I haven't been sleeping lately. I go to bed around my regular time, and I end up tossing and turning for hours before finally falling asleep. So far, it's been four weeks. When it first started I was eventually falling asleep around 4:30 am. Yes, I could have got up and done something else, but I figured that if I just stayed in bed, that I'd fall asleep. I think the problem is, when I get to bed and can't sleep, my mind starts to race, and I get thinking about all kinds of things that I really shouldn't be bothered with.
The thinking too much trait is hereditary. I remember many a summer morning sitting around the breakfast table at the cottage hearing my grandfather exclaim "I was lying in bed thinking last night...", we all groaned because generally it involved some sort of physical labour. But, it's something that he always used to do. I was never overly close with my grandfather, he was a busy man. From what I remember of the story he started sweeping the floors at the company he eventually owned. So, I never asked him if the reason he was doing all that thinking was because he couldn't sleep or if it was just because he'd rather think than sleep.
So, my mind starts racing and I have no hope of sleep. I've tried reading, but that doesn't work, because I just get so involved in the book that I can't sleep till it's finished. I've tried getting up and doing something on the computer, but that doesn't work either, I'd end up playing various games till the sun came up and it was time for me to go back to work.
If I lived alone I'd actually get all kinds of things done. I'd clean, do laundry, cook, whatever. But, I don't, and I really don't think it would go over well if I fired up the vacuum cleaner at 3am because I couldn't sleep and felt like cleaning up.
On the weekend I managed to fall asleep sometime in the middle of the night. It was good sleep too, unlike the tossing and turning type of sleep I've been having. When I was rudely awakened, I was in the same position as when I finally drifted off. I've mentioned to my mother on several occasions that I haven't been sleeping, and her answer is always "What are you worried about?" It's not that I'm really worried about anything. At any rate, she knows damn well I'm not sleeping. So, you'd think that when I'm actually asleep she'd realize that it was a good idea to keep quiet so that I could actually continue. Yeah, you'd think so, wouldn't you?
Anyway, no, my sleeping problems have not been solved. I don't know why I can't sleep. I suppose I could invest in some sleeping pills, but I really don't like taking things like that unless I really need to. So far, I'm thinking that eventually, when I'm tired enough, I'll sleep. Right?
Since I work in a bookstore I read a lot. The theory behind it is that I'm supposed to know what's new and popular so I can explain it to the customers. The real reason for it, is that I like to read. Always have, probably always will. The books I'm reading these days are not new, nor are they overly popular. However, I've noticed a trend, I read the book, and start to sell it to people, soon afterwards the best seller list arrives and the book is prominently placed upon it. And yes, I am fully aware that it's not my recommendations that have made the book so popular that it's now on the bestseller list.
I've started reading what a friend of mine calls Brit chick books. While they're not all set in the UK, the plots don't vary much. I understand what is going to happen before I even start the book, I can't stop reading them. The characters are my age, give or take five years, and they're all trying to find the perfect man and perfect job. Naturally by the time the story is finished, they've accomplished both of their goals. Wouldn't it be nice if life worked like that?
There's this book I read a couple of weeks ago. I was wandering around our local Chapters, and came across this book. The cover caught my attention at first, so I picked it up and examined it more closely. Small town girl makes her way to New York City to experience life. It fit the bill. There was something in the write up about the author about a website. It caught my attention, but I didn't actually figure that the website would exsist. It does.
The author is a made up character. While in college she wins a song writing contest (by some miracle, she can't really play her guitar, nor can she actually sing), the prize is a weekend in New York City. She and her best friend make their way there, are wined and dined, and on their way back home they decide that when they've finished college they will both move there. Life goes on from there. They both move to the city, and get jobs. Vivian (the main character) as a waitress in a coffee shop. Her friend Sophie selling clothes in a shop. Evidentally their college degrees are of absolutely no use to either of them.
There are the requsite stories about boyfriends, Sophie who finds a long term boyfriend that Vivian can't stand. Vivian who has boyfriends that she falls deeply for and in each instance has her heart broken. Then suddenly Viv's big break comes, she's offered a job as an Assisant at VH1. One of her regulars at the coffee shop decides she'd be perfect for the job. And she is. She works extremely hard and pitches a new position within the department that she'd like to take on. Eventually they even give it to her.
I enjoyed the book for the most part. There were things about it I didn't like much. It was written in the first person, which is fine, however full of slang and shortforms. Some of which were never explained. Also, Vivian, Sophie and their friends are what I call girly girls. Interested in only a few things. Clothes, make up and men. Which I suppose are great things to be interested in, but not to exclusivity.
After I'd finished the book, and remembered to look up the website, I decided to go and have a look around. To be honest, I'm not really sure what I was expecting. But, it was certainly not what I found. Flash is wonderful and all that, but I really don't think much of pages that have been created exclusively with it. (And not just because I can't work in Flash) Whenever I go to a site that's been made with Flash I feel like I'm visiting a site that's geared towards 5 year olds. I did dig through and see what I could find. There's a section that has tips about breaking into various professions by people that work in those particular professions. There's a section with advice from a career counsellor. And of course, the requisite Bulletin Board.
Being the type that enjoys that sort of thing I registered and have posted a few times, mostly on the topics about books I've read. However, the more I dig around, the more amazed I am that people take things quite so seriously. Just today I read a topic someone posted asking that if she was to wear blue jeans with a blue sweater, would it be ok to wear blue eyeshadow as well. I'm not sure it's a place I plan to visit often, mostly because it may actually continue to diminish my enjoyment of the book.
Oh, and in case anyone is interested, the answer is a definitive no. Brown or pink eyeshadows are the colours of choice.
I love holidays, especially ones that really have no meaning other than to give us a long weekend right in the middle of the summer. Up until this summer, I've usually spent every long weekend at the cottage, so it's been a bit of an eye opener as to what people actually do on long weekends.
The reason I didn't go to the cottage this particular long weekend is because I'd made plans with my roommates from University. They were vague plans, but they were there. One night last week I was driving along the 407 and saw the sign for Ontario Rennaissance Festival and figured that it might be a fun thing to do. I've heard about them before from other people, and thought in passing that it might be neat. The radio has been running ads forever, and my mom mentioned a conversation she'd had with her chiropractor about it as well, so all of that combined had me interested.
We didn't arrive till 3pm, which is a shame (we got a late start, and got lost), because there were a million things that we could have done. We had to eat as soon as we got there, and after that we found the nearest pub so we could try some meade. I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting, but I didn't think much of meade. It's brewed in Oakville, and it tastes sort of like cream soda. The Celtic Ale was far more to my liking.
We headed off to the jousting arena after that. I was definitely underwhelmed with the jousting, it was interesting, but not nearly as exciting as the jousting I've seen in movies. I suppose it's too much to imagine that they're going to put on a real joust. It would involve way too much preparation. As it was, the lances were extremely thin and had about 6 inch rubber pieces on the end which more often than not broke off as they hit the opposing knight. The three of us had been to see A Knight's Tale last summer, so we had visions of Heath Ledger in tights, that's not nearly what we found. Still fun though.
We wandered through the shops, there's lots of stained glass, flower head wreaths, renaissance type clothing, candles, etc... I probably could have spent an entire day looking around at just that stuff, and I know for a fact, I could have spent more than just one pay cheque there. We watched this crazy guy set his tongue on fire, and extinguish burning torches in his mouth, but had to skip his second show where he was going to eat 20 sewing needles. Miranda has a bit of a weak stomach.
We wandered into this building and discovered that you could get all dressed up in Victorian clothes and have your picture taken, and after much discussion we decided to do it. So we booked an appointment and returned later.
I've never had an experience quite like that before. I'm not used to being ordered to take off my top, then my bra. And, if the photographer had told me one more time that my breasts were crooked, I think I may have hit him over the head with something. Yeesh. However, the photo got taken and it turned out alright. I have a dreadful tan line across my chest, and the photographer saw far more of me than I wanted him to, but...I have my picture.
Altogther it was hilariously fun. I couldn't quite tell the difference between staff and some of the people that were just there enjoying themselves. I was quite amused to stumble across a match of wench croquet. They'd gone around and collected all manner of trashy looking women (all dressed in renaissance clothes of course) and then posed them all in rather provocative poses and then grabbed some guys from the crowd and gave them balls and croquet mallets and had them play. It was truly hilarious. There were a couple of 'ladys' standing watching who told us they thought it was rather garish, but that it was ok because it amused the peasants. It's a whole other world. And a whole lot of fun.