★ Little Sunshine's Wonderland ★

: So, what's your usual day like? You always seem so busy.

Man: Well, I usually get up around 5:00 a.m. and work on the computer until 6:00 a.m.

Woman: Why do you get up so early?

Man: Well, I have to leave home at twenty to seven (6:40 a.m.) so I can catch a bus at 7:00 o'clock . It takes me about twenty minutes to walk to the bus stop from my house.

Woman: And what time do you get to work?

Man: Uh, my bus takes about an hour to get there, but it stops right in front of my office.

Woman: That's nice. And what time do you get off work?

Man: Uh, around 5:00 o'clock. Then, we eat dinner around 6:30, and my wife and I read and play with the kids until 8:00 or so.

Woman: So, when do you work on your website? You said one time that you create it at home?

Man: Well, my wife and I often watch TV or talk until 10:00 o'clock. She then often reads while I work on my site, and I sometimes stay up until the early hours of the morning, but I try to finish everything by one or two.

Woman: And then you get up at 5:00 a.m.?

Man: Well, yeah, but it's important to live a balanced life. I enjoy what I do, but you have to set aside time for family and yourself.

Woman: I agree.

Man: But I think my wife has the toughest job. She spends her whole day taking care of our family . . . taking the kids to school, working in the garden, buying groceries, taking the kids to piano lessons . . . [Wow!] That's a full-time job, but she enjoys what she does.

Woman: Well, it sounds you're a busy, but lucky man.

Man: I think so too.

• catch (verb): to get on
  - I have to catch a bus in front of the bus station.

• get off work (verb): finish work
  - She seldom gets off work before 6:00 p.m.

• dinner (noun): sometimes supper
  - We seldom eat dinner after 8:00 p.m.

• stay up (verb): not go to bed
  - I almost never stay up past midnight.

• set aside (verb): reserve, allow, or give a certain amount to
  - You have to set aside enough time to study for your classes.

• toughest (adjective): most difficult, hardest
  - The toughest part about being a parent is setting aside time for both work, family, and self.

• take care of (verb): watch, look after
  - You should take care of yourself so you don't get sick.

• groceries (noun): food and other items at a supermarket
  - Mom is going to pick up some groceries from the store for dinner.

• "burn the candle at both ends" = work to excess that affects your physical and emotional well-being

• "It's just not wise to burn the candle at both ends; it's just impossible to work full time, go to school, and spend time with family."

• "work one's tail off" = work very hard

• "I have to work my tail off just to pay my rent."

The following is a summary of the man's daily schedule. He usually gets up at 5:00 a.m. and work on the computer until 6:00 a.m. At 6:40 a.m., he leaves home and walks to the bus stop to catch a bus at 7:00 o'clock . He gets to work at 8:00 a.m. and gets off work at 5:00 p.m. Then, he goes home and eats dinner at 6:30 p.m. with family. After that, he and his wife read and play with the children until 8:00 p.m. and then often watch TV or talk until 10:00 o'clock. Later, he works on his site until the early hours of the morning. After finishing everything by one or two, he goes to bed and gets up at five to start another day. Although he is very busy, he enjoys his life very much.