Wednesday, May 22, 2019

1:03 p.m.

It seems that my optimal sleep hours are from 4:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. I'm not even promised that much, but if I can get it, I'll take it. Then I take the dog out, go crawl back in bed and hope for at least a little cat nap before starting the day.

I was SOOOO sleepy yesterday that I was sure I'd go to sleep early. Ha!

Eventually, this bout of insomnia will pass and I will sleep at least four hours before waking up. I will wake up completely psyched and hope for the zillionth time that this bout is the last one.

I'm 59. I have been hoping this for at least 50years.

Ah, life is funny, isn't it?

I have a theory about why I'm this way. As a child, I was always afraid I would miss something if I went to sleep too early. A conversation, a visitor, a TV show. Also, I wanted to read and read and read some more--as if the book would disappear overnight if I didn't finish it quickly enough.

Fighting sleep was a big part of my nights.

Guess I won!! Now that I've decided that nothing too important will happen in the wee hours of the night while everyone else is asleep, my subconscious has been programed to MISS NOTHING. Stay awake, just in case.

I did it to myself. I just know it.

Dang, I was a dumb youngster! Hahaha!

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4:23 p.m.

Oh, my goodness, what happened to my day? I have been busy, and have accomplished so much...nothing.

And now I'm going to go feed my parents! I'm feeling lazy, so I'm thinking pizza. I doubt if either of them are going to protest.

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5:36 p.m.

Pizza! Peeps fed. Cookies in the oven. Better late than never for a little burst of productivity!

Got my tickets for Denver. I have to tell you, two trips in a month is going to wear me out. I don't know how true frequent fliers do it. I worked for a doctor back in the day who used to fly out of Denver International Airport multiple times a month, and I used to think that would be so cool, traveling all the time.

Have you been to DIA? It is huge! There are three concourses, and you take the underground train from the main terminal to get to any of them. Regardless of which you're flying from, A, B or C, there are multiple gates. If you're flying to Rock Springs, Wyoming, your gate is going to be anywhere from Numbers 80 to 96 or so.

What this means is you're going to take the underground, ride to your terminal, go upstairs and see gate numbers starting somewhere between 30-40, and then go one direction or other to get to your gate. You've got to get 40-50 gates from your starting point!

If you're lucky, all the automatic sidewalks will be functioning. If you're really lucky, someone driving a ride-along will pick you up. If not--this is a LONG walk, if you're gate is number 88.

That was my gate last time I flew back to Rock Springs, and I lucked out enough to find all the moving sidewalks working fine. There's still a lot of walking in between those sections, though. If you're carrying a bag, it sure does seem to gain weight!

Once I got to my gate, I grabbed a coffee and settled in to read. About 10 minutes before my flight, I got a message that my flight had been moved to gate 80. Off I went, trekking my way back to the new gate.

Just as I was sitting down, a new message came in saying that my flight would now board at gate 94.

Oh, my God!

If only I hadn't seen the first message, I would have walked from gate 88 to 94. Now I had to walk from 80 to 94.  I should add that once you get past gate 79, you go downstairs again and there are no more mobile sidewalks. You are on your own.

Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I don't mind a walk. But I was sure wishing I had checked my bag! (And it wasn't all that big, but, jeez! It's awkward.)

Anyway, I do this in reverse when I land at DIA, but at least they can't make me move from my seat until the plane decides on a gate! Ha ha!

Here's what makes the trip, in either direction, so bizarre. Rock Springs airport has 2 gates. Not a typo! One, two. Two gates. Terminal, baggage check, baggage claim--all there in one building that might take you a whole five minutes to walk around the outside of. 

Last time I flew out, when I got inside, there were four other people there. No staff. Nothing. I felt like I'd stepped into an episode of The Twilight Zone. Staff showed up less than an hour before my flight, checked everyone in and did the old search the bag, remove the shoes routine in minutes, and then it was read until you board and away we go.

Believe me when I tell you, after that beginning, arriving at crowded, bustling, huge DIA is a bit of a shock, even though I've been there numerous times and knew what was coming.

It's just as much of a shock coming in to Rock Springs after spending a couple of hours at DIA.

I don't suffer jet lag really. It's more of a system overload due to contrast.

And I'll be doing it again very soon. Dentist and doctor. Whee!

This is crazy, but I am looking forward to the dentist. I will be so happy to swap this temporary crown for the permanent one. It is odd. My tongue keeps wanting to remind me that it is odd. Plus, I can't use my electric toothbrush on it, so I just use the regular brush, and I really think it doesn't do the job as well as that battery-powered tooth-cleaning machine.

I'm hoping for a day of fun at Denver Pop Culture Con while I'm there. Maybe this time I will get to meet Zachary Levi. Missed him in Salt Lake last month.

I get to sleep in my very own bed a few nights in a row. Maybe I will actually sleep!!!

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Well, have a happy rest of your day, everyone.

Until we meet again!