It was just one of those days, you know? A lazy day off, but it was very gray and foggy, dark. I had not slept particularly well, having gone out for dinner at a Japanese place, perhaps eating some food that was a bit too heavy, and then waking up in the middle of the night. My girlfriend did not have the day off, so although she, too, couldn't sleep, she needed to stay in bed, with only a few hours before 6am, when she would need to wake up and get ready for work.
Me, I did not have that kind of pressure, for once. My normal schedule is a bit strange - many hours worked, but with an unconventional schedule. Overnights, generally, with Tuesday and Friday nights (or Wednesday and Saturday mornings, if you prefer) off. But it was one of my nights off. Usually, I sleep very well, straight through the night. Indeed, that seemed to be the way things were going last night, too. Just couldn't stay awake, and I fell asleep in my girlfriend's arms. It was not even 10 o'clock, but I was just that exhausted.
I still felt exhausted when I woke up around 2:00am, and found that I just could not sleep anymore. I wanted to sleep, don't get me wrong. But it just wasn't coming. Tired, even exhausted, though I might be, evidently, I was not sleepy.
She was awake, but it was far more important that she get sleep between now and the morning. So, I got up, feeling that shaky and fatigued feeling in my arms and legs. Went to the couch, and started reading a bit, trying to kill time, and hoping that sleepiness would overtake me, sooner or later. At some point, I took a Tylenol PM, at her recommendation.
Before too long, sleep finally did overtake me. She came to the living room shortly after 5am, wanting me to get back into bed for that last hour, before she would need to get up. I was scared that sleeplessness (and the loud restlessness of tossing and turning might show up again), but not this time. I fell fast asleep, and barely woke up when she got up, or came to give me the goodbye kiss. In fact, I woke up really only after 11am, and still felt like there could have been a good three or four more hours of solid sleep.
But being that lazy is very annoying, Yes, even on days off. I like to do things, to feel well accomplished. By now, to anyone who visits this blog page even semi regularly, it should be obvious that I like to write, and try and do so every single day. Also, I like to hike, every day if possible. Today, being a day off, definitely should not be an exception, I thought.
Still, that worn down feeling. I did in fact get up, but only to go to the living room and lay down in front of the television, wathcing some old episodes of Fresh Prince. I might still be there now, in fact, if it was not another program that came on at 12:30pm. That was the point when I finally mustered enough energy, or courage, or whatever it was, to get my lazy butt off the sofa and get some hiking in.
First, it would be a good idea to eat something, to get some much needed energy. At least, that was what I thought, initially. When the hike would start with me feeling the need to go to the bathroom, mere minutes later, that decision would seem decidedly unwise. But at the time, it just seemed like a good idea.
Yet, here I was. What sense would it make to go back to the car and drive all the way back, just to go to the bathroom. I regretted not having gotten environmentally friendly toilet paper, which I saw once at the Campmor store, but I keep forgetting. The thought of just going, using leaves (especially wet leaves, since it has been raining on and off since yesterday morning, if not earlier) just did not feel all that enticing, truth be told. So, I kept going, having to stop every now and again whenever the urge to go started to come close to being overpowering. As much as I enjoy hiking, such things, which sometimes might seem relatively minor, can actually goa long way towards ruining an otherwise perfectly good hike.
Finally, the hike came to a close. It took much longer than usual, because it was slippery, and because I felt lazy, and kept having to stop.
Got back, resisting the urge to lie down either on the bed or the couch, because both looked inviting, and went to the computer, to write, and finally managed to do so (with what you are reading presently). Not the best writing that I have ever done, to be sure. But at the very least, it's getting it done.
There was some good news - or what I think would be good news, in any case. I wrote the head of the French school yesterday, inquiring about my son and any possibility that he might be able to attend. Ideally, full time, with a full scholarship. But if not, then at least part time, in order to maintain some strong links to French culture and language skills - something that he has been resisting, even fiercely, for quite some time now. But sometimes, you have to force kids to do things that they don't want to do, because at such a young age (my son will turn seven next month), they don't yet in fact know, just yet, what exactly they do want from life. They are too young to understand what might be good for them, and learning another language would definitely be good for him. What's the harm, in any case? It would be a privilege, and it's hard to imagine that the school would not teach him at least as much as he is learning now, if not more so. Plus, the idea of him being fluent in French? It's more than a little enticing to me.
In any case, that's been my day thus far. Waiting for my girlfriend to come back, and trying to muster a bit of energy in the meantime, in order to do enough that this day not only can't simply be dismissed as a do nothing day, but perhaps, in fact, could be a downright good and productive day.
Let's see how it turns out...
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