January 15th, 2009 / 10:59 pm
Random

What’s your daily routine?

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A friend just reminded me about this blog called Daily Routines. The blog seeks to gather together in one place the daily work routines of various smart people – like, you know, Günter Grass and Joseph Campbell. One of my favorites is the post on Charles Darwin:

7 a.m. Rose and took a short walk.
7:45 a.m. Breakfast alone
8–9:30 a.m. Worked in his study; he considered this his best working time.
9:30–10:30 a.m. Went to drawing-room and read his letters, followed by reading aloud of family letters.
10:30 a.m.–
12 or 12:15 p.m.
Returned to study, which period he considered the end of his working day.
12 noon Walk, starting with visit to greenhouse, then round the sandwalk, the number of times depending on his health, usually alone or with a dog.
12:45 p.m. Lunch with whole family, which was his main meal of the day. After lunch read The Times and answered his letters.
3 p.m. Rested in his bedroom on the sofa and smoked a cigarette, listened to a novel or other light literature read by ED [Emma Darwin, his wife].
4 p.m. Walked, usually round sandwalk, sometimes farther afield and sometimes in company.
4:30–5:30 p.m. Worked in study, clearing up matters of the day.
6 p.m. Rested again in bedroom with ED reading aloud.
7.30 p.m. Light high tea while the family dined. In late years never stayed in the dining room with the men, but retired to the drawing-room with the ladies. If no guests were present, he played two games of backgammon with ED, usually followed by reading to himself, then ED played the piano, followed by reading aloud.
10 p.m. Left the drawing-room and usually in bed by 10:30, but slept badly.

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25 Comments

  1. pr

      great site.

  2. Gene Morgan

      Darwin’s Twitter feed.

  3. Gene Morgan

      Darwin’s Twitter feed.

  4. peter cole

      I like this

  5. peter cole

      I like this

  6. sam pink

      ten a.m. to three a.m. : scratch beard and try to figure out some goals.

  7. sam pink

      ten a.m. to three a.m. : scratch beard and try to figure out some goals.

  8. Ryan Call

      ‘but slept badly’

  9. Ryan Call

      ‘but slept badly’

  10. pr

      i love the slept badly-

      here’s me– wake up at noon, drink cold coffee left by husband at 8:30(maybe read). Stare out my window. Pet a cat, or four. Go downstairs. Eat something. Play music(or read). Go to gym. Come home. shower. Kids come home. Watch taped king of the hill with them (maybe read while watching). Nag at them about thier messy rooms, homework and piano(and maybe read). Five o’clock- start drinking. Make dinner or order take-out. Watch three to five law and orders, or a movie, or sports. Go to bed(maybe read, if wine consumption was not so bad and if vodka was avoided altogether). Bedtime- 11 to 2am.

      BTW- that is not everyday! That is just some days. other days I do other things, like dance around singing.

  11. pr

      i love the slept badly-

      here’s me– wake up at noon, drink cold coffee left by husband at 8:30(maybe read). Stare out my window. Pet a cat, or four. Go downstairs. Eat something. Play music(or read). Go to gym. Come home. shower. Kids come home. Watch taped king of the hill with them (maybe read while watching). Nag at them about thier messy rooms, homework and piano(and maybe read). Five o’clock- start drinking. Make dinner or order take-out. Watch three to five law and orders, or a movie, or sports. Go to bed(maybe read, if wine consumption was not so bad and if vodka was avoided altogether). Bedtime- 11 to 2am.

      BTW- that is not everyday! That is just some days. other days I do other things, like dance around singing.

  12. Mike Topp

      “A Musician’s Day” by Erik Satie

      An artist must regulate his life. Here is my precise daily schedule. I rise at 7:18; am inspired from 10:30 to 11:47. I lunch at 12:11 and leave the table at 12:14. A healthy horseback ride on my estate from 1:19 to 2:35. Another round of inspiration from 3:12 to 4:07.

      From 5:00 to 6:47 various occupations (fencing, reflection, immobility, visits, contemplation, dexterity, swimming, etc.).

      Dinner is served at 7:16 and finished at 7:20. Afterward from 8:09 to 9:59 symphonic readings out loud.

      I go to bed regularly at 10:37. Once a week I wake up with a start at 3:14 A.M. (Tuesdays.)

      I eat only white foods: eggs, sugar, shredded bones, the fat of dead animals, rice, turnips, sausages in camphor, pastry, cheese (the white varieties), cotton salad, and certain kinds of fish (skinned).

      I boil my wine and drink it cold mixed with fuchsia juice. I have a good appetite but never talk when eating for fear of strangling.

      I breathe carefully (a little at a time) and dance very rarely. When walking I hold my sides and look steadily behind me.

      Being of serious demeanor, it is unintentional when I laugh. I always apologize very affably.

      I sleep with only one eye closed; I sleep very hard. My bed is round with a hole in it for my head to go through. Every hour a servant takes my temperature and givens me another.

      For a long time I have subscribed to a fashion magazine. I wear a white cap, white socks, and a white vest.

      My doctor has always told me to smoke. He even explains himself: ‘Smoke, my friend. Otherwise someone else will smoke in your place.'”

  13. Mike Topp

      “A Musician’s Day” by Erik Satie

      An artist must regulate his life. Here is my precise daily schedule. I rise at 7:18; am inspired from 10:30 to 11:47. I lunch at 12:11 and leave the table at 12:14. A healthy horseback ride on my estate from 1:19 to 2:35. Another round of inspiration from 3:12 to 4:07.

      From 5:00 to 6:47 various occupations (fencing, reflection, immobility, visits, contemplation, dexterity, swimming, etc.).

      Dinner is served at 7:16 and finished at 7:20. Afterward from 8:09 to 9:59 symphonic readings out loud.

      I go to bed regularly at 10:37. Once a week I wake up with a start at 3:14 A.M. (Tuesdays.)

      I eat only white foods: eggs, sugar, shredded bones, the fat of dead animals, rice, turnips, sausages in camphor, pastry, cheese (the white varieties), cotton salad, and certain kinds of fish (skinned).

      I boil my wine and drink it cold mixed with fuchsia juice. I have a good appetite but never talk when eating for fear of strangling.

      I breathe carefully (a little at a time) and dance very rarely. When walking I hold my sides and look steadily behind me.

      Being of serious demeanor, it is unintentional when I laugh. I always apologize very affably.

      I sleep with only one eye closed; I sleep very hard. My bed is round with a hole in it for my head to go through. Every hour a servant takes my temperature and givens me another.

      For a long time I have subscribed to a fashion magazine. I wear a white cap, white socks, and a white vest.

      My doctor has always told me to smoke. He even explains himself: ‘Smoke, my friend. Otherwise someone else will smoke in your place.'”

  14. Ryan Call

      i have been getting up late recently noon to one, check email and internet things while drinking coffee. then i read books for a few hours. then i write. then laura comes home and we eat dinner and watch tv. laura goes to sleep at 10pm and i write after that. i recenlty have been going to sleep between 3-4.

      this will change when the semester starts again.

  15. Ryan Call

      i have been getting up late recently noon to one, check email and internet things while drinking coffee. then i read books for a few hours. then i write. then laura comes home and we eat dinner and watch tv. laura goes to sleep at 10pm and i write after that. i recenlty have been going to sleep between 3-4.

      this will change when the semester starts again.

  16. Ken Baumann

      LOL.

  17. Ken Baumann

      LOL.

  18. pr

      i love satie.

  19. pr

      i love satie.

  20. daniel bailey

      this thread did not publish me earlier comment. i am angry.

  21. daniel bailey

      this thread did not publish me earlier comment. i am angry.

  22. Ryan Call

      sorry daniel that the thread did not publish your earlier comment. try again?

  23. Ryan Call

      sorry daniel that the thread did not publish your earlier comment. try again?

  24. scrabble

      Haha ^^ nice, is there a section to follow the RSS feed

  25. scrabble

      Haha ^^ nice, is there a section to follow the RSS feed