Down late, up late.

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Staying awake until midnight, I allowed myself to sleep until 8:00. Actually, that worked out well. It is, after all, a weekend. Further, I think I have caught back up on my sleep. Just like rehydrating a dehydrated food, lost sleep is not something easily recovered, it takes a little time. I am going to try to sleep more along the eight hour rule from now on, dealing with the need for more sleep or inability to sleep as I must. Getting up at 6:00, however, is super. It has been my goal for a very long time. So, I am going to try and use that as my goal to wake up and work my sleep around that.

I did get a couple of loads of laundry done and many of the dishes. Pots and pans and a few side items, along with this morning's breakfast dishes remain to be finished. As well, I do have several more small loads to be completed. I think I can do that. I have decided against potato salad for tomorrow, opting for mashed potatoes. I may be able to peel and cube those tonight, leaving them in brine tonight. I cannot remember if that is advisable, however, and will look into it. Instead of my old ways of mashing potatoes, I will be using a tool I purchased before leaving Iowa but never quite got around to using. I have a mongo potato ricer. And, as any engineering type is wont to do I am dying to try it out. When I go in tomorrow to go shooting with my friend, I will grab a few groceries as well.

I purchased three hands of bananas when I purchased that lot some time back. One hand was relatively ripe and ready. The other two hands were quite green. And I do mean green. They are just coming due, sort of, now. But they seem extra dry. Perhaps they are not technically as ready as they seem or they have truly dried as much as ripened here at my place? Anyway, I have been eating bananas. I keep forgetting the prescribed potassium, but I do try. Oh, and I am going to try and get back to eating breakfast and at least one other meal each day. With the dishes done enough to do that today, I had a wonderful breakfast of mixed grains. I find it quite odd that people do not eat these more often. They do take a half an hour to cook, and some attention, but even for me (assuming a pan is ready), I can do that just like I would while making coffee and waking up with a little television news. The taste, feel, and sense of it is amazing. My guess, too, is it is extremely cheap in spite of being vastly superior to any "fortified" breakfast cereal, even the "health" food stuff.

I was watching a show about cats last night. I must say, my cats are wonderful. There is not one I saw that I would prefer. Both of mine are tiger striped, like tigers, only with gray, black, white, and Sassy has an orange flourish (very flowerlike actually) on her face. Their tiger stripes, I think (Sassy is still in that weird half kitty half cat phase, fur wise), are a bit different. Say, Sassy's woodland stripes to Sam's urban stripes. They are bright, inquisitive, playful, and very loving. When I am down, they really come around me. When I am more of a hothead... they have no real fear of me. Bah! But they will repurpose or move a little further along. Sassy actually fears going out, so I no longer force her outside for more than 5 minutes and even that only rarely. Actually, thinking about it, I will probably be stopping that as she is starting to fear me. I may try to take her out with me, for both our sake, and stay with her though. Sam likes going out for a morning or morning and afternoon hunt, then comes in to sleep except to visit me a few times for petting and attention. Both are papa's girls and I do enjoy that immensely. They are both sleeping with me now, and mostly to good ends. Neither keeping me awake or chasing each other off.

I realize I am still frozen on a couple of tasks and jobs. I have taken care of some of them, from the taxes to the supply orders to ordering airplane tickets. I still have not filed for the rebate on the house purchase (a big freeze there). I have not started on the roof. As I thaw and do things, however, life does improve. I am even stuck on storing the beans and rice! I did look at the gallon bags, but considering how many I would need to use, the thought of the price (whatever it might be) froze me and I bought nothing. I was hoping to find 2 gallon or even large bags. Bother! Piece by piece, from doing things to gaining some control of my sleep cycle, I am moving forward.

I have no idea, still, for certain, why I fall like this. I do know my falls are improving. I also know I really pushed everything for quite some time, not being able to take time off and pushing into brand new areas of thought, habitation, climate, different peoples, and new activities, with no ability to stop or change or rest many times over the last few years, and with a continuity of incoherent Mickey Mouse medical care. I have accomplished more, starting with the move from Iowa to the three moves here, to being in a house and beginning food storage, and house and lawn care, than I have accomplished sum total in my 20 years prior. But here I am, again, today, actually having to almost learn to walk again. On the other hand, it was a good restful collapse, this last one. And I did not lose memory, complete ability to focus, and was able to take care of Sam and Sassy.

I am hoping breakfast will see me to more work and and an easier time getting to it. Sardines for lunch perhaps and something meaty for supper, along with a can or two of veggies, will give me a bit of a springboard for work tomorrow. Dishes all done, laundry completed, maybe a bit of clean up here and there, potatoes put to the ready if that is advisable, and tomorrow will be easier. A 6:00 wake up, a couple hours to fully recover, a bit more housecleaning, and then a day of shooting, shopping, food, and company should make for a decent day. We will see. Goals, my friend. If you can make them, you have a chance. If you can do some of them, you are on your way. If you can do all of them, you are selling yourself short. Ha! Good day.

Oh! Samuel Langhorne Clemens' autobiography is coming out, or has come out. Uhrm, Mark Twain's real name. I... am looking forward to getting my hands on that. Unfortunately it is being prepared at Berkley. My guess is it has been completely expunged of some of the things he really wanted said and how he really would have said things. Yes, I do doubt them, and the publishing industry and ideals of this day even more. So, I will probably read reviews from folks I trust before sending anyone a nickel. When I used to read his works, I spent almost as much time reading about him. His family, his tragedies, his life, and his common and uncommon thoughts. I am not sure I liked him, he was a salesman and a grump, if that last more elevated due to the publishing industry of his time and that last often for good reason. But I am not sure I disliked him either. Hopefully I will know more sooner rather than later. I do have to wonder if he had known what academia was to become would he have left his material with them? I seriously doubt it. I wonder if they have destroyed any of his work, as it proved politically incorrect, over the years they have had it. Yes, I am that dubious of academia.