Sleep Deprivation Isn't Fun For Anyone

...that is, unless you're really sleep deprived, to the point of giggle attacks and foolishness, as can be evidenced here...

But I digress. Let me give a little context. Yesterday was a helluva day:
-Awaken, 3:30am
-Take an advil, 3:32am
-Hang around the apartment, waiting for it to kick in, 3:33am - 4:35am
-Decided I can go back to sleep, so start to doze, 4:45am
-Say "good morning" (or something) to my alarm, 5:45am
-Begin drive to work, 6:45am
-Arrive at work, 7:25am
-Leave work, 4:00pm
-Run errands (dry cleaning, Target, etc.), 4:00pm - 5:40pm
-Go to Library (for some schoolwork, reading), 5:40pm - 6:15pm
-Drive to Church for glee club rehearsal for this weekend's performance, 6:20pm
-Rehearse (a.k.a. stand uncomfortably on risers, sweat, then freeze in the old church, be jostled by fellow singers, yelled at by director (as a part of the choir, not myself. I'm a mouse in rehearsal, unlike in the rest of my life), have head vibrated by bell ringer directly behind me, have ears blasted by trumpet players directly in front of me), 6:30pm-9:40pm
note: we were told we'd be getting out at 9:15ish to 9:30ish at the latest. Such was not the case. Don't these people know I turn into a pumpkin at 9 on weeknights? And on top of that I had to drive to Egypt to get home...
-Drive home, 9:40pm - 10:20pm
note: driving home includes nodding off and scary eye workage. More on that later.
-Go to bed: 11:30pm
-Say "hello" (or something) to today's alarm, 4:45am
-Drive to work, 5:15am - 6:20am (including seeing nasty motorcycle accident that also clogged the 110, which did provoke a moment and gratitude for my mundane health, as well as sorrow and prayers for the man lying on the pavement being attended to by paramedics...)
-Gym, 6:25am - 7:00am
-In to work, 7:25am

Now. I don't go to the gym only to work out (not anymore, at least). I go because, if I don't leave before 5:45am, the traffic will make me late for my 7:30am start time in the office. If I leave before 5:30am, I'll be there with an hour to spare. Yes, the difference in traffic is that much. So I'm forced to go to the gym. However, this doesn't mean much because when I'm this tired, my workout is 50% at best...

And about the "eye workage" mentioned above, the truth is...I fall asleep on the road. Bad. I know, it's horrible, and that's one of the reasons that I make it a point, whenever possible, to get enough sleep. Somewhere during my junior year in high school when I was driving an hour each way to school because my mom had moved far away from my high school and I refused to transfer (brat), and was doing extracurriculars which made my driving hours something like 5:15-6:30am, then 10:30-11:30pm, my body just began to say to me "screw you. You won't give me sleep, I'll take it. I don't care what you're doing." I would fall asleep on the road regularly. Sometimes, after a drive up to Richmond, my new home, I'd feel as if I'd taken a nap, and not remember a thing about the drive. I would force my eyes to remain open, so they'd just shut off. Not even kidding. All of a sudden, I'd be blind. I'd have to shake my head a little to make my vision kick back in. Oh, and hallucinations on the road. Had those too. Let's not even go there.

And there started my borderline narcolepsy. I am convinced that I am not fated to die in a car crash, because that totally would have happened about a zillion times over the years.

In college I would fall asleep in the middle of a conversation. I slept through all the Oceans movies (11, 12, 13). I slept through Hannibal. In the second row.

Over the ensuing years, this has gone away mostly, but from time to time I'll feel the freight train of sleep, coming to get me. When it really sucks is when I'm in a meeting at work, or driving, of course. And that's what almost happened last night. It wasn't full-force, and I didn't ever actually fall asleep, but the train was close by. And the smaller lanes and crazier traffic on the West Coast made it nerve wracking, lemme tell you. Suffice it too, to say that T will probably never want me to drive after dark again...

So, today, I am tired. And it's a long day because we're having our office Christmas party tonight. Woohoo. Can you sense my excitement?

I need a nap.