Sassy Dreams Awake

Sometimes I fall asleep, but can’t stay asleep. I am usually grateful, if on any given night, I get four hours of uninterrupted sleep. Unfortunately, this is one of those nights when sleep has been a complete stranger even though I’m really tired.

Sometimes, I can’t fall asleep at all, but those times are rare… yet this is one of those times.

My allergies are so bad today, I’ve had a sore throat and a runny nose. My throat was nearly raw tonight when I got home, so I took a Benadryl at midnight… but I’m still awake. My eyes are strangely dilated as well, so I’m sitting here in the dark listening to music. TV after midnight is just scary and I’m all infomercialed out and I don’t want to fall asleep thinking about the ThighMaster (TM) or a George Foreman Grill.

Sometimes I can’t sleep because I have something on my mind, but I really don’t have anything on my mind except the fact I can’t fall asleep. Sometimes I have nightmares/flashbacks of things that have happened to me that I hardly can piece together when I’m awake. For some reason the time those images usually choose to reveal themselves is when I’m somewhere between sleep and non-sleep.

Sometimes I’m too hot to sleep, but not tonight. Other times, I’ve had too much caffeine during the day or have taken a medication that will keep me up, but that’s not the reason I can’t sleep.

Sometimes I wake up and someone pops into my head, so I pray for them. I figure there’s a reason I’m up, might as redeem the time, but nobody specific popped into my head this morning… but about an hour ago, I started praying and I believe I’ve covered just about everybody I know that’s going through something or nothing at all. Sometimes, after I do that, I fall asleep.

This isn’t one of those times.

I’ve tried meditating, but I’m so tired, I can’t concentrate enough to make it through to relief. I tried reciting my Grandpa’s, “Good Night Toes,” routine and made it all the way up to my hair, but alas, even my hair doesn’t feel the need to sleep right now.

I tried counting sheep, but they decided they’d rather do something more productive, so they went out to pasture to chew grass or whatever it is sheep do when they’re tired of being counted.

Jene’ and I always joke that if we’re both up like this we should just get up and play cards. I think, though, this is actually one of those nights Jene’s actually asleep. I hope she is. Most of her nights are like this and I personally can’t see how she functions, because I can tell you right now, when I don’t get sleep, simple tasks become Herculean and sometimes putting a complete sentence is nearly impossible.

It’s now 4 AM and I have an old Night Ranger song in my head.

Four in the morning came without a warning, everybody’s got a place to be…

I’m going to try to get some of those sheep to come back and try again…

Nancy tagged me in her blog… so I’m going to do my part.

The Rules:

1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.

2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.

4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose people to get tagged and list their names.

5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Random Things About Me:

8. I was on top of the World Trade Center in 1991 during a mission trip to New York.

7. From what I remember, there are 1088 steps to the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Yes, we counted.

6. I stepped on four bees in one summer because I hate to wear shoes. (In Indiana, there are no fire ants and the grass is nice and soft).

5. I set the living room carpet on fire when I was a kid doing an experiment I’d seen on tv… the one where you write with lemon juice on a piece of paper and hold the paper over the flame to make the “ink” appear. Fortunately my brother was a hero and threw his coat on the flames and threw himself on top of the coat, and the house didn’t burn down.

4. The first cassette tape I ever bought was Asia’s Alpha. I still have a 45 of Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors. I could totally identify. (A 45, for you youngin’s is a tiny record – that’s a black, flat disc with grooves on it – that you played on a record player – which is… nevermind).

3. When I was in high school, I had a big slumber party in the hay loft of my barn. It was a lot of fun!

2. When I was born, my hair was as black as coal.

1. I never really drank coffee until college.

Tag – you’re it – Courtney, Kelly, Lizzy, Karie, and Meg!