Night Owl

  

If you could make your own schedule, sleep when you needed and wake when you wanted, what would be your natural circadian cycle?  I don’t like to sleep at night, it is primo writing time. The phone doesn’t ring between midnight and six a.m. – and neither does the doorbell. For some reason I can easily write all night long. For me sleep time comes naturally about the time the sun rises. That’s a shame really, because I really do like mornings, in theory anyway, besides that the phone does ring about that time and the same goes for the doorbell. Those poor souls who dare to ring my doorbell early in the morning usually quickly learn not to ever do it again though. Rawr.

There is that thing that interferes with everyone’s natural sleep cycle, unfortunately, you know that reality thing. I adore when I find people who shun reality and share my timeline. It doesn’t happen that often so it is a treat when it does. It rocks that I can text my BFF at 2:30 a.m. to contemplate why we are both thinking about whipped cream and sprinkles in the middle of the night. Or when I can get on Facebook and ask a friend if it is possible to survive jamming a screwdriver into a fuse box (book research question, do not try this at home).

My in-laws are night owls. There have been times when we’ve shown up at their house after midnight during the week and their TV was on full blast, MIL was painting ceramics or reupholstering a sofa and FIL was canning tomatoes or going through his fishing gear. My kids would drag their suitcases into the house and drag Pop-pop out for Popsicles to the 24-hr gas station or they’d all start playing “rock band”. Apparently this up all night phenomenon is both contagious and genetic. I’d offer to meet you at the corner store for Popsicles right now, except that I have a deadline to meet and need to get back to my book. If you go without me, would you mind picking me up a root beer one? Just don't bring it by before noon. Rawr.