Today is the first day in two weeks that I have actually wanted to DO anything.  It has rained almost every day for weeks and there hasn't been even a hint of sunshine around here.

UNTIL today and yesterday!  Finally, I feel like I have enough energy to stay awake long enough to get some things done.  I bought a condo about 2 months ago and still need to do sooooo much to it.

I hadn't even hung a single picture!  That's when you know you live somewhere ~ when you put pictures on the wall.  And I have lots of them.  So now I live here.  I even hung some curtains.  Still a long ways to go, but at least it looks like I'm doing something to it.

My pdoc says it's S.A.D.  ~ seasonally affective disorder.  YEP, it really does exist.  About a year ago he insisted I buy a light that would come on bright enough to 'mimic' natural light in the mornings.  I have a really hard time getting up which I think is from the Seroquel.  Can't sleep without it, can't wake up with it.  Catch 22, like everything in this crazy life.  Anyway, how it works is this:  the light starts coming on 30 minutes prior to your alarm ~ slowly waking you up the way your body is naturally designed for.  The music / noise (I have the chirping birds) starts out very low and slowly increases over 2 minutes and that is when it's time to get up.  The light can be adjusted to as dim or bright as you want it to be.  I have to have it on 20 (the highest) but before it gets to that point I am usually already awake!

As with so many things, I hadn't programmed it since moving and was just using my cell phone as my alarm.  That is a big difference to wake up to.  You hit the snooze, then hit it again... and again... again.... You get it.  It was on the pricy side (@ $100? online), but worth every cent.  My only regret?  I didn't do it sooner ~ when the doc first started telling me to do it.

So if you are in the position of having a hard time getting up, give it a try.  I think you can return them if it doesn't work!  I opted to have the radio with it, but it's a little cheaper if you just have the alarm.  Here's the link to the one I have:

Philips Hf3470 Wake-up Light, White

Guess what?  It's only $75 now!  A steal at that price.  Now I am going to bed so I can wake up tomorrow.  It helps you wake up, but a lack of sleep isn't going to make the day any easier!