As anyone who knows me well can and will tell you—I would not be defined as a “morning person.” No, it isn’t that I wish to linger in bed until noon or that I’m lazy (I don’t think anyone who knows me would claim I am a lazy person). I just don’t function as well in the earlier hours as well as I do the rest of the day. Actually, I’m inclined to believe it has more to do with what I do for a living, than anything else. For years and years I went to bed at “normal” bedtime hours and rose with the early daylight hours, just like everyone else in the western hemisphere. As our children grew older and were out of high school, things changed but I was still a worry wart Mom. They were no longer required to adhere to a curfew, yet still living at home, and I found going to sleep was no easier than when they were still minors with curfews and were not home on time. Sure, I could go to bed and lie there until I heard the dogs bark announcing someone was home, but I am not that patient. So, instead, I’d get back up, quietly sneak out of our bedroom and find myself on my computer. I figured “Why not? I need to learn this darn thing anyway; I might as well do it when I’m not going to have fifteen interruptions!”
That might answer a few folks’ questions as to why I’m not as proficient around the computer as I should be after all these years—I taught myself in the middle of the night! As for the change in lifestyle and becoming a part-time vampire —that stuck. It is now nearly a decade later and I still find it difficult to go to sleep much before 2 a.m. Why? I have no idea, because most of the time, except when I’m hitting deadline, I really don’t need to be up past eleven o’clock or midnight at the latest. Yet, I’m well aware of many others, even at my age, who just don’t sleep nocturnally as well as they should.
The worst part about being a night owl is when the person you are partnered with happens to be a “daylight” person. Two changes must occur in order to make it work for both people: 1) the daylight person needs to learn to ignore noise of any kind so they can actually go to sleep relaxed. 2) The night owl must remember to keep everything on the down low side, and go to the bathroom as infrequently as their bladder will accommodate! Otherwise, within no time there will be at least one very cranky, sleep-deprived person running angrily within your household and wellll—-we all know what that leads to.
I’m betting a hundred to one odds, the first person who came up with the oh! so brilliant idea of having 7:00 a.m. meetings was not a mother or working during the wee hours of the morning person, that’s for sure!
QUIZ TIME! EMPOWER YOUR MOUTH
How’s your vocabulary? Try out these and score yourself. (Oh—go on, no one will know but you!) The correct answers will be at the bottom of the column. Good luck!
1) Accordionated: J; B; A; or C
2) Mellifluous: C; B; G; or F
3) Dringle: J; I; G; or A
4) Precuperate: F; C; G; or E
5) Fumb: J; E; D; or A
6) Freegan: F; J; C; or D
7) Lexpionage: I; H; A; or G
8) Optotoxical: B; E; H; or I;
9) Earworm: A; I; D; or E
10) Signification: F; A; B; or J
COMMUNITY BULLETIN
REMINDER: Moorhead Public Service’s project to replace aging watermain beneath Main Avenue in Moorhead from 4th Street to 8th Street will continue until July 1, 2012.
At the intersection of 8th Street and Main Avenue, traffic is reduced to one lane each direction (north and south). No trucks will be allowed to turn from 8th Street onto Main Avenue. Trucks are encouraged to use alternate routes at 2nd Avenue South and at Center Avenue to gain access to Main Avenue.
During construction, speed limits are reduced to 20 MPH.
NORTH DAKOTA: All in favor of mandating the ND Legislature DO SOMTHING about changing state laws regarding the inhumane and cruel treatment to animals can also sign a statewide petition for North Dakotans to STOP ANIMAL CRUELTY. The web site is: http://www.ndstopcruelty.com/
MOORHEAD: From Scott Hutchins, Community Services Director for the CITY OF MOORHEAD: Request for Proposals – 1 Ave N Redevelopment Plan: a “Request for Proposals” for the redevelopment of City-owned property located on 1st Avenue North. Reference documents will be available on the City’s website: www.cityofmoorhead.com/rfp
Word power solutions: 1) Accordionated: A) Being able to drive and refold a road map at the same time; 2) Mellifluous: B) Flowing in a smooth or sweet manner 3) Dringle: C) The watermark left on wood caused by a glass of liquid. 4) Precuperate: D) To prepare for the possibility of being ill; 5) Fumb: E) Your large toe 6) Freegan: F) Someone who rejects consumerism, usually by eating discarded food; 7) Lexpionage: G) The sleuthing of words and phrases 8) Optotoxical: H) A look that could kill, normally from a parent or spouse; 9) Earworm: I) A catchy tune that frequently gets stuck in your head; 10) Signification: J) the established meaning of a word
Questions or Comments send to: sooasheim@aol.com