we’re going Swiss

Recently my husband and I duked it out in the bedroom. For hours we plummeted the pillows into some semblance of comfort, tugged mercilessly at the comforter, and cursed every coiled spring in our mattress! I even took out the body pillows we use when one of us is sick and needs some added cuddle. Those got repositioned every-which-way, then one got tossed to the floor, ‘they’re useless’!

To make matters worse insomnia seems to amplify every single sound. The faucet doing chinese torture on the aluminum sink, one freaking drop at a time! The car outside that just had to clear its pipes as the alarm blared to kingdom come. The late dog walker with a mutt that can’t tell night from day, barking at any license plate! The kids someone forgot to give a curfew. The couple that walked and yelled at each other in a synchronized rhythm. The ambulance picking up the twilighting, elderly woman hollering at the top of her voice her preference of hospitals. The cars that continuously kept hitting the pot hole our tax-payer money won’t fix! The old wood floors that believe themselves to be nightingale Japanese versions creaking at the slightest breath. The fridge humming away white noise on a clocked schedule. The door slamming of a disgruntled being shaking all the others in proximity…

At one point my husband staring at the ceiling and speaking to no one in particular states, ‘we are going Swiss’. I’m in the middle of getting back into bed after the umpteenth trip to the bathroom.

I stop, ‘I beg your pardon’?

‘We are going Swiss’. And what’s that suppose to mean, I ask myself ready to do another round with my pillow.

‘We are going Swiss tomorrow’. Ah, we’re qualifying the statement, he’s making progress. I pull at the comforter, the damn thing is king size- when did it shrink?

‘Yep, we are going Swiss tomorrow, if it’s the last thing I do’! We’re getting there, give him some room.

‘Yep, we’re going Swiss tomorrow, if it’s the last thing I do. I’m calling that Tempr Pedic company and ordering a “memory” mattress’!

I stare up at the ceiling. Eureka! Alhamdullilah! My husband has discovered America- Christopher Columbus would be proud…I settle in the comforting knowledge that relief is on the way.

‘Yes dear’. It only took you a quarter of century and a farewell to a millennium to come to your senses!

Morpheus, I’m here awaiting your arms… ah… blissful sleep with a knowing smile of having won the battle…

Insomnia…the rant of an irregular sleeper…updated

Lately, a misnomer considering what I am going to say, I get up at the weirdest hours. Granted everyone in my house has what I call “Goth” or “Vampire” sleep tendencies. Hubby can be found snoring with a journal over his tummy at 7 pm or doing research at 3 am! My youngest the true “Goth” of the house gets home from school and hits the sack almost immediately- then like a true Spaniard- comes alive at ten pm and is roaring to go until 3 am. The Middle one she resists sleeping period!

But I get caught up in sleep patterns that leave me exhausted at times…and if I am up at 3:30 like I was a fe minutes ago- I will go back to sleep or just stay up and get ready for work and leave for the office. Might as well be productive! Since flex hours are allowed to us at the hospital if you are in administration; I take advantage of getting to the office by 6 am and out by 3 pm (if you counted the hours that does not sound flexible at all- just plain workaholic!)

However, the way things are lately- me in particular and with all the stresses that add up each day as our economy continues to exhibit hiccups of the most uncomfortable kind (I am being generous here, take pity its early); as the girls decide their career choices (or lack there of in one of them- which is driving me up a wall- hubby says relax; its a two way street- she can always turn around and start all over); my dear boss not being up to his usual self (who am I talking? My brain feels like mush half the time!);well I seem I can’t relax enough to actually rest. Not to mention that my son and I seem to be playing phone tag- well he gets to talk to everyone else but me!

I can’t for the lif e of me remember what is it that wakes me out of deep sleep? Allah hears me out, but I come away feeling I am not getting what He is telling me…

So maybe I will do what I preach to my son when he is in this same mood or mode…Like in Buddhism…to sit in the water (river is the usual visual**) and wait for the waters to settle…to not move until I can see clearly the bottom and then it will become clear to me what Path Allah wants me to take now…

But it is already 4:30 so I am going to just get ready for work! I already hear hubby stirring; so that means his day is just beginning too! Which is I guess the best part of my morning ritual when we do coincide with our schedules…we get the chai going and we sit just the two of us on two stools in the kitchen and chat for a moment and put things- the small stuff in perspective for the day to come… another way I guess of letting the waters settle.

So I am off to do some Indian chai, the way Didi taught me…gets me going that tad of ginger in the morning!

Have your selves a great day, mid day, or night depending on where you are reading me from!

 

UPDATE: **“Do you have patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?” – Lao Tzu

Insomnia…

Here is where Haiku would better serve me- will look into it tomorrow- but in the mean time I can’t sleep; tossed so much hubby tossed me from the bed!

Did the Linden Tea
…The lavender bath
…Walking meditation

But all I now have is a headache…

Frozen windchimes
Wolves at Achilles

Oh forget it- counted sheep, cows and camels- I can’t sleep

Heck, I think I’ll just head to my office…at least I can be productive in my insomnia!