Brian 4, Voles 0

Twisted.

Out of sorts.

I’m writing this note at 5:27 a.m. I’ve been awake since 2:35 or thereabouts. I occasionally have trouble sleeping. Sometimes, it’s much more than occasional. Changes of season often have this effect on me. Sometimes, it’s stupid stress from this job, which can, every once in a while, prey on my mind when I’m supposed to be in dreamland. I guess it’s appropriate this week, although when I sat down to write up this note, I wasn’t making the connection between the cover story and my little piece.

There are other factors that I think contribute to sleeplessness, and probably not just for me. I’ve gained a little weight, and that contributes to acid reflux, which wakes me up. (A little? I gained back 25 of the 35 pounds I lost last year.) Add to that the fact that I’m not exercising, and I guess I’m not as tired as I should be.

I couldn’t sleep Saturday night, either. I came downstairs and turned on The Maltese Falcon, which allowed me to drop in and out of Sleepytown. Every time I’d wake up, I’d just zip back to the place I last went to sleep. DVDs and insomnia in combination are kind of a peculiar luxury, don’t you think?

It’s weird, though. I don’t feel particularly tired. My mind feels a bit fuzzy, my stomach acidic and my lips have that pins-and-needles feeling, but I don’t have any desire to go back to bed. If the sun were up, I think I’d go putter around in the garden.

Speaking of, last week I wrote about doing a mostly final harvest in my garden in anticipation of the first frost. Well, guess what? I still haven’t had any frost, and my garden continues to produce produce. Along other lines, it appears voles can’t resist a mixture of apples and peanut butter on a mouse trap.

Have you ever seen one? They’re slightly larger than a mouse, with a stubbier tail and shorter ears—look cute in a trash can.

My 8-year-old son thinks I shouldn’t be happy about killing the little bastards, but, well, you know.