Long Nights, Busy Days

I didn't write an entry last night because my sister has come down with the flu, and I have to take on a lot of added work as a result. I had to go shopping, among other things. Shopping never used to bother me, but now that I'm out of the habit, I find it unpleasant. I don't know where anything is in the stores, or which stores have or don't have which items. That makes it even more time-consuming. Later today, it will be vacuuming and laundry. I expect a tedious week. And, I forgot to buy cat litter.

The nights have grown clear and chill, and distant sounds carry sharp but diminutive. A dog barking or an owl hooting bring to my mind an image, but it is a miniature. A few hours ago, tiny deer passed within earshot. Cars passing on distant roads turn to toys. Under the influence of this phenomenon, I look at the sky and imagine it to be a series of transparent spheres, as the ancients believed it to be, set with the lights of small stars only a few miles away, like the lights of houses across a valley. It is a comforting thought. I can understand why they were so reluctant to give it up.

More of the Same

For the last couple of weeks, they've ben doing something with the main road that runs a block west of my house. Today, I got very little sleep because of the noise of large trucks and construction equipment rumbling and clattering. Apparently, their preparations are coming to fruition. Maybe they are going to re-pave, and I will no longer hear the loud thumping noise that cars make as they pass over the bad joints that have developed between sections of the road surface over the years. I didn't bother to go over and look. I was too tired after being repeatedly awakened by the beep, beep, beep of trucks backing up to turn around on the side street. That's the main disadvantage of being nocturnal.

But now it is quiet, and I have the night to myself, which is the main advantage of being nocturnal. I'll probably take one of those unintentional naps, though. To help ward it off, I'm drinking tea, but the caffeine is no longer reliable. For many years, I could count on it to keep me awake even when I was exhausted. Recently, it has failed me on several occasions. Should I lose my sensitivity to it, I might become narcoleptic. I can imagine myself sleeping ten or twelve hours a day. I quite like sleeping. Even though I seldom remember my dreams, I have the distinct feeling that they are much more enjoyable than is my waking life. Maybe I'll end up in a coma some day.

The night looks so much like last night that I see no point in describing it. That means I have nothing to say. Just as well, since LJ is back to normal (meaning cranky as hell) and might not even post anything for me. Must go make more tea.