Having a freeze warning after a time change that makes mornings colder isn’t funny when I’ve committed to a mission team to work outside all week. Plus it’s pollen sneezing season.
One Friday a week or so ago, about mid afternoon, I could hardly stay awake. I had one of those conversations in my head with myself.
Sleepy Self suggested that I just put my head down for a few minutes and tell the study hall students I have a head ache. It really was beginning to hurt from all the forcing myself to stay awake with some piddly work on the computer because I sure didn’t have the alertness to grade essays or create lessons.
Responsible Self reminded Sleepy Self that if I did, that would be the day the principal or the head of school walked by and peeked in my door window.
Sleepy self had a plan. Lay down up on the old computer cabinet that runs the length of the wall and is out of sight from the door window. The kids would wake me up.
Responsible Self said it was a ridiculous plan and that I could make it through the last 85 minutes of the school day and could take a nap in my car before driving home.
I was concerned, because extreme fatigue and sleepiness was my first Covid symptom.
I hurried home and rushed through eating something so I could get in bed and put off sleeping a little more so that I wouldn’t wake up rested at 2 a.m. It didn’t work, at least the putting off part. I conked out by around 7 and slept a good 14 hours.
With a fully refreshed brain on Saturday morning, I curiously looked up side effects of a particular 24-hour allergy tablet I had taken. “Drowsiness may occur at any time.” Yes, even six or seven hours later.
I switched meds. ___ Maybe some of my students need a brain refresh, too. (Yay for Spring Break!)
A group was taking a long answer test that had to be hand written and not typed, per the assigning teacher. Each paragraph had to be 75-100 words. One of them asked, “If we hand write it, then how do we count the words?”
I tapped my finger across my desk and replied, “One, two, three….”
___ And on this mission trip, work bestie had to tell someone which direction the rake tines pointed, as in toward the ground.
___ I can count words manually and use a rake properly, but that’s only after I’m fully awake after coffee.
The other morning as I went to a drawer for plastic bags for my lunch, I noticed just a tad of coffee in the pot, but the “On” light was green and nothing else was happening. No worries, though! If it was malfunctioning, I have a spare coffee maker in my closet.
But, first I thought I should check if maybe I simply didn’t put any water in. That has happened before, but usually the coffee maker sputters and pops to tell me so. (I have also brewed a nice cup of hot, filtered water by forgetting to add the coffee grounds.)
So I put some more water in and reset it to brew. All sounded normal and I returned to the table to finish packing my lunch.
There sat my morning cup of coffee that I had already poured, added stevia and half and half, and even stirred.
I need coffee before my coffee.
