So Long Precious Hour Of Sleep

This weekend our alarms went off a little sooner, our eyes were a little heavier, and our son woke up a little later. The last one was welcomed but the first two we could have done without. With all the changes that have happened recently, daylight saving time was more of a shock to the system than it had been in the past.

One thing that has become precious to us (in addition to our son) is sleep. It is something that we enjoy while it lasts and are still not getting enough of which is why we have been dreading this weekend for months. A single hour may not seem like much to some, there is a good article in Time Magazine about the minimal impact of this time shift, but for us it makes a huge difference in our own sleep pattern and our son’s schedule. With that said, it is nice to wake up to a room filled with sunlight and hopefully the loss of time will mean the rapid arrival of warm weather and a release from the four walls of which we have grown rather tired.

While the momentary loss of sleep is something that we are not fond of, the approach of spring is something that we are both looking forward to. The weather combined with the birth of our son has kept us confined to our house more than usual this year and the ability to go outside and simply walk is something for which we have been longing. Not to mention that the bitter frigidity of the winter has wreaked havoc on the temperature inside our home. And this last note was really the driving force behind the adoption of daylight saving time.

While Ben Franklin is commonly considered the first to propose such an adjustment, the recent history of the adoption has a similar rational. Franklin’s proposal as well as the modern ones were a means of saving energy… candles in the beginning and fuel as the most recent rational. A more detailed look into the modern history can be found on Wikipedia. If you are interested in acquiring some more random knowledge (just in case you are even on Jeopardy) it is definitely worth reading.

So, what it comes down to is that in an effort to save some energy we are going to lose some energy for a day or two. Sometimes that seems like a fair trade but that has to be reserved to hindsight. However, having seen our recent PECO bills this winter I think I am okay with that even if we are a little grumpier than usual this weekend.

Another Alarming Evening

View of the cluster from outside.

It was a busy weekend for the two of us as we both needed to just get out of the apartment and do something. We spent all day on Saturday driving around enjoying some new scenery, running errands, and trying to stay warm. It was a slower pace than usual but we still got a number of things done. Today was much of the same for the first part of the day until we got to the point that we just needed to close the door, make some dinner, and try to catch up on all the emails and projects that filled our computers.

While the plan was simple it was not one that we were able to stick with as not long after finishing dinner the fire alarm began screeching throughout the building. Unfortunately, this was not a surprise at it had been nearly a month since the last time we were forced to grab out coats and sit on the bench outside. After spending about 10 minutes trying to get our son to calm down a bit and once the fire department turned off the alarm, I wandered into the lobby to try and listen in for an update (even though I pretty much knew what had happened). Unable to hear anything but with the all clear from the fire chief, we headed back to our apartment to try and resume our routine.

Just as we had begun recovering from the evening detour and had resumed our plans for the night, that same familiar sound pierced the apartment walls. At this point I knew for certain that the same faulty sensor on the 4^th floor was not fixed and causing the interruption to the evening. However, even with the false alarm, we repeated the steps from an hour prior, grabbed our coats, and made our way out the door… again.

Moments later, my wife and I were sitting on the bench trying to calm down the baby as we watched the same fire crew pull in (with their lights off this time) and go through the same routine that they had just completed a half our ago. Granted, they were much grumpier this time as they too knew what the problem was. So, we waited another 30 minutes, watching the commotion as the President of the Board finally came down to the lobby (she was nowhere to be found when the alarm went off the first time) and began pointing her finger at the fire chief. I give the Union fire department credit as they remained calm despite the frustration of the situation. 

As the trucks once again began packing things up, I ventured into the lobby where I finally heard the confirmation as to the cause of the evening disturbances. With the lobby now clearing and the trucks pulling away, I decided to ask a few questions regarding the situation and what is going to be done moving forward to prevent another reoccurrence (especially since the fire department already stated that they will not respond to another false alarm without levying a heavy fine). Simply and polite questions where quickly responded to by the President with condescending venom.

I can’t say I was surprised by this reaction as I was not there to kiss her ring so she wanted nothing to do with me and because she didn’t think of those questions or options then they must be wrong. So, we exchanged a few words and I left the lobby simply confirming a common opinion about her which I will not elaborate upon at this juncture but you can figure it out. This is just another example of why things aren’t managed properly in the building, why the residential door keeps revolving, and the reason that small issues have become big expensive problems. I’m just glad it wasn’t another leak or we would still be dealing with it this morning.

Why Am I So Tired?

After a longer than expected evening at the lodge (for good reason), I headed back to the apartment only to find that the fire department was using the front driveway of the building as a parking lot. It’s kind of sad, but this happens so often that I didn’t think much of it as I walked across the parking lot and opened the door. However, as soon as I put down my work bag I knew that it was going to be one of those nights. Within moments of walking through the kitchen and pulling the strap off my shoulder, the fire alarm began blaring.

Both from living in the building and working the front desk, I knew that this wasn’t going to go away quickly so I headed to the lobby to try and get some additional information on the situation. Can’t say that I was surprised when no one really knew what was going on at first and the president of the board refused to do anything beyond sitting in a chair and holding out her hand so the passersby could more easily kiss the ring. 45 minutes later and a couple of culprits emerged, neither of which involved smoke or fire.

As it turns out there was a faulty sensor in the pump room and some dust also got into the detector in one of the hallways 6 months finally getting drywall replaced 6-8 months after the bust pipe. With my wife only a few minutes away after her long day at work, I was glad that things seemed to be getting resolved. I really should know better!

Having not had time to eat before the debacle, I made a small snack as we talked about all that had happened during our days and the mess that was unfolding in the building. We got into bed around 11:00 and began slowly settling into sleep since we both had a long day ahead of us. With our eyes nearly sealed for the night, we jumped out of bed at 11:30 when the alarm began blaring again. Keep in mind that this was not for the whole building, just our apartment as they were testing the system.

We walked up to the front desk, quite perturbed by this point, and tried to figure out what was going on especially since the fire department was no longer present. Turns out that the fire department forced them to turn off the boiler until they could get the sensor problem figured out. They decided to continue working on the sensor issue so that they could turn on the hot water by morning.

I didn’t sleep well during the night. I would later find out that the alarm continued to go off throughout the night just long enough to wake us up but not long enough for us to realize what was forcing us to open our eyes. However, I was wide awake when the cold water hit my head in the morning. So, after little quality sleep during the night it was a cold shower in the morning. Just the latest thing to add to the list and that much more incentive to find somewhere else to live by the time our lease is up… I’m already looking forward to spring!

Errands, A Dead Fridge, And Meeting The Police!

Our plans for the 4^th of July consisted of approximately nothing. We had a few errands that we had been putting off but other than that we were going to sleep in, relax, and enjoy the rare weekday together without the worries of work and school constantly splitting our attention. Well, we definitely slept in (at least I did), we had a few relaxing moments, and then we headed out the door to pick up a few things. Nothing exciting, just some clothes and groceries and the day was actually going pretty well as we found  just about everything we needed in one stop rather than two giving us some more time to not run errands.

About four hours passed and we were starting to figure out what we wanted for a late dinner when the day took a turn in an unfavorable direction. As my wife was sitting down with a bowl of cereal and I was rummaging around on the top shelf, I noticed an inordinate amount of heat radiating from the sides of the refrigerator. Just as I noticed the lack of cold air, my wife got my attention saying that the new milk tasted sour. Well, crap, I guess the holiday isn’t going to end as smoothly as it began.

So, it was time to repack the groceries and take them to my parents’ house so everything wouldn’t be wasted. With my parents in Pittsburgh for the weekend, it was going to be a very quick trip to unload, put away, and get back to the apartment. However, what would have been an uneventful stop just a few months ago was a bit more complicated this time around. With the roads clear and the fireworks lighting up the newly dark sky in the distance, I was calling and texting trying to figure out the new security code needed to get into the house. Additionally, when we arrived, the key in my pocket that was supposed to work didn’t and I had to scramble to find the spare (which also didn’t work in the right lock).

With all the searching and fumbling around with the locks the alarm was blaring by the time I got in the house and I knew that we would soon be having a couple of visitors. The alarm had long since been turned off and I just finished putting the food away when I saw the bright beams of two flashlights making their way to the back door. It was time to have a brief conversation with the Radnor Police Department. After explaining the situation, showing them my driver’s license, and chatting for a bit we all left the house and drove up the street.

And now we are left with trying to get the fridge repaired (always an interesting conversation with the management and maintenance) and finding the time to be there when the service needs to be done. That is a whole different conversation, issue, and blog post altogether. But, for now, we got everything done and we managed to get back to the apartment before the throngs of people flooded onto the streets. I was just glad that we still had two more days left in the weekend!

Did You Vote?

I am a huge proponent of exercising one's rights. The variety of the rights granted unto us are there to be embraced. We all have the option to exercise the rights that we chose to use. While there are rights I fervently support, sometimes I do not exercise one of my rights. Sometimes there is little motivation and even less time to get to the voting booth.

On Monday night I went to bed with my alarm set about thirty minutes earlier than usual so that I could swing by the community center in the morning before heading to the office. When the alarm sounded in the cool glow of a new day, I was having nothing of it and, without hesitation, reached over and hit the snooze button on my phone. The next thirty minutes, this process was repeated like the directions on a shampoo bottle. Finally I rolled out of bed and began my groggy routine.
 

Before heading out the door, my wife and I discussed the plans for the day and the times we expected to be home that night. It was a lodge night so dinner was pretty much up in the air. I guess we were going to just have to figure it out later in the day…. Usually during out midafternoon phone call. By this point I had been watching the minutes tick by on my watch and I knew that the voting booth was just going to have to do without me in the morning.

If it were a simple run in, run out type of thing I would have taken the detour but I know the people that work the polls and I know the contingent of Democrats that flood this particular location. Frankly, I didn’t want to deal with the delay or the debate. Not that morning. Besides, I know who my nominee is heading into the heat of the campaign season.

Throughout my drive to the office I couldn’t help but think about the various races with the Governor’s race playing the most prominent role in my mind. And while this may seem wrong to some but I couldn’t help but hope that the weakest, most radical of the candidates would win the nomination. I won’t name names but let’s just say that I am really not a fan of the Congresswoman from Abington and her radical brand of liberalism. If anything, I wanted her to win simply because of the fact that it would demonstrate just how successful the Governor has been and the balance that he has brought to the economy of the Commonwealth.

In the end, a one percenter secured the nomination and held a party at a minor league ballpark that he rented out in York. I hope he stays in the minors (maybe we could start calling him "Meat"). I know what you’re thinking and its okay he owns a Jeep that he drives himself so he’s just like one of us. I wonder if he supports paying his own ‘fair share’? It should be an interesting race to watch and I know you will all be shocked when I say this but I already know who I am voting for come November. But, until then, Play Ball!

Counting Down After The Alarm

Groggy doesn’t even come close to the way I felt this morning when I collapsed out of bed and staggered to the bathroom for some much needed water. Essentially, within minutes of leaving the warmth of bed I began counting down to the weekend. It is not because of anything had gone wrong during this past week but because there was just a lot happening, a lot to try and get caught up on, and too little sleep.

By the time I got to work this morning I had the opportunity to wake up a bit but not enough. Being tired seems to be the greatest hindrance to productivity. Well, at least for me. The strange part of it is that I am getting, on average, more sleep than I was this time last year but with all the activities and various projects I am drained quite a bit more.

The odd thing now is that it seems as though everyone in the office is on the same page. We all happened to have a bit of a tiring week and a few nights when we all came in with a little less sleep than usual. We recognize this in one another and while there are times when we all just collectively rest and chat for a minute, most of the time we push through it and push one another to get more and more things checked off the list.

By the time we reached the midafternoon I was in auto pilot both in what I was getting done on the computer and in my round trips to the kitchen and my usual coffee routine. I honestly couldn’t tell you how many cups of coffee I went through today but I know it was a lot more than usual. Not a record but above normal.

Even though at any given moment I would have said that the day was dragging, it was surprising how quickly the end of the day came and how unprepared I was for its arrival. With heavy feet and still stiff fingers I did my best to not hold everyone up from getting out of the office but we were all pretty much on the same pace and my labored routine fell right in the middle. We all made it to the end of the day, and the conclusion of the week, a little more tired than usual but with plenty of things accomplished and a weekend to look forward to, a weekend when we need to rest as next week if going to be hectic.

I Guess Sometimes I Need Four Hours Of Sleep

I was up late Sunday night trying to take care of a few things that had to be done first thing Monday morning. I stayed at my laptop until the last item was entered. Unfortunately, sometimes my determination gets the best of me and I just lose track of time altogether. Because of that, I didn’t crawl into bed until about three in the morning. With my alarm set for seven the week was already off to a rough start.

Having had my eyes shut for only four hours, my alarm was not a welcomed sound. As I rolled out of bed and began my morning routine, it was not looking too good. After a not so relaxing weekend, I had a bit of dread heading into the office on Monday morning. Even the drive to the office, while smooth and with minimal traffic, I was tired and the highway seemed to go on forever.

I walked into the office like I do every day, got to my desk, and set up everything I needed out for the day. Before sitting down at the computer I headed over to the kitchen, made a big cup of coffee, and began going over the client checklist of all the things that needed to get done by the time I headed home for the night (all the things I wasn’t able to get to the night before). This really wasn’t going to be a good day.

It was time to head to my fate so I planted my rear in my chair, poised my fingers above the keys, and waited for the blank thoughts to flood my mind. It was at this time that things, for some strange reason, just seemed to click. Sometimes I just have one of those writing days when everything seems to come into place.

Before I knew it the paragraphs were forming on the page and, what was even better, they seemed to make sense. Within a matter of a couple of hours I was pages into a project and was still going strong. With a handful of projects filed away and emailed, I had gotten more done during the morning than I had expected to get done the entire day.

It was at this point that the creative wall tattooed me across the forehead and left me with a massive headache. Thanks to a productive morning, I was able to keep the severe pounding at bay with Motrin and a number of small items that I could fill in between the eye rubbing and temple massaging. It turned into a long day, as expected, but it was hugely productive, which was a pleasant surprise. You really never know when those creative streaks will hit but I am really glad when they do.

It Was A Griswold Kind Of Day...

It was not a dark and stormy night as the foreboding cliché goes rather it was a cold and crappy day. Today was just one of those days with single digit temperatures last night and this morning adding a bitter spice to the whole situation. I don’t know if I am getting sick or if the weather is messing with me more than I realize but it was a rough one. Every once in a while these days happen and all you can do is try to get through them in once piece and try not to let it carry over to the next day.

What began as a normal morning with my alarm annoying the crap out of me just before seven and me hitting the snooze button, soon took a turn for the worse. While I could hear my wife getting ready for work, the time that was passing wasn’t really registering. Even when I responded to her question at some point, I still wasn’t up and ready to go. With a slam of the front door, and another one just a little bit later, my wife was off to work and I was still lying in bed.

The next thing I knew, my eyes opened and noticing the bright light filling the room I knew I was screwed. Looking at the clock only confirmed my theory and so I quickly located my phone (which had shifted during the morning) jumped from the warmth of the covers and into the reality that this was already a bad day. As I rushed to get dressed and ready I began returning calls, making calls, and generally trying to return my mind to the present.

Within about twenty minutes I had gone from unconsciousness to sitting in the car waiting for the frost to retreat. Once there was enough windshield where I could peer out to see the road and the cars around me, I threw the car into drive and swung around the corner to cross in front of my building. Then my mind really started waking up and decided to remind me to stop by the mailbox to send a letter I had promised to put in the mail. Quick stop and back out into the wind whipped freeze.

While I made good time to the office I was obviously very late and had caused widespread worry among my coworkers and family. With the rest of the day full of blah with a few hiccups here and there and a couple other lovely moments I do not wish to highlight at this time, it was an overall crappy day. However, while I have known that we are more than just a collection of people in an office, today solidified that we care about one another as we would our friends and family. There was no anger in my momentary disappearance, it was genuine concern. Sometimes it takes a little bit of bad luck to show you how lucky you are.

When The Alarm Doesn’t Work…

My schedule on Tuesday was one that no one who values sleep would look forward to. After getting off from my night shift I was going to change and head to the office with the goal of getting there around 10:00 AM. I was going to leave around 2:30 or 3:00 so that I could sleep for a two to three hours before heading off to the lodge for a 7:30 meeting. If I was lucky things would go quickly and I would be able to catch another hour or two before heading back to work at midnight.

Well… that didn’t happen. The day started off in the right way as I got to work about 15 minutes early and starting addressing a few things on my list right away. However, by the end of the morning I was in the midst of pitching and the schedule was looking optimistic to say the least.

Having found a good point to take a breather in the middle of the afternoon I got in the car and headed back to the apartment. Maybe the schedule could be redeemed…. My mind would have none of that. Throughout the drive home I kept thinking about whether I was missing emails and who I needed to follow up with right away.

By the time I got to Bala Cynwyd, I was wide awake so I went into the office, got my computer out, and started sending out and responding to emails. I thought I had only stopped to work for a minute or two but when I glanced at the clock it was already 4:30 and my energy immediately left my body as if carried off by a sudden breeze. It was time to sleep so I set my alarm for seven, got into bed, and said good bye to the world within a minute of my head hitting the pillow.

The next thing I half remember is my wife coming home around eight, saying something about missing lodge, and reaching for my phone which had not moved since I fell asleep. I don’t even remember if I responded. Fortunately, when she reached for the phone she reset my alarm so that I could get up for work in another three hours. I hate missing meetings but sometimes your body simply vetoes your plans and that was the case last night.

It was probably the best thing for me but it still annoys me that I wasn’t able to pull through this week without any alterations to my schedule. At least now it’s a short term problem as my last weekday shift is tonight. Finally, I get to live, work, and feel like a human being again. Something I have been looking forward to for a long time.