NO PRE-TRIP SLEEP TONIGHT

I'm rarely able to get a decent night's sleep right before an impending trip — no matter if the trip is rather routine or mundane (which my trips rarely are).  I thought I was ahead of the game this time:  I've been packed for days now (I only need to add my razor and comb after I finish my shower in the morning), I hustled today doing last-minute cleaning and other errands, I spent this evening updating various databases so I wouldn't have any unfinished paperwork (computerwork) when I return, and I finished burning some DVD's for a few friends.

And, I was ready to go to sleep at a decent time tonight.  My eyes even felt tired at 11:00 so I figured there would be no problem drifting off into a peaceful slumber; I actually thought I'd be able to get more than enough sleep before my alarm goes off at 5:20 in the morning.

Well, here it is — a quarter to two — and I'm wide awake.  I actually gave up about an hour ago.  I tried reading a bit, digging in my duffel bag for my "trip novel" — Michael McGarrity's Slow Kill — and reading a chapter.  I then did a bit of Internet browsing (finding an interesting book review that I'll post here in a few minutes) before deciding to write a blog entry.

Oh, I did take the opportunity to finish off the last bit of food in my house:  a couple of slices of frozen Texas toast with melted cheese (yum!) and a can of soda.  I may take the trash bag out to the dumpster if I get motivated enough to put shoes and a shirt on.  And I actually remembered that I could go ahead and check-in for both of my flights tomorrow (and print out the boarding passes) so I did that.  I figure I'll try to rest my eyes a bit if they get tired enough (but I doubt my brain will shut off enough for any real sleep) and then I can relax more on the second flight (the long one).

I'll go back and read some more of my book in a few minutes — it's been a month or more since I've last read any sort of fiction; it's nice to read something light(er) for a change as recently I've been immersed in overseas volunteers guides and books about Nepali history and culture.

Apart from the book review I'm going to reprint in a moment (not about the one I'm reading but about one I think I'll buy based on the review), this will probably be my last entry for a week.  (Mike will have his laptop in Seattle, but I don't plan on using it other than to dump my camera's memory card if it fills up.)

Cheers...