My favorite radio station in Dallas is KTCK, 1310 AM (otherwise known as “The Ticket”). This week they are in the compound together. It’s a bit they began last year. During one entire week (they report in on Sunday night and are not allowed to leave until Friday evening), all the hosts (there are now 10 of them) live together in one house. They’re not allowed to leave. It makes for riveting radio, and webcasting.
They’re living in a big house with a full blown media room featuring an HD projector and a 102″ screen. They’ve got a game room where a custom made poker table is set up. They’ve got an outdoor basketball goal. They’ve got a tether-ball set up in the backyard. They have a workout room. They’ve got high speed wireless Internet. They’ve got every TV channel known to man. They’ve got food that they ordered – each person gave the station a list of the foods they wanted for the week. And each evening they have a catered dinner.
Today is day 2 and some of them are reporting that they’re already stir crazy. I’m envious.
They call it the compound. And I’m really jealous. One week where you’re hostage to your work and co-workers. No, I’m NOT jealous of that part of the deal. I’m jealous of the down time. They have lots of downtime, much like that reality TV show, Big Brother.
Suppose you were locked in your house for a week. You could go outside into the yard, but you couldn’t leave the premises. Otherwise, your time is your own. Do what you want. Watch TV. Surf the net. Sleep. Eat. Do crossword puzzles. Play board games. What would you do? How productive would you be?
#1 on my list – READING
Reading would most certainly dominate my downtime. Right now I have about 15 books sitting on the floor by my bedside. I have many more stacked over against the wall. Sounds like I live like a pig, huh? Not really. A little cluttered sometimes, but not piggish.
At any given time I’ve got about 10 or more books “in progress.” It’s a habit that has cursed me for many years. Rarely do I begin a book and read it straight through without occassionally picking up another tome of some sort. I have no explanation of why. So many books, so little time. So many bad books, but you never know until you invest time.
Reading would definitely be a top priority for me if I were locked down for a week. I’d conquer my current reading list, or much of it.
#2 on my list – WRITING
Note-taking is another big player in my life. In conjunction with my reading, I’d take plenty of notes.
I’d record all my brilliant (very few) and not so brilliant (a plethora) ideas. Many would be business related. Many would be productivity related. Others would be random thoughts of nothingness.
#3 on my list – THINKING
This isn’t quite fair because this would be an ongoing constant while engaged in these other activities. It makes me sound cerebral and I’m most certainly not. However, I do have an active mind. If only activity translated into productivity. But, alas – it does not. Sad.
#4 on my list – TV
Television has been the background music of my life. I was the kid who always did homework with the TV on. I may not have watched it much, but it was on. The connectivity to the outside world is the lure. The Net does the same thing. While I rather enjoy being alone, TV and the Net provide a connectivity that makes one feel in touch with the world. I’d certainly have the TV on – while reading or surfing the net or writing.
#5 on my list – SLEEPING
I don’t much like to go to bed – I’ve always been a night owl. But once in bed, I enjoy sleep. And I hate to get up. I’d sleep at least 8 hours each day and sometimes I’d get 10 hours…if I were house bound.
#6 on my list – WORKING OUT
There’s little doubt I’d do more grazing in the kitchen so I’d have to work out more. My usual hour a day would likely go higher. I might make it 90 minutes a day. Or, I might workout one hour in the morning and another hour later in the day – IF I were house bound.
#7 on my list – EATING
A year ago I would have put eating up higher on the list. Boredom would have resulted in a higher caloric intake. Not so today. My rapid skid into middle age prompted, for some unknown reason, provoked a new discipline to get fit and stay fit. I still love food, but I love feeling better – better!
#8 on my list – MUSIC
This isn’t really fair because music is involved in many of the other activities I’ve already listed. I love the iPOD. I still love CD’s, but I know that’s a lost cause. I love satellite radio. Music is still a big player for me, but it’s not the focus it was when I was in high school and college. I’m still very up on the current music and I add to my collection constantly. So what has changed? When I was young music was the thing. I could simply listen to music and do nothing else. That’s rare these days – although if I could set up my 2-channel stereo system as I’d like I’d do it more. No room. No place to call my own. So the killer 2-channel system is boxed and sitting in the garage powerless.
What would you do if you were under house arrest for a week? How would you prevent insanity? Would you emerge having accomplished something? Or, would you have simply killed time?
Give me one week and I could do this…
