Paying the price for my debilitating stupor
My new job requires lots and lots of writing. (That's good!) But not the type of writing I particularly enjoy or would recommend to anyone. (That's bad!) It serves as great training for thinking quickly and writing on deadline. (That's good!) But my latest project has kept me up the last few nights, because it's just too goddamn easy to procrastinate and watch "Family Guy" reruns. (That's stupid!)
As the father of an active toddler, I've inured myself to the fatigue that has become a part of my existence. But when a man my age tries to pull off his daily routine on half the sleep he's used to, the Gods of Common Sense will at some point have to reach down and teach him a valuable life lesson.
As I type to you now, I am a tired, tired man. Dead-dog tired. Dead-menagerie tired. And, sadly, a little bereft. See, I just started a load of laundry out in our hallway washing machine, and I realized the washer wasn't quite full. So I returned to the apartment, grabbed a fistful of boxer shorts from the hamper, walked back out to the hallway ... and dumped the whole bundle down the garbage chute.
I almost fell off my chair.
Posted by: Frankenstein | January 13, 2005 at 23:27
Awwww, sleep derivation. Good times, good times. You know, there's a valid reason that it's prohibited under the Geneva Convention.
Posted by: LoLo | January 13, 2005 at 23:41
This reminded me of a laundry mishap I had back in July:
http://blobservations.net/blog/2004/07/dry-clean-only.html
Sleep deprivation was definitely a contributing factor.
Posted by: Rick Hallihan | January 14, 2005 at 07:45
Ha ha! Poor LOD. Maybe you need to change your name to Dead-Dog Tired Dad. :)
Posted by: Muppet | January 14, 2005 at 09:26
I'm right there with you, today. That takes care of that part of the laundry, anyway. If I were you, I would just claim it an experiment in extreme laundering efficiency.
Posted by: HumanPacifier | January 14, 2005 at 09:57
GOOD ONE DAD! Reminds me of the time I got up with the "little one" and tried to prepare her a nice warm bottle....in the near dark....with her balanced in my left arm, and doing all the steps needed with my right hand. I dumped the Similac formula scoop on the kitchen counter, ( missed the bottle's opening, and then put in warm water...screwed the cap on and shook it furiously, tested it on my wrist...all the time balancing her in my left arm, and then WONDERING why she didn't take to it like she normally does. The ex-Wife came in and called me names.........'dumbass' was uttered. It is exhausting........no?
Posted by: Butch | January 14, 2005 at 10:09
geez. farewell Boxer shorts!
Posted by: erinire | January 14, 2005 at 10:12
A Boxer Short Story...
Posted by: Ned | January 14, 2005 at 10:22
Go read http://julia.typepad.com/julia/2005/01/where_am_i.html and the comments that follow. You are not alone.
Posted by: lynn | January 14, 2005 at 10:39
Sad thing is I don't even need to be that tired. Last night, my son woke up while I was watching some late night TV. I fixed him a bottle went back to my program then I spent the next 30 minutes looking for the TV remote. Finally found it in the fridge...
Posted by: lexagirl | January 14, 2005 at 11:29
On this you can rest easy... you won Best Daddy Blog! Let me be the first to say "Congratulations!" I don't foresee any other result at this point!
And, uh, I'll forgo any comments about this being the guy at the bottom saying it to the guy at the top... hmmmmm.
Posted by: Jim | January 14, 2005 at 14:50
*has an aneurysm trying to contain her laughter, which is not Work-Appropriate*
God, kids are funny. THANK YOU for sharing yours with the rest of us. I will be reading the archives.
Posted by: Morphienne | January 14, 2005 at 18:49
My question is: Where is the garbage?
Posted by: Boogie's Mom | January 14, 2005 at 20:32
Yep, I put a potholder in the trash the other day. Hey, I emailed you the other day, but it may have been tagged as SPAM. I wanted to ask your permission to modify your "Times" banner, and use it on my site. Would that be okay?
Posted by: Sheryl | January 15, 2005 at 12:24
I feel like a trash today. I did not sleep good this last night. My tot and my baby are sucking out my energy. Sometimes I just wanna go away. It's hard. I just can cry and miss those days I could sleep past noon.
Posted by: Zila | January 15, 2005 at 13:40
Yikes! So much for those clothes, huh?!
I found your blog via honestyrain, via Michele...what a great site! I'll be back!
Posted by: Tammy | January 16, 2005 at 08:56
i like you for resolving the "boxers or briefs" question for those of us who need to know these kinds of things without making yourself too obvious.
Posted by: anne | January 16, 2005 at 09:34
As a side note, long minutes (about 3) of painstaking research (googling the Geneva Convention, then searching the thing for 'sleep,' 'rest,' and 'fatigue.'), would seem to indicate that the GC has nothing whatsoever to say about sleep deprivation.
Damn.
Posted by: Changeling | January 16, 2005 at 17:04
Uhhh, darn it. I could have sworn that was it was against some sort of law. Well, that just proves that none of the people who wrote up the code have had any hands on experience with babies and the hours they keep.
Posted by: LoLo | January 17, 2005 at 20:38