Cleaning Monster Attacks

I'm going to do it today: I'll find some place to ditch all my OWCP nightmare stuff and rearrange, so that my desk is a more comfortable place.

That was my goal for the day, and I refused to stop until it was done.  Unfortunately, this meant I totally forgot to go see a free coffee shop performance by two people I was dying to hear.  Sigh.  I win and lose!

So much space!  So much less heat!  The freedom of organization is so intoxicating!  I'm on a rampage.  Next, I want to get my coffee table cleaned/organized.  I wonder if my overhead shelves will collapse under the weight of all those thesis drafts . . .  Let's find out; shall we?

Is there anything in your house or office you really want to get cleaned?

Enough sleepless nights . . .

I'm reading No More Sleepless Nights at the moment.  I'm trying to be fair by reading all the parts, even the ones that don't seem to apply to me as much.  I mean, it may be obvious that my insomnia is caused by chronic pain, but I think it's spiraled into some sort of vicious circle fueled by stress and emotional difficulties that come from dealing with chronic pain, the government, and unaccustomed helplessness.  It's interesting.

I'm not sure it's designed to deal with people who've been having trouble as long as I have, though.  I mean, by now my memory is so shot that when I sit down to write up the various details you're supposed to at the end of the day, I don't remember anything.   Maybe the more I try, the more I'll be able to remember specifics?  We'll see.

Regardless, there aren't any quick fixes.  I already don't drink, smoke, or ingest much caffeine.  Well, I do love a challenge.  At least, I used to . . .

How to (try to) avoid car accidents

Long day today.  I started out by getting up on time, leaving early, and still being late to work because I stopped by Panera to grab something to go for breakfast since I am out of food.  I don't know why I do this every six months or so: I should remember that in the mornings, Panera employees are not quite phased into reality yet, so they move at an eighth of the speed of our reality, resulting in five minutes or more per customer.  A guy ordering a bagel and a coffee took seven minutes, and his friend was still waiting.  I left with no breakfast and was still late.

I was working a double shift (someone needed today off, so I worked his shift and then my own), and it was already going to be a long day since I didn't get much sleep last night and had not breakfast.  Then someone called out sick, and no one else could fill in, so I picked up that shift, too.  Yes, I left at 7:30 am and returned around 11pm.  I'm glad I could get those extra hours because I like being able to pay my rent, but the ride home was somewhat fraught with danger.

When I am wiped like that, I often have to pull myself into focus by singing the first two lines of the chorus from Steven Curtis Chapman's "We Are Not Home Yet" to remind myself that I am on the road driving and cannot get distracted by shiny things, shadows, other vehicles, people in other vehicles, birds, flickering lights, or anything else because I must get home in one piece with my little car.  This became my theme song after the last accident . . .


What do you do to keep yourself awake, focused, and more safe on the roads when you're wiped out?