The one thing in my life that is like clockwork...

As has been the case for the past couple of weeks, I woke up at 4:30 am on the dot. Like a Swiss-precision watch, the eyes open, the clock blinks "4:30" in my face, and I'm left staring at the ceiling, the wall and unable to get back to sleep. By 4:45, I'm on the computer trying to waste away some time and bore myself to sleep by randomly surfing the web, throwing down ideas for a project or two that I want to do.

Mind you, this is typically after falling asleep prematurely, and without being able to get what I need to get done before bed. Part of this is my own fault, as I get overwhelmingly tired by, around, 10 pm, decide to change into my PJs and rest a bit in bed. I can't exactly help it - the fatigue can get quite all-consuming. So, I just sit, figure, "I'll just rest my back/digest dinner/whatever," and then, 5 1/2 hours later, I awake. As though it were 9:00 am with the sunshine streaming in my eyes from the window and a full cup of coffee. I'm alert, I'm perky, and I am not going to be able to sleep for hours. I can turn off the lights, lie down, throw the covers over my face to block out any light and sounds and force myself to reduce my oxygen intake by stifling myself, but, inevitably, before Queen Mab can have a chance to present a dream, I'm sitting up, staring into the dark, aware of too much around me.

The root of this torpor torture? I have absolutely no clue. None, whatsoever. No simple resolution. Warm milk, herbal tea, counting sheep, blindfolds, hot compress, you name it, it hasn't worked.

So, now, I'm on the computer, watching the TV news, where I learned of the death of Travis the Chimp (which sounds ridiculous, but I am actually, personally, familiar with Travis in Stamford), trying to figure out why Linda Schmidt, Fox 5 news reporter, is reporting on the story at Stamford Train Station, many miles away from Rock Rimmon Road, where the attack took place and the chip lived. At least she should be at Stamford Hospital, where the victim of the attack is still recovering.

But you see what I mean? It's now 5:03 am, I've been up for less than half an hour, and this is what I'm reduced to. Watching a neighbor saying that he'd rather take the chimp out for a drive than his own nephews. I'm sure Aunt Macari is seething. And, me? I'm the idiot typing this story up on my blog.