Thursday, July 12, 2007

Surprise Day Off

Well I was supposed to be at work for 8:00 this morning and what do you know! I woke up to my phone ringing at 8:43 with my boss asking if I just wanted the day off. She's a very cool woman. At first I apologized profusely then realized that I finish all of my work by 9:00 and then sit on my butt until 1:00...so I'm enjoying my day off.

I haven't overslept in so long and that's always been a very anxiety provoking issue for me. When I was an undergrad in college I used to "oversleep" through class all the time. But that was mostly because I just didn't want to go to class. Now I worry all the time that when I get a "real job" I'm going to oversleep. So when the real job comes about, I think I'll start trying the old "put the alarm clock across the room so you have to out of bed to turn it off" trick. I'm afraid that's the only thing that will work for this guy.

Part of the reason I overslept is because I just can't make myself go to bed at night! It could have something to do with drinking coffee all day right up until 10 p.m. I just can't get to bed before midnight. Last night I laid in bed thinking of all sorts of stuff. Mostly of what I want to write about when NaNoWriMo comes around and I've ditched the old story line and I've finally come up with one that I really like and can't wait to write! Unfortunately it kept me up til 2 in the morning, but I have high hopes for it. It will be a modern fantasy...an urban fantasy I guess you could say and will involve faerie folk, a young boy, pods and will no doubt be depressing at times as my writing is....but my writing also tends to have an uplifting tone when everything works out, so hopefully it won't end in leaving everyone depressed. We'll see where it takes me.

22 comments:

DesLily said...

hmmm, someone is sounding like he won't be able to wait until it's time to write! Are you allowed to make an outline while you wait?? Or notes of any sort so that you remember certain things you think you want to write about???

Are you packed and ready for your trip? (dumb question huh?)

chrisa511 said...

Yes..you can write notes and an outline, but can't actually start writing until November 1st.

Ready for the trip? yes...Packed? absolutely not :p I'm a big procrastinator when it comes to packing. Packing will probably be done on Sunday night and it will take all of 5 minutes from start to finish :)

CJ said...

The story sounds like it'll be a good one. Did anyone warn you that NaNo can become an obsession?

And STOP DRINKING COFFEE after 8:00 p.m.!!!

Silly rabbit. ;)

cjh

chrisa511 said...

CJ, I'm beginning to learn that NaNo can become an obsession...long before it's even begun ;)

You think I would've learned my lesson with the coffee after 10 years, huh? lol

Anonymous said...

Story idea sounds very interesting! I've been thinking vaguely about NaNoWriMo, but also about a story I can't leave until then to write...

I know what you mean about oversleeping...I always get rather anxious about it when I have something important to do/when I have to go to work etc.com

chrisa511 said...

That's my problem now Quix...can I really wait until then to write it now that I've thought of it? I'm trying to convince myself not to cheat and instead of starting to write the story, just outline it and jot down plot points. I'm trying to be a good boy ;)

Isn't anxiety horrible! I swear, I think I worry so much about over sleeping that I stay up too late worrying and end up oversleeping because I got no sleep. Try saying that sentence 5 times fast!

Carl V. Anderson said...

Hooray for you. Both you and Jeff are off having fun today while I'm at work itching and bitching! ;) Hope you are enjoying yourself.

I am the same way about going to bed. I have been up until 2:00 p.m. for the last 3 nights in a row, re-playing Need for Speed Most Wanted on the PC and watching music videos on the internet. I love to sleep but just hate going to bed at night. I don't recover as quickly now as I used to and I'm afraid I may be one tired puppy this weekend!

chrisa511 said...

Hey, it's the poison man! lol...Still itching, huh Carl? That's horrible. I've managed to make this such an unproductive day...oh well.

I think that I may have a bit of vampire ancestry somewhere down the line. I too love sleep, but it tends to be when the sun is shining. I'm most awake when the moon is out and like you, I'm either playing video games, playing on the computer or reading. Weekends are made for resting, so enjoy it! And get rid of that damn poison ivy!

Anonymous said...

I have a lot of problems sleeping and oversleeping as well. Have you tried a herbal tea before going to bed? It sometimes helps me. Also, I've found that I need two alarm clocks - one goes off five minutes after the other one, and has a much more annoying alarm, so it's more likely to actually wake me up and get me out of bed instead of my hitting snooze in my sleep (which is my biggest problem).

chrisa511 said...

Court, I have tried herbal tea and unfortunately it didn't do much for me. I have a little trick I do with alarm clocks...this is really sad. I have like 5 different alarm clocks and when I find I'm getting used to the sound of one of them (and am therefor more likely to sleep through it) I switch it out for one of the others. Isn't that pathetic, lol...Whatever works, right? lol

Ana S. said...

I've used the "alarm clock on the other side of the room" trick myself. Oversleeping doesn't happen to me often, but sometimes it does, and I'm quite terrified of it. Especially when I have to do important things in my morning like take an exam or catch a plane. I set two alarm clocks then :P

I love the sound of your novel. And don't worry about it being depressing. I'm not a sad person but I find myself drawn to sad books very often. I'm sure it will be great.

chrisa511 said...

Nymeth, I don't seem to oversleep very often either...but it seems that when I do it's always on the days when I really shouldn't :p

I'm drawn to sad books as well. Always have been. I tend to write sad things too...but it's very rare that I end things on a sad note...or on a REALLY sad note at least. I hope it turns out o.k.

Anonymous said...

Only losers go to bed before midnight ;) It's currently 00:13 in the UK and I am sure I will be up for at least another hour, again.

Glad you enjoyed your day off, I put my alarm clock over the other side of the room too (I absolutely hate mornings). Looking forward to seeing some of your writing.

DesLily said...

Yikes! I fall in "the loosers" catagory! I go to bed early and wake early.. I will admit though..going to bed early doesn't mean I fall asleep early! In fact many times I go on "PM" pills because i can't fall asleep. I have no choice but get up early because I have to take care of my brother...even with little or nearly no sleep sometimes I lay in the dark, hoping to hell I fall asleep!
oversleep? what's that? Can't remember the last time I slept any later then 7 ish..I wake with the daylight!

chrisa511 said...

Rhinoa, I guess that officially makes me not a loser! ;) I love learning interesting facts about other countries...does the UK use military time (00:13)? That would take me so long to get used to!

Deslily, Wake with the daylight?! That sounds awful! lol...PM pills don't work for me..my body is a strange thing. Benadryl, Tylenol PM..none of that makes me tired.

Anonymous said...

I went and read most of No Plot? No Problem! in Barnes and Noble last night and while I love the idea, I think I'll be cheering you all on from the sideline this year. (Either that or figure out how to be one of those people that sneaks in 4 hours of writing during work).

Your idea sounds like it has a lot of promise!

chrisa511 said...

Kim, It's definitely going to be rough, but I'm looking forward to it! If anything, it'll be a memorable experience ;)

Anonymous said...

haha! i know the feeling. its amazing how when your mind is active late at night it becomes impossible to shut it down!!

isn't it just so funny how, even if you decide to go to bed, there's nothing you can do once your mind has already been thinking about that kind of thing...!

chrisa511 said...

JP, I can't stand that! I have the most irrelevant things that go storming through my mind when I can't fall asleep, yet they just won't go away. Quite annoying! At least I got a story idea out of this one!

Bookfool said...

I do that with the alarm clock and have trouble sleeping and then getting up because I don't see much purpose to being conscious. All I do is drive a teenager around and clean. And, I'm no good at that. I'm adrift.

NaNo is fun. Don't worry about it. I've done it twice and didn't plan at all, either time. In fact, the first time I began to write one story and hated it so thoroughly that I started all over on Day 4, but still finished.

I see you've been shopping, again. Sorry I haven't been here in a few days.

chrisa511 said...

Bookfool, You've lowered my anxieties somewhat for NaNo ;) I'm sure I'll have a really good time doing it. I'm looking forward to it.

I'm always book shopping! You can pop over here just about anyday and you're bound to find some new books ;)

Anonymous said...

well if you get an idea that is usable in the clear light of day then its definitely worth it!