Insomnia Part Deux, In which I give the Mosquitos and Other Night Critters a Christmas Feast of my Flesh

Have you been wondering about this "In which" business? In which I do this and In which I do that. I guess you probably have. I just can't help myself you see Jules Verne uses it for each chapter title in Around the World in 80 Days. For example Chapter 18 "In which Phileus Fogg, Passepartout and Fix go each about his business." Jules was pretty hip for 1873 and his chapter titles although generally useless in the sense that they tell you absolutely nothing at all are most definitely my favorite part of the book. Which I have now been shamefully reading for well over a month. Shameful in that I have nothing else to do except read most of the time. Also I have started reading, via actual book and not the Kindle, a book called Faithfull, less steamy romance novel and more about Marianne Faithfull. Yeah I still don't really know who she was but apparently she dated Mick Jagger for a while and slept with all of the Rolling Stones and almost Bob Dylan. What a woman. I think she also had a music career but lets be honest why would she talk about that when she can write an entire novel about her acid tripping days in the 60's and take credit for the revolution that was 60's London. Also she quotes herself as saying "Yeah man" a lot. I guess that comes with the LSD.

Um that is not how I wanted to begin this Christmas Day Eve post but it's 2am here and what can I say these things are on my mind. And guess what else. LK arrived yesterday...Hooray...and literally we arrived at the farm, cracked a bottle of Champagne and entered the pool at which point the biggest rain cloud positioned itself directly over us and about 4 minutes later it was raining. Didn't I tell you this would happen? And now everything is dripping; that sound the leaves make when they are wet. It reminds me of home. And a little bit of winter. Except...today was Christmas day here and after the pool we went to the neighbors house and had a huge water fight, buckets and buckets straight over the head. No one was safe especially not the little kid with the water gun who got his comeuppance let me tell you. And if this doesn't sound like Christmas I can assure you it felt nothing like it. There is a lot I missed about Christmas this year. The crisp cold weather, Mom's well thought out messages written on the newspaper we always wrap our presents in, the kind that read "Travel light, travel far then travel home" a hint at the passport case she gave me that year. Ice skating and Peppermint Schnapps hot chocolate and Dad's cashmere sweaters with the moth holes that I shamelessly sleep in, talk about decadence.

The AC was cranking here earlier, which may have something to do with my current insomniac condition. LK went to sleep at 8pm so there is no doubt she will be up at about 4am. And I probably will to. Did you know Queensland doesn't have daylight savings. The entire continent does just not Queensland. But what's better, it has something to do with the cows not being able to adjust to the time difference or something. If you don't believe me google it. I won't be offended, I didn't believe it either. A good search would be "Daylight savings, Queensland, cows" it also says something about fading curtains which if you ask me is an amazing reason to have sunrise at 4:30am and sunset at 7pm but hell what do I know.

Well that is all really. Sunrise is in 2.5 hours now so I might just try and get what I can out of it. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and may you always have a cashmere sweater to sleep in.

*Not my photo above.

Insomnia and On Why 3am is a Totally Obvious Time to Turn on the Fire Hydrant Below My Window to Clean the Street

It's 3am and my third to last night in my Nob Hill apartment and I woke up in a panic. At first I thought it was raining and then I thought LM was taking a late night shower and then I realized it was neither and jumped out of bed to confirm that the fire hydrant below my window had burst and call the fire department and save the world with my knowledge - you know a couple of psychologists' did a study in New York about a woman who was killed while 37 people witnessed it but know one called because everyone thought someone else would have already called - I was not going to assume anyone had called. Except actually the fire hydrant had not burst rather a SF City employee had turned it on intentionally I imagine to clean the street or something. So from 3:00 - 3:10 am I got to pretend I lived next to a soothing waterfall which is when I decided the Chinese food in my fridge had probably, with age, gotten better (because it wasn't very good the first night at all).

And late night eating is best done in the dark because then it doesn't count.

I am already feeling a little nostalgic for this place because while these disturbances are irritating once in a while I am going to miss hearing the fog horn and cable car outside my bedroom window. The sound of excited tourists being taken for a ride by the cable car drivers who favor single young women - getting on the cable car in SF is like getting into a club in Vegas if you're cute, and without men they let you on for free even when it is packed - and ring their bell at 11pm all the way up Washington St for no reason at all. Even if I could drown these sounds out by shutting real double pained windows instead of the single paned ones we actually have (that even when shut you can feel a strong gust of wind through) I wouldn't. Silence is glorious but there is something comforting about knowing that the world is going on out there with or without me. If this sounds sentimental that's because A. I am hormonal - which according to Wikipedia, among other things, is responsible for mood swings and food cravings... and B. It is 4am.

It's foggy out there; I know because I can hear the horns blowing. The chinese food wasn't better tonight than it was last night but the waffle I am going to get at Nook tomorrow morning will be delicious.

Good night and good morning all!