Wednesday, August 24th, 2005
I spend about 27% of my life yawning. And maybe 1% saying “daaamn” afterwards. I don’t sleep very much. If they develop a pill that allows you to stay awake indefinitely, I’d like to be involved in the drug trials. I think there was an X-Files episode about loss of sleep leading to madness, but I might not be able to tell the difference anyway, so I’m willing to risk it.
It’s not insomnia. I choose to stay awake. I’m trying to maximize my time. You know, GTD and all that efficiency crap. The lack of updates on this site notwithstanding, I’m usually working on something for myself, or somebody else. I also have a few side projects I hope to complete before I die. It’s not looking promising.
Nicole likes to come in the office, glare at me and comment, “I wish your computer would blow up”. I don’t think that kind of hostility is very healthy. She likes to remind me that my chronic lack of regular sleep leads to episodes where I’ll pass out for 16 hours straight. I think “power nap” is the appropriate term. I’ll usually lie fall face down on the couch. I prefer a position that allows for minimal oxygen, and maximum strange red marks on my face.
I look tired most of the time. Those aren’t bags, I’m just trying to build character in my face. People at work don’t ask about my haggard appearance, so they must think I’m drunk. Or that I’m a meth addict. I think Prairie City Bakery might be putting heroin in their cookies. Look into that for me.
I’m not convinced that my 21 hours on, 3 hours off schedule is making me more productive. Sure, I make a lot of progress on the little things, and it does allow plenty of time to not read new entries on Kartooner (just kidding Erik!). But I might be doing the same amount of stuff, just spread out over a longer period of time. I’m generally more productive at work, but that’s just because I’ve set the bar so low. The productivity application I wrote came crashing down yesterday because I decided reports should be spelled “reorts”. Caffeine interferes with my pinky finger.
I do the same thing. I force myself to stay awake, sometimes for days at a time. I am not sure why. Sometimes I feel like I might miss something and that bugs me. What is weird is that I love to sleep and that I would rather be asleep than awake most of the time…but I choose not to. It is to the point that I can’t take naps because if I do go to sleep I don’t wake up for 15 or 20 hours. And, well, I fall asleep if I sit still for more than 10 seconds…like at the dentist. I have been this way since birth. There are stories about my little three year old self falling asleep face first in my dinner. I haven’t quite figured out my reasoning behind it, since it doesn’t appear to benefit me much beyond giving me this sense that there isn’t much difference between my dreams and reality…sort of like being a tiny bit high all the time, you know.
…loss of sleep leading to madness, but I might not be able to tell the difference anyway, so I’m willing to risk it.
Heh, you crack me up, Greg. While I’m not usually one to advocate drugs, have you ever considered Ambien or something related to keep you on a normal sleep pattern? I know you said it was more of a ‘choice’ than insomnia, but those red marks on your face will eventually drive Nicole into the arms of another man! :)
Not a chance, Ian. He failed to mention the accompanying drool on his pillow, and I still love him!
Becareful of the ambien. My pharmacist (also my wife) made a comment during one of their commercials that its another addictive drug. I thought they all were addictive. But, heck, she keeps me doped up so much that I don’t know who I am or where I am half the time anyway!
I used to stay up for hours and hours too, until the kids came. Now, I’m lucky if I have energy to stay up past 11pm at night. Not sure what it is, but kids are the natural sleeping drug ;)
Thanks guys, but no worries about the drug that keeps making comments go into the moderation queue. I actually enjoy my schedule. Nicole hates it, but I don’t like her pink overalls, so we’re even.
I bet kids would put me to sleep too Stefan. And the sad part is that if I had kids I wouldn’t have the money to continue running the meth lab out of my garage.
You’re just like my friend Greg. Although, he considers himself an insomniac and then some. Also, I know I’m a few days late, but notice that new content is beginning to show up again.
I just needed a break, to be honest. A couple weeks allowed me to take some time and focus on other areas of my life.
Getting any sleep lately?
Maybe I’m in denial. My name is Greg and I refuse to let sleep win.
Yes, the flurry of activity over at Kartooner is pretty astounding…haha. It’s difficult to find the right balance for everything. It seems like I take an extended break every few weeks, but it’s not planned. It takes people two days to comment on a post, because they can’t believe I’ve written something new.
Noooo, I’m as brain dead as usual.
Trackbacks & Pingbacks
Ordinary: Tales of a Librarian » Say wha? Do I know you? — 10.16.2005
[...] I was in a meeting the other day and some guy started talking to me about a conversation we apparently had a few weeks ago. Hmm…interesting because I don’t know who you are. I thought, “was I high?” Then I realized that I haven’t been high in like…for_ever…so no, I was very sober. As I was telling Greg this morning how a lack of sleep kind of makes one feel high all the time…I realized that my weird sleeping habits have finally caught up with me. (Wow, after doing a quick search of the blog I have found 28 entries that involve sleeping or the lack there of) But really, the no sleeping is making me forget large chunks of my day, conversations I have with people, eating, what day of the week it is, where I live…and that my friend, is kinda freaking me out…well, a little. Perhaps there is a reason my brain has decided to check out of my life. Maybe I really don’t want to be there because there is something bad waiting for me as soon as I clear the fog in my head. So, please, don’t mind me in my self-induced stupidity…let’s just pretend I am high, okay? [...]
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