The time change has gotten my sleeping habits all screwed up. I went to bed at 7 and woke again at midnight unable to sleep. What do I do when I can't sleep? I walk. I am becoming the walkin' man these days. I walk in my house. I walk outside. I would walk to the moon if I could. Maybe that trek around the South on foot that I have been planning is coming to fruition. My legs are getting in fine shape.
My mother gave me some more money last night.
"DO NOT tell your father," she said.
"Oh, I won't," I replied, carefully guarding this family secret.
"I just can't bare to see you without a dollar for A.A."
I used part of the money tonight down at the convenience store to buy a bear claw and a cup of decaf. My favorite clerk was very animated in the tales he reveled me in of the previous night's work.
"Crazy son of a bitch," he told me. "I had this guy come in who couldn't stand up. He was trying to buy candy for his kids in the car. I called the police. They pulled him over as he was pulling out of the parking lot. I couldn't stand seeing those kids hurt due to drinking and driving."
I realized my friend has become desensitized to alcoholic antics. He sees them so often thus his little faux pas with trying to buy me beer. I seem so normal most of the time that he didn't believe I was an alcoholic. Thought I was just playing a game as it is become fashionable between celebrities to banter the alcoholic label. Take Glenn Beck for example.
Left the convenience store and walked on down to the train tracks drinking my coffee. It was damn cold tonight. Almost to the point of being uncomfortable. I don't see how they handle it in the far north. We will most likely see another winter without snow and I am already complaining. Took a seat on the bench by the railroad museum and finished my coffee. It was delicious -- my favorite clerk having made a fresh pot just for me. Milky and sweet, it hit the spot on this cold night.
I then stood and watched a train pass. It was a big CSX mixed freight with freight cars heading all over the country. The first stop? Atlanta on the way. There the cars would be separated and put in other trains for other destinations. I longed to hop aboard and head out for destinations unknown -- my wanderlust peaking to a climax as I stood there. It was traveling just slow enough to take a run and to jump onto a hopper car to be shielded from the cold wind.
The train had passed so I walked on home to turn on the heat and revel in its warmth. I have gotten to be such a pussy about the cold. It is now 2:30 AM and I have a long night ahead of me of listening to the radio and trying to find anything of interest on the web. Do any of you get in ruts about the web? I don't find anything interesting, but blogs these days. I would rather read about real lives than some regurgitated propaganda on CNN.com. Such is life...
21 comments:
1. I didn't sleep well the first night of the time change, either. Thought it was just me--perhaps I am not alone in being so sensitive.
2. The trust that is developing between you and your mother is beautiful. As a mother, I want to be able to give my children the benefit of the doubt, but not be trampled on as a result. Good for you for not abusing the trust. I think you respect your mother too much to ever pull that.
3. Although I love the four seasons, going into winter is the hardest for me. I miss the sun, I long for the daily vitamin D infusions it provides me. I so often long to explore warmer pastures.
4. My web activities, likewise, have become more and more blog-centered. It is too easy to get bombarded by too much news, and harder to take appropriate news-fasts so as not to overwhelm oneself with too much negativity. Or was that reality? ...whatever. I think you understand.
Have a great Monday, Andrew. It's supposed to rain here tonight, so we won't have frost. We sure need the rain, too.
Peace...
Yes I do get in web ruts!! I thought it was just me. I hate hen it happens too because it's my major source of entertainment. You are lucky in the fac that when you can't sleep you can just get up. Very hard to do here with everyone else sleeping and trying not to wake them. Our bedroom door it right off the livingroom as well as the kids on the other side. In our old house all the rooms were off a hallway. I miss the house, but not Miami.
happy winter and a white christmas! (thats pretty important to youe folks in the western parts isnt it.)
Time flies doesn't it? It seems like just a few weeks ago that you were longing for some snow and Anabel was getting far more than her share. I'm wondering with the drought we've had if we are going to get a lot this year.
I hope your Monday is a good one Andrew, you hang in there, it is going to be okay. And you aren't a pussy about the cold---alot of folks don't like it, me included! What the heck I'm doing in Iowa, I couldn't tell you....:)
I'm up in the middle of the night too. I'm trying to get a cold and I think I took a combination of medicines that woke me up instead of putting me to sleep. I don't like coffee - I just sit here looking at blogs and I found yours.
http://www.organizeddoodles.blogspot.com/
The only time I have to do anything on the web is when I am reading my favorite blogs, watching a missed episode of a television show, or finding an awesome recipe. That's all I have time for.
How do we stand it up north? Well, I'm in Canada, southern Ontario, which is still north to you.
We pretend it's still warm in the fall, so that the winter doesn't seem so cold. And we don't go for long, relaxing walks in the winter. We shovel snow, or go skiing - trust me, that'll warm you up.
:)
We also gather in coffee shops and talk about the weather A LOT. I don't know why!
1-the time change has jacked with us here in Crustyland.
2-we should do well this winter, but our warming igloo isn't yet prepared :)
3-we will see snow, possibly as of this early week
4-wonder if the wanderlust is due to the ups and downs of your present relationship with Rosa
5-I agree with you.I come here before I read cnn, cbs,abc,...etc...
5-I liked that, liquid pot of gold
6-Forgive me, but what's a bear claw? It sounds chocolatey.
Always,
Crusty~
I like when I have a project to research on the web. Last night I spent some time learning about Wii. I'm thinking of getting one, much to my surprise. It seems like it might be hard to find and the prices are all over the place.
Will you sleep today? Sounds like you missed your night's sleep.
Today is supposed to reach 60 degrees, but a cold front is coming tomorrow. I'm really glad I got so much done outside yesterday.
Hope your Monday is good. Are you going to an afternoon meeting?
I, too kept waking last night. each time looking at the clock to see that it was not time to get up.
now i am up blog hopping and drinking coffee.
I am in northern Ontario and I can't wait for winter and snow!!!
I would rather read your blog that watch CNN anyday!
I agree, I prefer blogs to TV news or most anything on TV.
I wonder how many of your readers heard that same train.It could be going across country quite far. I hear trains all of the time near my house and it would be funny to think the train started down south and passed by here on its way to Chicago.
I'm glad to hear you and your favorite clerk are back on the same page. I hope it's a good day and sleep comes easier tonight.
I loved your comment about cnn and blogs. Recently, I shared with my husband, that I have found a hobby for the first time in my life: blog reading. He just laughed it off, and told me of a friend who could do nothing but play computer games.
But you are right. Blogs are so much more informative than the news these days.
Andrew,
I live in PA, and although we get our fair share of cold and snow I am reminded of the weather in Alaska, after visiting there this June. If I think 32 degrees is cold, I remember Fairbanks this time of year, has a low at times of 0 degrees. That is how I deal with the cold these days.
I also spend time reading blogs. I tried creating a blog, wrote for a week or so, but it even bored me...so I trashed it! I also spell really badly. Oh well, there is always next time...
"regurgitated propaganda on CNN."
Soooooo true - I've stopped reading commercial news. What good does it do me to read about something horrible that happened in Texas? I don't live there and they way CNN/Fox presents the news can make me very agitated.
Blogs are better.
Sir:
Although I think you likely will not pay heed to my suggestion, here it is anyway:
I think that the interaction between you and your father is unhealthy. He is a PHARMACIST. That is NOT A MEDICAL DOCTOR. He is doing very inappropriate things by changing, altering, and modifying your medications.
I wish you would speak to your medical doctor/psychiatrist and take ONLY the medication HE/SHE prescribe for you. Your father may THINK he is doing good... but dammnit, switching and modifying your medication like that is not good or appropriate. You know that is the truth.
I wish you would also have your doctor/psychiatrist help you get your designated payee changed.
If you were to do the above two things, your relationship with your father would become more loving and appropriate for a father and son.
Please consider what I am suggesting.
PipeTobacco
P.S. Your mother, in my eyes, is very much a "saint" for you. Rely on her love as you struggle to get the above under control.
I'm loving your mama more and more. Treasure her. I am not in contact with my mom and I miss that sometimes.
I wonder if your train ends up close to my tracks. There is an apartment complex between me and the tracks.
You're not being a wimp about the cold... it really is getting cold out here!
As for the internet... I only look up stuff I'm interested in. I love Wikipedia. Thats a fun site.
I don't see how you can sleep down there in the south. I have trouble if the temperature is above freezing! I'm still sleeping on the porch - probably will all winter. My sleeping bag is rated 40 below but the coldest I've slept in it was about 15 below.
We're getting some nights in the teens now so I'm sleeping better.
Peace brother.
barb said, "I am reminded of the weather in Alaska, after visiting there this June"
My hubbie and I visited Alaska in July.
I found it breathtakingly, achingly beautiful.
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