Why I Have Insomnia

Bit of a gray day today. It started out just overcast and kinda warm... it was near 50° when the day started out, but it's been getting progressively cooler and gloomier as the day's worn on. As I'm writing this on my lunch hour, it's raining. We were supposed to get snow this afternoon, but it's never changed over. Given the trends in NYC weather lately, it'll probably turn over just in time to optimally screw up the evening commute!

Despite Mother Nature's rather sour disposition, I find myself in a pretty good mood recently. I'm sure at least part of it has to do with the approach of spring, but part of it, too, has to do with a number of things in my life that are looking up... or I'm changing my perspective on them - and my life, by extension.

I've been a heck of a lot more social lately, both with my friends, and in the dating world. And it occurs to me to wonder whether or not my feeling good is inspired by the fact that I'm taking these chances, having these good times, or if the inverse (reverse?) is true: Maybe I'm getting out more with my friends, approaching and engaging people to whom I'm attracted, because I'm feeling better lately?

I've always been a bit of a "let the mystery be" kinda guy (funny, that, given how much navel-gazing I'm inclined to in this online journal!), so I'm tending to just let it go and enjoy the moment. I think it's well deserved - I've been down for quite a while, as I've remarked before - and so I'm trying to maintain a buddhish take on the whole thing, and enjoy it while it lasts.


I may have mentioned that I've been having trouble sleeping since moving into the big bedroom in our apartment, which was formerly Maya's? Our apartment (or at least my bedroom) fronts on the intersection of St. Marks & Flatbush Avenue, and it's just incredibly noisy at all hours. This isn't helped by the fact that there are two restaurants and a deli right below me, and each one has their trash collected on two (different) days of the week, but all late at night... so pretty much six days a week at 2 or 3 a.m., I've got a really loud garbage truck under my window.

Lately, though, I've taken to wearing earplugs while I sleep, and they've turned out to be a lifesaver. Who knew that these little plastic foam thingies could so effectively stop sound?!? I've been sleeping well, recently, which is good. I've lamented the fact lately that I'm starting to really look my age, and I think lack of sleep has had a lot to do with that. I wonder (I hope I hope I hope) if getting back to decent sleeping patterns will help repair some of that damage. I should be so lucky!!!

All of this is, of course, back-story to the real reason I'm nattering on about beginning to sleep through the night. I've got a new Nightly Nemesis:

Truckstop has become a nocturnal hunter. In the middle of the night last night, he pounced on me with abandon.

He enjoys popping out from under my bed as I'm walking by to attack my feet, but by far his most favorite activity - one he can do for hours - is try to get my feet when I'm sitting in bed under my covers. I don't think he's smart enough to connect that it's me under there, and he thinks my feet are some sort of prey he can have at. Well, last night he elected to expand his classification of prey to my whole body. Out of nowhere, he was leaping up and down the bed, trying to wrap his teeth around various parts of me. At first I thought I was being attacked by an over-sized Mexican Jumping Bean. I couldn't help but laugh, even if he did destroy an uninterrupted night of sleep.

Max (Matt's dog) puts up with an amazing amount of abuse from this kitten. Truckstop's idea of playing is to maul and chew on Max's muzzle, and the poor dog puts up with so much of it. Sooner or later, though, he gets annoyed, and starts a low growl meant to scare the cat away. Of course the cat is too stupid to know what that means, so he goes right on. The growl turns into a growl/bared teeth combo. Still, the silly kid digs his teeth into the big plush dog. Finally Max can't take it and he snaps at Truckstop, barking and trying to bite him. And the cat, once he's scrambled away, is so taken aback by this, I practically fall out of my chair laughing every time it happens. He gives the dog this look, as if to say, "Man, you're grumpy!"

Animals are such a joy.