I’ve had my bra frozen a lot. You get used to it. You learn to bring a spare to hide in your pillowcase. It’s what happens when you are the first to fall asleep at a pre-teen slumber party. I’m always the first to fall asleep at slumber party; well, any party really. I was that kid that couldn’t stay up. I always brought a book because I knew I’d be awake before anyone else. I spent many mornings at my friends’ houses talking to their moms in the kitchen. It’s ok – I liked talking to adults. I guess to state it more accurately, I liked talking.
I won’t lie to you (I can’t lie to you) – I’m a morning person. I wake up naturally around 5:30A/6AM – I bounce out of bed like a chipmunk and start my million projects before 3PM hits. That’s when I start to shut down for the evening. I’m typically asleep around 9PM. This has been a pattern my entire life. I’ve noticed that I’m waking up a little earlier as I get older – before it was always in the 6 o’clock zone that I woke up, now it’s around 5AM. I’m worried that I’ll be getting up a 3AM in my 60s.
In the early heady days of my relationship with Scott, in a half fog, he’d notice me start to squirm in bed, – put his arms around me and ask me to stay. It would last about 2 minutes, I’d start to squirm again and he’d encourage me to leave.
But I love mornings. I’m a reverse vampire. I feel so energized and my mind is clear. I am instantly awake and totally alert. Scott shuffles around like a zombie for the first hour or so in the mornings. We both don’t understand how the other can wake up as they do. I love it when I can start work at 5:30AM. I love being done by 2PM because I have an entire hour more of ‘alert’ left in me.
I have never pulled an “all-nighter”. I tried no-doze once; it made me all jittery and nauseated, so I slept it off. It’s probably some sort of defensive narcolepsy. Can’t cope – sleep… I can count on one hand the times I’ve ‘slept-in’ past 7AM. I slept until noon once, when I was 14.
Of course all my friends could sleep all day long when I was in high school. And we stayed out late on Friday and Saturday nights (as long as I started my evening around 8PM, I could sometimes last until 11 or midnight). I had to work the next morning at 6:30AM. I hated knowing that I would only have 5 hours of sleep. It didn’t/doesn’t matter what time I get to bed, my body still wakes me up at 6AM – and if I try to sleep past that, I generally become really nauseated. I think my body thinks I need to get up and go to work.
So of course when I met Scott at the tender age of 19 at college, he had a hard core band. Hard core bands don’t generally play at reasonable times. And for me, a reasonable time is 8AM. I want to start a trend of ‘morning bands’. Anyway, if they were ‘headlining’ (a term I came to dread) – they’d generally be the 3rd band to play – which translates to midnight at the earliest. And I was a baker during those years, and had to be at work at 6:30 in the morning. You can imagine my joy.
Luckily I can sleep ANYPLACE. Noise is not an issue for me. Here are some places I’ve dozed:
- During a hurricane when I was 7 and 29
- Age 8, I laid down in line at the bank and took a catnap (my mom was not really down with this)
- The school auditorium at most of my brother’s Boy Scout meetings – BORING….I did wake up for the end-of-meeting cupcake however. I’m sleepy; not stupid
- At every single friends’ house during movie night. I never made it to the 2nd movie. I now rarely make it through the 1st movie
- Various parties from high school through my 20s – find a corner, take a snooze
- My crowning achievement was falling asleep (in front of the speakers) during a DRI show – as long as you mosh around me and not on my head, I’m fine
Now that I’m in my (early) 40s – as are our friends, they are finally on my schedule. It’s been a long time coming, but I’m not always the first one to fall asleep at a gathering.
Wow. I’m am completely opposite, can’t go to bed before midnight if I try! I’ve pulled more all-nighters than I can count. But I did love working at a bagle shop and getting off work at 12 (I started at 4). But then my days went: sleep at 12, wake at 3, work ’til 12, 3 hour nap, rinse and repeat.
It was kind of a brutal time :p
I worked at a bagel shop too – my Mom owned it!
I still like 3PM naps if I’ve gotten up far too early and had to go to bed late (and by late I mean after 10PM)…
Night owl, but completely relate at being able to fall asleep even with lots going on around you. I am usually asleep before the airplane I’m on even takes off the runway…;). But, Next to a speaker? Classic!
Sometimes sleep is more important than sound. Ironically, if I wake up, then the sound of cotton balls rubbing together will keep me up. That’s what I hate!
I wish I could sleep on a plane.
There’s hope yet. My uncle Jack plays in a band and they do a lot of nursing home gigs that start around 10 a.m. and end for an early lunch.
See, I NEED that!
Can I just say that you and I are IDENTICAL TWINS. You just wrote the story of my life. EVERYTHING is EXACTLY The same . It’s spooky!!!!! The birthday party sleep overs, the bit about it not mattering how late you stay up, jumping out of bed at 5:30 and being fully energized, being able to sleep anywhere… The whole thing. We are twins! I start shutting down around 3:00, too. When my kids would ask me to help them with their homework I was always so brain dead. Lol!
Hee hee – I am not doubting that we could be twins! Did you publish it yet? I’ve been sick today along with my son so I’ve not read a lot of blogs today. Can you give me the link or is it yet unpublished? I can’t WAIT to read it.
(Glad you included the link to the blog about why you aren’t able to lie. I needed to know that about you. Now I know how much harder you have to work to make us laugh. Also, I’m like Scott. It takes forever to get going in the morning. But I like going to bed at 11:00 pm. no matter what time I climbed out of the sack. And I have to tell you, like Poly says, Muskoka is beautiful. But I ASKED FIRST!!! I also have to ask about the frozen bra. Is that like when as boys at camp we would put a sleeping kid’s hand into a pail of water and he’d wet his pants?
Ha ha – yes, except girls would steal your bra (it would be off your body) – put it in water and then put it in the freezer. It always happened to the unlucky girl that went to sleep first…ME!
I sometimes can’t stay up until 8PM –
Ah- you’re a morning Zombie, eh?
I want to visit Canada very badly – I was there as a tot and then never more…
Yes, I’m a sucky liar – be gentle with me…
I was going to comment on the above story, but then I saw that I was being commanded to. Divulge my thoughts? I’m tired of being ordered around by you. You who breaks rules on a whim on everyone else’s blog. So no, I will NOT divulge my thoughts and you can’t make me!
Oh, and just so you know, I’m sticking my tongue out in your general direction.
Awww – now I feel sad…bossy but sad…. Ok – don’t divulge ANYTHING – I’ll have the LAST WORD.
DON’T SAY ANOTHER WORD….
😀
Gosh, now I feel all bad inside ~
HIlarious!
As I told my chatty Cathy daughter this morning, “I’m not a morning person. I’m getting overwhelmed. Go talk to your brother.”
Glad you reblogged this!
Sorry about your sick kid. Also, if you’re in Tucson and your kid(s) is/are the right age, check out my dear friend, Kindle Rising’s resource: East Tucson Macaroni Kid: http://www.easttucson.macaronikid.com
You two would like each other. Heck, maybe you even know each other already.
Thanks – and I did not know about – I shall bookmark it and check it out! I’m a central Tucson gal 🙂
Bronchitis kid – but on the MEND! Better than barfing.
So many people are not morning people- we’re a small portion of the human race.
The world is made for people like you, though! I was the kid at slumber parties who hid in my sleeping bag until the last possible moment, partly because I was so embarrassed about my hair. We lived in the south and it was always frizzy. My daughter saw a picture of me the other day and asked, “Mommy, didn’t you brush your hair?” which is exactly what many kids asked–the nicer kids!
I’ve been to Tucson a few times–my ex went to UofA and Kindle is one of my best friends from college–but I don’t know it well enough to know the geographic areas. I think her resources are probably relevant anyway, and her publisher’s notes are always a good read.
She’s a linguist/ speech pathologist at one of the hospitals when she’s not busy being one of the best mommy bloggers/ community resources out there 🙂
Huh – I wonder if DO know here….which hospital?
Where do you live?
Tucson is like a HUGE small town – it has all these small town stories (which I love and have a few on my blog … I seem to have a connection somewhere with most people in my life).
I’m in Portland 🙂
Point me to your Tucson stories.
And if you know Barbara Kingsolver, I will pass out.
Haha – I’ve met Barbara Kingsolver
EFF
I take it you love her? My friend loved her books – and we saw her speak a couple of times – about 16 yrs ago!
Yes. The Poisonwood Bible is one of my top, all-time favorite books, and I’ve read everything else she’s written. The Lacuna was really good too.
I have to admit she depresses me – here writing is excellent but her subject matter makes me want to cry – I read The Bean Trees and one other that I forget now
You’ve got to read The Lacuna and Poisonwood Bible. Lacuna is historical fiction and involves Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Trotsky, all told through the life-story of a boy/man who becomes a controversial author. A lot of it is told through letters. It’s a masterwork, as is Poisonwood Bible, which is the story of a missionary family in Africa. It’s told through the perspectives of four different family members. I read it a long time ago, and this is making me want to re-read it.
I’ll check them out – I love a re-read. That way I know I will love the book!
http://slhs.arizona.edu/bios/kindle-rising
Oh- that’s HER real name! Cool name… but alas, I don’t know her – but we do share a similar title for when I was going to take a research job at the UA with a doc.
It IS a cool name, isn’t it?
Here’s one:
https://themercenaryresearcher.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/i-just-knew-it/
https://themercenaryresearcher.wordpress.com/2012/08/29/richard-philanthropy/
That should be enough to start
Duh – my FAVORITE coinkidink story!
https://themercenaryresearcher.wordpress.com/2012/08/21/smart-boy/
I used to be able to sleep like a champion. At least now I know there will be someone else awake at 6:00 am and ready to go!!
Call me – we’ll faff around
I love early morning coffee chats!! 😀
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM……Coffee….
You’d need way more if I were to want to chat at 6:00 am. I would only be 4:00 am where you are!! 😀
It would have to be in person – I’m a total phone-loser….
Are you in NY?
No, I’m in Canada. Muskoka to be more precise. I live about 2 1/2 hours north of Toronto.
I want to be Canadian….my father is from Ottawa
It’s a great place to live!! I’ve always wanted to golf in Arizona!!
Let’s trade – I love to ice skate!
House swap!!
Oh yeah! I once thought about applying for a librarian job in Regina but people warned me it was freeeeeezing there…and somewhat out in the middle of nowhere… TRUE?
We don’t get nearly as cold as Regina, but the winter is definitely chilly!! We average about -5 degrees Celsius in the winter. Regina is usually about -20!!
I’m American – no metric, no metric! Just kidding – anything in the negative is cold regardless of F or C…
But I LOVE the cold. JUST LOVE IT – that’s how I know I’ve got some Canadian blood…I crave cold and feel alive.
It is refreshing!! You are welcome to come visit any time. I work at a large family resort that is open from May to October. You could come and chill out by the lake!!
SWEEEEET!
I am sleep typing right now. You can’t explain that! 🙂
You just are a magic redheaded elf queen.
Pretty much accurate.
Reblogged this on The Mercenary Researcher and commented:
Sick kid = reblog of a past post – enjoy! Some of my favorite stories were written in the first months of blogging when I had about 3 followers ~
I’m a night owl. My body clock has always been that way. With kids it’s so hard. I feel like my day can start once they go to sleep at night. I’m loving summer and everyone sleeping in. It’s going to be torture getting everyone back on a 6:30 rising schedule in a few weeks. I’m just like you though, I get that sick feeling when I have to get up early in the morning. I have always wanted to be a morning person. It seems so blissful to wake up and watch the sign rise in silence.
The one time I slept until after noon – was at your house in Wisc!
I’m a 6:30-7am kind of person. Tom is an earlybird and can sleep anywhere. He once fell asleep at Shea Stadium (now Citifield) during an Oldtimers game! My problem is, if I don’t get enough sleep, my body is owed sleep and I can’t function properly until I make up for lost sleep. Talk about weird. I did find out, however, that some people have a sleep “bank” and when it’s depleated, they can’t rest properly until the borrowed sleep is made up. So, weirdness runs in the family.
hee hee… I’m not surprised that weirdness runs in our family. I’m living proof ~
I can function on a few hours of sleep, as long as i can get a nap in around 3PM.
Total opposite here. My body would love to stay up until 3 and sleep until noon every day. I wonder what makes some of us night-owls vs early birds? Birth time maybe? Hmmm… google to the rescue, I’m sure someone has spent millions of dollars studying this with twin studies.
Giggled at waking for the cupcake, “sleepy not stupid”. LOL. All about priorities!
It is interesting that some people are night owls and some are early birds (and I like that it’s all about birds)…I was born at 3PM – so I wonder if that’s why I start to shut down at that time.
I have *tried* to stay up and I can’t – however, if I go to sleep at 8PM (or earlier) – I can wake up at 3AM – no problem!
Yes, eating is definitely a priority for me.
I love the idea of morning bands! I’m an early riser now too although I tried my best to stay awake with the cool kids. It was always disconcerting to wake up at noon and find you having a full on conversation with my parents. Didn’t you realize that they were the enemy?! Now it all makes sense.
Yes, your friend was a nerd…a parent-talkin’-book-readin’-moring-waking-nerd
Ha! You could have knocked on my door – I’d have answered … I forget that when I’m up at 5AM that not everyone else is…and waiting until 9AM to call anyone can be TORTURE!
I’m glad to know I’m not the only one up in the wee hours and then assed out early! I was also that kid that would be at my friends house during the summer at 6:30 am (which was way late already!) to see if “Johnny could come out and play”…the parents usually answered the door in robes with coffee and sleepy eyes. And then we would converstate until “Johnny” awoke. Now I’m up at 4am during the week and sleep in on the weekends…today I woke up at 5:15, it felt good to sleep in.