The Early Birds Are Winning In My Time Zone

 July 21, 2023

   Starting in my band years (1964-1978) I was a total night owl, staying out to all hours of the morning and sleeping often 'til noon, or later. 

The Exits, New Year's Eve, 1964

   Two women cured me of this. That would be Carole Compton and Kathy Radina. We were roommates and they both had jobs and both got up early and started drinking coffee and laughing. I couldn't stand it, so I joined them and have been an early bird ever since.

Pretty Girls With Jobs

   Front page of yesterday's Wall Street Journal: "The early birds are winning." The news feature reports trendy restaurants are now closing their kitchens at eight. Many Broadway shows now start at seven, and in night-owlish New Orleans main acts used to start as late as 1 a.m. Now a typical event starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 11, at the latest. Uber says trips to restaurants have increased nearly 10% in the 4 p.m. hour since 2019.

Dinner at Taco Villa at 4 p.m.

   I guess I never realized just how hip Kathy and I have become. These days we book dinner with friends at four, and we're in bed by eight. How hip is that?

"I am both a night owl and an early bird. So I am wise and I have worms."

—Steve Carell