My Merry Sojourn Into the World of Sleep-Deprivation

I have been spending almost all of my time since noon yesterday working on my 15-20 page term paper (it ended up being a teeny bit over 18 pages). I have only gotten intermittent bits of sleep since noon yesterday. I'm alert enough right now, but there was a period in the middle of the day where I was a complete zombie. I'm just glad I have my Verdi Requiem/Opera Choruses CD to get me through the worst of it... it's fairly loud and seems pretty ideal for the 'sleep deprived and desperate to finish work' mood. I eventually finished and turned the paper in... though I would have been better off if I didn't procrastinate while I was writing the paper. But I finished, and that's what matters.

I'm hoping I'll get to bed at a reasonable time tonight. Maybe I'll finally be able to end my streak of insomnia.

Requiem Aeternam Dona Eis...

I woke up late (again) today and did some reading, though it was not was much as I would have liked. The book I had started with was unfortunately a bit dense, and that made it difficult for me to plow through my work. I'll try and spend most of tonight doing all the reading I need to do.

Tonight was the Chorale concert. Though I wasn't perfect, I'm happy with how I did; I was finally able to get a good sound without pushing or tiring out my voice. I enjoyed the performance a lot... going through an entire piece like the Mozart Requiem can be an exhilarating experience. I didn't realize it until the concert had finished, but the act of singing had really left me in an elated mood. Hopefully the good mood will help me to study.

Do Re Mi...

Today I didn't do much except put off writing a paper. Fortunately, I got it done eventually, but I ended up getting to the Chorale rehearsal rather late. I ended up sitting in the back corner, which is a very different experience than sitting where I usually do (in the middle of the front row, because I am a geek). Because the sound of everyone else's voice was going away from me, I was much more able to hear the sound of my own voice. I think I sometimes end up singing louder than I should when I'm in front, just because it's so much harder to hear myself.

Tomorrow's the concert, so hopefully it will go well. Now, I have to concentrate on my Psych term paper...

Yawn

Fortunately enough, I was able to get up early this morning. I went to classes, did fun slacker things, and got on the Haverford bus for a drama class rehearsal (my partner and I are doing a snippet from Waiting for Godot).

I then had Chorale rehearsal; it was the first time we sang with the Orchestra. It's usually on Wednesday, but the concert is on Saturday and the schedule is a bit different because of that. We're singing the Mozart Requiem, so it should be fun. Of course, I was exhausted by the time Chorale came along; I was practically asleep for much of the time.

I'm hoping to start on my short paper tonight; I can finish it later tomorrow. I don't want to throw off my sleep habits by staying up too late, though.

In other news, it's pretty cold around here. My dorm room is particularly frosty, as the ceilings are high and the room therefore doesn't retain heat very well. I wish they hadn't turned off the heaters. And to think it was 90 degrees a week ago...

Got Ca$h?

I am running low on cash right now... I think I have about $100, including my account and the money in my wallet. I'll survive for the rest of the semester, but I will have to restrain myself from any foolish spending.

I hope I can pace myself until Monday is over; things should be a breeze after then, but I have a lot of stuff to do in the meantime. I can't afford to slack off too much.

My Day: The Verse Version!

I committed a minor sin
In my decision to sleep in.
This was compounded when I stalled
My work. Then, after that, I hauled
My quite reluctant self to class.
I stayed 'til my lesson did pass.
I wrote and did some reading too,
And put off work (it's sad but true).
So that is where I am right now.
These are the facts; that I do vow.

That is my day. I am thinking of limiting my nighttime internet access, since I have a lot of work to do in the next week. I have a 15 page and 6 page paper along with a Chorale concert. It might help my insomnia to get off the computer earlier as well.

Oh, and here's a quote I found amusing:
"If the only tool you have is a hammer, then it is very tempting to treat everything as though it were a nail." - Maslow

Reflections

I think part of the reason that I keep getting to bed so late/early is that 12-5 in the morning is really a conducive time for me to do random creative (or at least non-studious) things. The complete silence allows me to sit at my computer and really concentrate, even to the extent that my eyes water and I feel sick if I remain on the computer for too long (does this happen to anyone else?). Despite my knowledge that staying up late hinders my schedule and makes me sleepy the next day, part of me craves the peace and stillness of the late night hours.

I had a pretty late start today, and was further hindered because my yearbook co-editor slept in. Once three o'clock came and I had done my share of work, I left to study. I wasn't as motivated as yesterday, but I eventually was able to haul myself and my book over to Starbucks. Unfortunately, it was more crowded in the early evening than in the afternoon. In addition, this weird elderly couple was around for most of the time I was there; they spoke very loudly and kept speaking to people who were studying and didn't need the interruption. I read a couple of chapters before getting fed up and going home to read another chapter. I still have two chapters to read, but I can do them tomorrow in the morning or afternoon.

I came across the following Los Angeles Times article about my alma mater, Marlborough School, and it caused me a good deal of reflection and frustration, which I will detail here.

In Other News...

I got a call from my sister yesterday - she has gotten admitted
to USC's Film school, in the Critical Studies department. She had originally been in the Theatre school, but had wanted to triple major (Theatre, Film, and Poly Sci), so this is great news for her. She is thinking of getting into the Production department later (they don't like people to apply until Sophomore year), but it's more important for her that she just has the film degree.

My family was planning on taking a trip to Disney World after my graduation, but plans are a bit up in the air now. My dad had just won a really big case, but the other side is appealing, so the money will be later in coming; dad is still okaying the trip, but my mom is more unsure about it. We'll have to see how it goes.

Now, back to my ramblings about our regularly scheduled person...

Well, the last couple of days have been lax, though I was able to get some Psych reading done this afternoon. I've mostly been having a fun time, playing on the computer and watching DVDs. I sort of 'discovered' the library's media room recently. Though it's more often than not reserved, it's a good place to watch DVDs, especially when compared to my laptop.

I've been feeling pretty 'up' lately; hopefully this good mood will continue for a while.

I Need Sleep Now

I was thinking of writing a substantial entry, but I have been having a terrible bout with insomnia lately, so I don't want to stay up to late and just exacerbate the problem.

I should have checked over my thesis class schedule; it turns out that the thesis wasn't actually due until Friday. I'm actually grateful for my being scatterbrained this time. It's really nice to be relaxing at a time that I might otherwise have been stressing out. Plus, knowing me, I would have turned it in on Saturday if I thought it was due on Friday. Maybe I can do something fun on Friday just to celebrate having the free time.

Does anybody know any quick 'cures' for insomnia? I don't like staying up until five. I can't do anything productive when I'm simply trying to sleep, and it really throws off my schedule.

A Pair Of Independent Observations

I try to stay away from caffeine. It helps me to concentrate when it first kicks in, but, after that, I feel quite a bit worse physically. It's especially bad when I've had a large volume of caffeine, which, fortunately, hasn't happened yet. However, I can bet that I will lose myself to caffeine zombiehood in the next couple of days.

I wish I had realized how lucky I was growing up. Like most kids, I harbored a little bit of resentment towards my family when I was younger, since I didn't really have the perspective. Plus, I was even more sheltered than I am now; my peers were either as fortunate as me or 'kept up with the Joneses' and made a decent show of it. I don't think I really got anything approaching a 'realistic' worldview until college.

A Miscellaneous List of Events

I am feeling too lazy to organize all the things that have happened lately. Instead, here is a list!

• I have done a tiny bit of work, though not nearly enough. C'est la vie.
• I have finished drawing out my comic. It is 34 pages long, so it will be a while before I can Photoshop it all. Next time I'll try to restrain myself a bit more.
• I got a few roses from Fred today. They have been accorded a place of honor on my desk.
• When at Staples yesterday, I made an impulse buy and got a few sheets of this decal paper. It's really neat; I now have transparent images of my art stuck to plastic bins and such.
• I got my first law school results; a 'thin envelope' from Berkeley. At this point I'm not expecting much because I was so careless with my applications; in any case, I'm really blas? about my future anyway. I'm a bit worried about this tendency in myself, but I know that things will work out. I'm not yet passionate about any career path anyway.
• I have come up with an idea. If you guys could come up with songs that 'fit' me, I'll make a 'Jenny mix'. Yes, I have too much time on my hands. That, or I have too much to put off.

Martes Y Miercoles

Yesterday was fairly normal, though I did have to give a final performance of a scene for class. Later in the evening, I took Yearbook photos for a student production. I noticed that the battery on my camera was running low, so I walked over to the nearby Staples to get a new one. Unfortunately, the store was closing just as I got there. I went to the supermarket and got some food before heading back. The weather was lovely; it was drizzling lightly and the air was humid and a bit cool. I like rainy weather, as it puts me in a more contemplative mood.

I did some classwork this morning. On my way to the computer lab, I came across a friend of mine; she was feeling pretty terrible and wanted someone to talk to, so we went to my room to chat about recent problems. We ended up spending about two hours, and she seemed to feel much better after we talked. I was glad that I could be there to help out, since we only ran across each other by chance. Afterwards, I went to Chorale.

Right now is room draw, so people have been stopping by to get a look at my room. It can be a bit of a pain, but it's nice not to have to worry about picking a dorm room anymore.

Revenge of the Slacker

I'm sure you all will be surprised to hear that I did very little productive work today. I did meet with a partner for my drama project and do a teeny bit of writing, but that's about all for school. However, I did finish part three of the comic!

I'm thinking of limiting my hours on the computer, or at least the internet. I need to get out of my room and do my work, and my 'addiction' to the computer isn't helping me.

My Thesis Is DONE!

Having this finished is quite a load off my shoulders.

The last couple of days have been unpleasant for me as I scrambled to get my thesis final draft completed. Extreme lack of sleep is no fun, especially when coupled with unpleasant tasks and caffiene withdrawl. But I did get it done, and that's what counts. It was quite a relief to carry the stacks of books back to the library and know that I'll never have to analyze them again.

I was able to expand my analysis when I did the second draft, and the professor's suggestions helped me to bring out ideas that I hadn't given ample consideration to. I also got the chance to fix a few (cough) mistakes that I didn't catch when I was first plowing through the paper. The paper ended up being 36 pages with an 11.5 font, a bit longer than the 30-35 pages it was supposed to be, but I'd rather have the paper be on the long side than come up a bit short.

Spring has definitely arrived around here; the trees are flowering, the birds are singing... and the weather has started to get annoyingly hot and humid. My room is slightly stuffy, even with the window open. Additionally, the screen is broken, so insects are able to fly in if I leave the window open. Hopefully I'll figure out a way to cool things down a bit around here.

A String of Random and Disorganized Observations

Today has been another lazy day. I managed too get a little done, but it wasn't really much compared to the things I need to do. My weekend will not be a fun one.

For whatever bizarre reason, I've been in the mood to listen to all of the old CDs from the 'Broadway phase' I was in a few years back. Heh, I never says I was a normal person, did I?

My muscles have been sore from yesterday's fencing class. And it's not just the usual leg muscles, but also the stomach muscles. In fact, my stomach muscles hurt more than any others.

I've started editing page 3 of my comic, but I have 23 pages drawn out. The last few pages have gotten somewhat complex. I just hope I'll be able to complete this 'epic'.

Laziness

I've been more lax with this journal than usual; to be honest, I haven't been able to concentrate on a lot that I usually work on. I don't think it's depression, really. I just have been letting my mind wander, and it's hard to reign myself in when I'm being capricious. I have over twenty pages of my "Castle Sturmundrang" comic drawn, but I have to actually play with them all in Photoshop. Since it's more complicated than the island series, I worry that I'll never get around to doing the more tedious work that is necessary. And, of course, there's the actual schoolwork I have to do. I'll hopefully be able to get a bit more self control this weekend, but I've spent the bulk of the week just daydreaming and listening to music. Bad me.