From Winston Churchill...

I'm reading The Second World War by Winston Churchill and found his views on rest very interesting. Just after the war began and he was given the lead role in the British Navy he decided to take a nap everyday as soon after lunch as possible. Here's his explanation:

...I had recourse to a method of life which had been forced upon me at the Admiralty in 1914 and 1915, and which I found greatly extended my daily capacity for work. I always went to bed at least for one hour as early as possible in the afternoon, and exploited to the full my happy gift of falling almost immediately into deep sleep. By this means I was able to press a day and a half's work into one. Nature had not intended mankind to work from eight in the morning until midnight without that refreshment of blessed oblivion which, even if it only lasts twenty minutes, is sufficient to renew all of the vital forces. I regretted having to send myself to bed like a child every afternoon, but I was rewarded by being able to work through the night until two or even later-sometimes much later-in the morning, and begin the new day between eight and nine o'clock. This routine I observed throughout the war, and I commend it to others if and when they find it necessary for a long spell to get the last scrap out of human structure.

Pretty well written! Couldn't have said it better myself.

Daddy's day off...

Yesterday I took a sick day because of a procedure Sarah was having in the dentist office that was going to take her out of action for a while (its odd taking a sick day when I am not sick).

First was the normal routine getting Annabel to school. Then scrambled to help Abe get his homework done at the last minute (a regular routine in our home). After dropping Sarah off at the dentist office and Abe off at his school I had a great date with Abigail at Red Robin! Then it was back to pick-up Sarah. After getting her home and in "nap mode" Oak and I went back to pick-up Annabel from school, after which we went to look at dogs at the SPCA (only for fun) and to Sam's club. By then the big brother was done with school so we picked him up, went to the doctor's office to pick-up a prescription, and headed home. Sarah and Abigail were just waking up and I got started on dinner. After dinner was more homework, PJ's, bedtime stories and clean-up.

I loved being with the kids all day, but by 9:30 I was comatose in bed...wiped out! Good work leads to good rest.