Productive Insomnia

My day was great! Even though I went to bed after midnight, and I usually need a lot more sleep, I woke up early at 7:30am, for some reason. Crazy. I talked to some friends on IRC about car engines, bio-diesel, and why the gasoline has mysteriously not turned to turpentine in post-apocalyptic shows and movies. And, then I got dressed up nice. (I even tried putting a small amount of make-up on.) And, then I went out to pick up job applications from the hotels near my house. Lots of walking.

In one of the hotels, I ran into someone I used to work with up in the Park a few years ago. He was, and still is, dating one of the girls who worked with me in the Pizza Parlor. (My favourite co-worker, actually.) So, that was cool. I found out that they moved to town, and she is working at a store really close. We talked for maybe two minutes before I left, so that he could get back to work. And, I gave him my number and address, so that we could keep in touch.

Some of the people just handed me the application, but some of them were really friendly and welcoming. They let they let me know who was responsible for the hiring, and if they knew of any openings. I even got to talk with a few managers right there on the spot.

I picked up nine applications, and then walked over to Wendy's, so that I could fill them out and grab a sandwich. I ended up staying there for an hour and a half. I listened to the music on my phone while looking up some of the phone numbers and addresses. Then, I dropped off the one I had completed, to the place where it seemed like I had the best chance of getting hired, and then walked over to the Marshalls to look for some sheets.

It was getting a bit windy by that point, and it looked like it might start raining, so I asked Andi to pick me up after work. I almost regretted not bringing my jacket, hat, and gloves, but it worked out. Andi took me for a quick stop at Walgreen's, and then to Taco Bell for drive-thru. When we got back to the trailer, I was about 15 minutes late for the Admin Meeting in my gaming clan. But, that worked out alright, too, because the couple that founded the group were about 20 minutes later than I was.

We talked about the clan business for about 2 hours, and bullshitted a little. Then, I edited and posted the Minutes, and played on the server until 7:30 this morning. Had a blast. I still haven't been to sleep, yet. And, I am thinking of staying up until I get the rest of the apps filled out. I might even try to walk down and drop them off before I go to bed. Or, I might go brush my teeth right now, and go to sleep. I cannot really tell what my body wants to do once I go this long without sleeping.

I don't have any plans with anyone for today. And, that is one of the things that usually keeps me awake for long periods of time. In fact, last weekend I was awake for 37 hours straight. I had to be awake by 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, in order to help out my folks while they were camping at the Kearney Renaissance Festival.

On Friday, I went to bed around 9:00pm, but I woke up at 2:30am on Saturday, and I couldn't go back to sleep. I got out to the park at 6:30pm, drove my parents to the nearby Denny's for dinner, and dropped them off again. And, I really didn't feel sleepy again until about 1:30 Sunday afternoon. But, by then, I didn't really feel like I had enough time to go to sleep. I managed to stay awake until 3:30pm, but then I had to take a nap.

Garden Depression

I'm certain that plenty of gardeners out there have experienced garden depression before. Whether it is from the deer eating most of the vegetables before they even get started, or the early frost that rots out the squash, or the pesky pets who cannot resist the temptation of a freshly planted bed of soft soil, we have all thought about throwing in the towel.

We all know what it is like to look at the mess of a ruined garden and still be painfully aware of what that garden was going to become. The visions of what was to be haunt us as we look at the work that must be redone. And, we wonder if the risk, labour, and expense are really worth it.

I am feeling this low, right now, and I am finding it very hard to want to go out into the garden. (Of course, I can't go out right now, anyway, because of my problems with my neck and shoulder. But, I don't even feel the desire to go look at it.) Maybe, I should just get a hardy ground cover to cover the whole yard, and be done with it. Maybe, I should pay someone else to take care of it when I am feeling this bad. (Oh, if only I could afford that option.)

I'd totally help some out by putting a few extra bucks in their pocket in exchange for some help in the yard. But, my current budget is next to nil, and I need to be saving my money for replacing the engine on my car, and for helping to pay the property taxes on my folks' home. And, my current income is unemployment benefits that are about to run out. So, spending anything on the garden right now would not be prudent.

Anyway...
... I am still trying to decide if I really want to post any pictures of my failed garden efforts. If I decide to share them, they will be added below the line.

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[-- Nope. No photos, yet. --]