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| H/t to Andy N. Source |
Nope, waking up shortly before the alarm goes off is very disappointing. It's looking at the clock and thinking, "Damn it, brain! Why couldn't you just sleep right up until it's time to get up?" Nope, it's awakening, knowing that it's not exactly time to get up but it's so close that you might as well get up.
Happened to me damn near every day when I was gainfully employed. When I was younger it wasn't that much of a big deal, now that I'm old and decrepit, every minute counts. Waking up before you have to, usually because nature calls, is a pain in the butt. After all, us old folks are bouncing out of bed every two to three hours anyway.
It's gotten so bad that if I do sleep for more than four hours in a row, I wonder what I missed. "Hhmm, I didn't get up to pee at 0300, I wonder what the weather was like at that time? Was it still raining? When did that stop?"
Ah, the joys of advancing old age.
Friday morning I had to get up so as to go to the airport and collect The Missus Herself on her return from the Far West. (Hey, Korea is west of here distance-wise, we got that "Far East" crap from the Brits. I mean it was closer for them to go east, but not for us colonials!) Besides which, she spent a couple of days at her sister's in Las Vegas, which is also west of my location.
Anyhoo, her flight was supposed to land at 1030 local (it did) so I didn't have to really get up until about 0830. As it's 30 minutes to an hour (depending on traffic) from Chez Sarge to TF Green, 0830 would work, time for coffee, maybe a bagel (which did happen), then shower and shave and head out to pick up mama.
So of course I woke up at 0600. To pee, of course. Returning to bed I checked the time, two and a half hours before the alarm. Perfect!
So of course, I checked The Missus Herself's flight schedule. And my email, and the blog, and then Facebook, and then ...
Damn it! Now it's 0700 and the brain is fully awake. As my old bones scream "Lay down you fool, go back to sleep!" - my brain is saying, "Yum, bagel."
So yeah, rather than log some disappointment sleep, I got up.
A lovely morning, a lovely day, though a bit cool in the 40s, but ...
Okay, I'm not a morning person, I like sunrise as much as the next person, but damn why are they so early?
Anyhoo, mama's home, domestic tranquility is reestablished, and I'm not flying solo anymore. So I'm good, tired, but good.
Carry on, I'd nap but my damn brain won't quit until it gets dark again ...
Sigh ...
Been there, done that. Old Guns
ReplyDeleteIt's annoying when it happens.
DeleteReunification accomplished! Most excellent Sarge. That length of sleep gets a bit sketchy as the years pass eh? Got into the habit of taking a hot shower before bedtime and having room darkening shades for the windows. Since retirement more time spent outside, working around the property (grass cutting, snow-throwing, gardening) and walking down at the lake and fishing. Get the body a bit tuckered out and the mind seems to be out longer as a result. Also I try to stop looking at screens before hitting the sack, reading a book for ten or twenty minutes get the eyelids heavy......:)
ReplyDeleteWhatever works.
DeleteHang in there Sarge! Glad the Missus is home and things will get back to normal. I'm with Nylon on the walking bit. 7000 steps is my minimum goal. I'm frequently above 10k. Feels good, sleep good so win/win.
ReplyDeleteCheers and say "Hello" to the Missus for me.
juvat
It's good to have her back.
DeleteWhen I wake up 15 or 20 minutes early (and I'm actually awake), it's like I have bonus time on the day! An hour or more early is a different story..
ReplyDeleteWell, that's a positive take on things.
DeleteWhen I was working had to be up at 3AM. The dog got used to that so it's still 3 AM every morning.
ReplyDeleteDogs are like the north, they remember.
DeleteSarge, I suffer from this too. No matter when I set my alarm or even if I do not (on the weekends) I still wake up at the same time.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I have found is that if I closely control my liquid intake after 1700 or so, I greatly reduce my need to get up during the night.
Control my liquid intake after 1700? I might as well go to bed.
DeleteIf I forget a cup of water in the bathroom, a walk to the kitchen is enough to wake me fully up.
ReplyDeleteI tend to go from asleep to fully awake in the mornings. No laying in bed after the alarm goes off for me.
DeleteCrusty Old TV Tech here. "It's gotten so bad that if I do sleep for more than four hours in a row, I wonder what I missed." Hey Sarge, I resemble that remark! Brain requires I stay up and listen to the A/C cycle, and if it doesn't, then stay up and figure out why. Quite annoying. And when the Base Commander used to fly south periodically to visit her family solo, since I was still in the throes of intermittent strange hours working then, it was less of a deal I found. Nowadays it would be much more of a deal, still working but with more normal hours.
ReplyDelete30 minutes to the airport? That's how long it takes to go from the parking lot to the check in desk at Houston Intergalactic! Sigh.
Well, everything is bigger in Texas, ja?
DeleteSleep more than three-four hours? Hah, my roommate, Mr. Bladder, wants to see if the sanitary facility is still available.
ReplyDeleteYup.
DeleteHow does the pickup go? Do you meet her on the curb, or park and wait for her at baggage claim? I need to take out a second mortgage to pay for parking at the San Diego airport so usually we just meet each other at the curb. I'm glad you're better half as now made you whole again.
ReplyDeleteYour, not you're.
DeleteTuna #1 - Airport parking is pretty cheap at TF Green. Park and pickup.
DeleteTuna #2 - It's alright. Their, there, don't be sad. 🙄
DeleteIt's almost always a dictation typo as I know how to spell!
DeleteIt's why I don't use dictation.
Delete