Keeping Out the Mind Control Rays

I never realized how much I took sleep for granted. There were the occasional bouts of not being able to get to sleep, but once I was asleep I was asleep for the night. More than that, sleep was always the emergency exit. If I had a shitty day or I wasn't feeling well all I had to do was tough it out till bed time. A better day would arrive in the morning.

Until last month.

Suddenly I was waking up after 4 or 5 hours. I might get back to sleep for a few more hours, sometimes not. On the best nights all I could hope for was broken sleep. After 2 weeks of this I was getting some serious insight into what mental illness might be like. Reduced cognitive function is only the beginning. Besides being dazed and confused there's the sudden anger and general crankiness, the always being tired/live action "bobble-head" routine, and some times the purely irrational thoughts that start to make perfect sense.

Daylight was definitely a suspect factor (I work a graveyard shift), since the problem started with the sudden bright days that came with the recent good weather. I got so desperate I put tin-foil on my bedroom window to block out the mood altering rays of the sun! My landlord was so impressed they asked me to remove it. After explaining the situation, they bought me blackout curtains.

I wish I could say everything was back to normal. At this point I'm experiencing a definite improvement. I'm not back to sleeping my solid 8 hours, but the sleep I'm getting is better. Although I tend to tune it out I think the construction across the street is the culprit.

Interestingly enough, things are even better here in Vernon. Last night I got a solid 7 hours of sleep; something I haven't done for a month. It's enough to give me hope.

DVDs:
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Movies:
Walking Tall

It Works!

Damn, I love it when a plan comes together! Or, should I say, when technology actually works as advertised.

I'm at The Sister's place for Easter, along with my parents. My sister has high speed internet but no Cable/DSL router or wireless. This trip I decided to drag along my wireless router in addition to the notebook. I just finished updating a web site I do volunteer work on while sitting on the bed in my sister's guestroom in Vernon. I didn't have to disturb my nephew temporarily relocated to sleeping in the living room where the family computer and network connection is. Sweet!

This network thing could really have a future. I hope I never have to be this connected for my day job.

Books:
Cold as Ice - Charles Sheffield

Movies:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Hidalgo
Hellboy