covers, throw my workout clothes on, and venture out into the freezing, dark streets of Spokane Valley to get to the gym.

Then a realization hit me. The expletive I thought to myself changed to something else. The dread and disappointment vanished. My anguish literally transformed into laughter. Yes, laughter.

Sidney was understandably confused after waking up to her husband laughing and re-situated himself in bed. Knowing I needed to end the suspense, I looked at her and offered the reason for my amusement:

“It’s not Friday, it’s Saturday.”

Returning to sleep with gleeful relief was one of the best feelings I experienced all month. Don’t Blink.