It's been raining all week and the various casino hallways, elevators and parking buildings are leaking. Narrow rivers and small lakes are overtaking the roads and pathways, and it's clear to me to forget the "wonders" of the Hoover Dam and all it's good intentions, if a hurricane was to decide to visit Las Vegas or if the effects of El Nino decided to roll dice for a little longer, Las Vegas folks would soon be swimming from slot machine to slot machine.
Kate keeps saying that she doesn't mind the rain, because it's such a unique perspective of Las Vegas. "How many people come here and actually see Las Vegas rainy?" And she's right, but being from Australia, and now living in cold and windy New York, I was sort of hoping for some mild, dry weather... some clear blue skies and maybe even a spot of sweat on the small of my back... No such luck. "Try spring," the locals say.
Ever since I arrived in America back in 2007, I had trouble waking up, and more so when I moved to New York City. It felt like I was waking from death and my dreams were so much more vivid that it almost felt like a battle to escape them, which has resulted in many late starts and many apologies. It's not like I was the best at waking up in Australia, but I never remember feeling like my mouth was about to break off or that my dreams were going to kill me.
It's been fairly much the same thing in Las Vegas. Kate wakes first and after an hour or so, with much effort, manages to call me out of bed, and I mumble and roll over and stare grumpily at the gray sky.
I was tired of this, emotionally and physically, and after I woke up to another gray sky after feeling just awful, I got sort of grumpy, which isn't a good way to start the day.
So last night, after Kate had already gone to bed, and I had finished the small amount of work which I let take all night to do, I grabbed the Fiji water bottle that we purchased during our 'walkabout' on Wednesday (Kate's birthday) and decided to take 21 gulps, with one extra for good luck (like clapping at birthday parties.) I ended up taking about 25 or so loud gulps and fell asleep with my mouth feeling so fresh and clean.
I also saw all these terrible road-safety advertisements in my head before I fell asleep. Australian road-safety ads are just awful, 1-3 minutes of people screaming and crying and graphic shots of blood and school children lying dead in the road... I'm sure the ad agency commissioned to create them, would be proud to know, that I was scarred for life.
I don't remember my dreams exactly, but I do know that weren't that terrifying but I do remember that one of them was intense enough to wake me up and I had to shake off the idea of it, because it was quite creepy.
Anyway, my two alarms went off, one at 7am and one at 8:25am and I was able to wake and stay awake before the second one went off... (yes, I know it's pathetic that I need two alarms more than an hour apart, but it's a process, ok?)
...and I felt pretty good. I was out of bed first - Kate was milliseconds behind me - and now I'm writing this. My mouth didn't hurt when I swallowed and my dreams were easy to tuck away and it's because of the age-old trick that I need to implement full-time; water.
Water and maybe a light, moist air. Things get really dry in apartment buildings, especially in winter when you need a heater and the windows are all closed. Maybe when I move into my own place, I'll try one out... but for now, we'll just keep using water - it's mostly free.
It reminds me of the episode of The Simpsons where Bart really wants to be the first down to the Christmas Tree and so fills up dozens of glasses of water and drinks them all down, he then proceeds to have this fabulous dream of ice and water and lots of fountains and wakes up before anyone else... he then proceeds to burn the tree down, BUT, at least he rose early, which I think is so important and admire, but have never been able to do.
I've also simply got to get more sleep, and letting work take four hours to do (because of being distracted by Taylor Swift vlogs and LisaNova and some cute little boy on X Factor that Kate wanted to show me), is just not a wise move. Sleep is so important and I want more of it... but I know that to achieve it I can't own a computer in my house... or at least have to lock it up, because it's just a slim silver box of destruction.
Anyway, Vegas is great. Didn't have my battery cord to charge my Nikon camera, so have taken lots of film shots and video and Flip... so it's going to mostly be grainy and weird and I miss not being able to take more shots of things, but it'll be interesting to be able to hold a memory for once.
Be good, don't gamble, and don't throw up next to people's tables and then keep walking,
Caitlin x
11 comments:
Yeah, sleep is pretty darn important. I definitely don't get enough either. Lately I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping. My personal version of insomnia is that I can fall asleep quite easily, but then I usually wake up sometime in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep, which can be ridiculously annoying. I just love watching my alarm clock get closer and closer to when I have to get up.
Anyway, the last couple of nights have been better. Let's hope it continues.
But yeah, drink lots of water and try to go to bed earlier. I'm glad you're loving Vegas...(you are loving it, right?) It's been a while since I've been there, but I do miss it.
Have fun, be safe and remember to split your eights. : )
-Earle
shut up caitlin
I’ve always thought dreams only a mechanism of the physical brain. The brain is replenishing its chemistry of things necessary so as to return to the normal state and semblance of normalcy upon awakening. Any emotional state of experience is only your brain recalibrating itself chemically. How refreshing the feeling after a restful sleep.
Anywho’s, think robots, Caitlin. Think robotically.
~,~
…
You threw up next to someones table didn't you?
Fucking Rockstar. lol
Start a sleep therapy support group. I'll join.
what's bruce lee's favourite drink?
once had a peculiar dream of drowning in a never-ending pool. in addition, from two dreams i've woken up crying and i've had one lucid dream. i possess a pretty average dream life.
@p.ham Wow, flashback.
I stayed at the same hotel you're at. I recognize the view from the window. I was actually further down towards the end of the hall and up more.
I slept with the window curtains open. It was so high up that I didn't think anything of it, but once it became daylight and the sum warmed the room and I woke to such a beautiful view, well let's just say it was happiness. Maybe try that if you want.
And no caffeine 6 hours before bed.
The space heater I had dried myself out a lot too. But I needed another because I had lent my own to another so I went out and bought an oil filled portable radiator. Soft gentle heat that doesn't dry out the air because there are no exposed elements. It takes longer to warm up, but it keeps the room temp constant and I don't feel like death has dried up my mouth anymore in the morning. Well at least not as much. The water before bef really helps actually.
I should post a video about when I was in my room in that tower in that hotel in Vegas back in November, but to me editing is a chore like blogging is to you. I feel your pain, it's like I wish I could do it and put out great works, but it's so tedious.
Take care,
it's a lovely city, my favorite place to go. It's so close to LA.
D.
*Drinks from same water bottle I've had for 12 years*
Oh yes, Australian ads are so awefuly shock orientated. I don't suppose you've seen the most recent anti-skin cancer ad. It had a nice cgi-graphic of skin cells being damaged and turning into a horrid black cancer before making their way into the blood stream... Makes my mother feel disgusted so it's working! I find it less disturbing though of the one with the shots of the medical procedure of cutting someone open to remove the cancer...
Wow, Las Vegas raining? That is just... yeah.
I sure hope the bad dreams don't continue :) Stay well hydrated but don't over do it or you'll have a sodium defeciency.
Have a nice day :)
It's 2:00 AM in Stockholm right now and I'm writing a paper about socialism and I've been working on it for at least two days now. It seems to be endless, mostly because I keep getting distracted by everything; internet, music, whatever. And I'm pretty sure that I'm gonna overdose on red bull 'cause there are seven empty cans of it in my room. And to top it all, I have a test on wednesday... Fucking typical..
yeah, anyway
I usually go to sleep at actually 'round 2:00 AM or 3 'cause I keep doing stuff and sometimes it's just pointless, like the things I mentioned above, but I also read alot; I got to much on my mind but I want to read the pile of books I haven't read yet.. But the plus side is that I'm studyinh courses on a distance right now :D.
Hope that you are having a lovely time in vegas and gamble safe. I would like to do a "fear and loathing" trip to vegas one day..
You know what...I was going to stop reading and type this when I read about the 2 alarms because I laughed... and have 2 alarms next to my bed and for years Ive set my cell phones 3 alarms to ring in 30 min intervals. Its the only thing that gets me up, or else I will be late...but I kept reading your blogs...because OMG--been there done ALL that!! ;D A long time ago I started drinking cold water before I went to bed, very good for you. Always was late for work. Never got much sleep when working. I also realized that the internerd was an extreme distraction for me and so Ive blocked it at work and cancelled it at home. Hope you dont do anything as drastic.
Caitlin be Well, and if you cant be well be Good, and if you cant be good be Safe, and if you cant be safe, then...NAME IT AFTER ME???!!! >=(
I water womb me.
Great reaad thankyou
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