Monday, July 22, 2013

Snoozing Away From Home




Hello blog friends! Sorry for the lateness of today’s post—I just yesterday got back from the Romance Writers of America conference in Atlanta. Picture two thousand women who adore romantic fiction, a whole lot of Microsoft guys in town for their own conference (it was a big hotel!), and five days of meetings, workshops, parties, and seeing old friends (and meeting new ones) from around the world, and you’ve got the idea.

It was wonderful, chaotic and exhausting, and by the time I got home yesterday, all I wanted to do was cuddle Arizona and the cats, and catch up on some sleep—which I did, crashing at around 6 pm, waking to watch what Arizona calls “the naked people” (Naked and Afraid, where two strangers, a man and a woman, are dropped in the wilderness with nothing but one survival item each, and left to fend for themselves for three weeks whilst being filmed), and then sleeping again until 10 am. Thank goodness I’m not planning on accomplishing much today!

Sleep is a funny thing for me. For a large chunk of my life, I needed to be in a completely dark and familiar room, with an AC, air filter or fan running, a blanket over my head and no other life forms in there with me. And even then it was 50/50 on whether I would sleep more than five hours. So, as you might guess, sharing a room at a conference could be challenging! Fortunately, there’s the alcohol-and-exhaustion factor of a conference, so by the second or third day I can usually shut down for a while—as long as I have white noise and a blanket over my head.

When I met Arizona, I said “Okay, self, if you’re in this for the long term, you’re going to figure out how to sleep with this guy.” And I did—finding that I feel utterly safe and sleep-enabled when I’m smooshed between his big, snoring self and the wall, with Pixel T. Kitten next to my head, purring away. I still have a blanket over my head and white noise is a must, and anything less than a queen-size bed is questionable, but I’m sleeping better these days than I ever have, even at the conference. Still, it was a huge pleasure to get home and curl up in my space, with my big warm hubby on one side of me and the kitten on the other, with paw on the top of my head like she was reassuring herself that I really was back.

Now, though, I'm sitting here in my writing space, with my brain buzzing with all the stuff I learned at the conference, and all the new story ideas my agent, editor and I talked about … and all I can think is, “Dang, it’s quiet here!”

So tell me, dear reader-writer-fan-friend, what are your sleeping peculiarities? Do you sleep well away from home?

17 comments:

  1. I do NOT usually sleep well away from home. Well... I don't usually sleep well at home, either, but at cons I more often than not lay there awake all night. THere's just too much going on and my mind can't relax. Like you, I HAVE to have white noise, otherwise, every little sound gets me. "Oh, a drippy faucet." "Oh the neighbor is in the shower." "Oh, my roommate rolled over." I also like it to be very dark for many of the same reasons. At this past conference, I shared a king sized bed with someone who did not snore or roll around (or have hot flashes...LOL), and my two roommates like the room to be about the same temp as I did. we went to bed around the same time, and they didn't mind if I sat up and read for a while to quiet my hyperactive brain. PERFECT situation, and I slept like a rock :).

    Though there was one night when the phrase "Mel shaming..." kept echoing through my mind...I may have woken up screaming... ;)

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    1. LOL on 'oh, drippy faucet' that's SOO true! Happy to hear your roomie sitch worked out great, and loved hanging out! And, well, you'd better get writing if you want to avoid any public shaming coming from the direction of your writing Yoda ... ;)

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  2. Sounds like the conference tired your body but invigorated your mind, exactly what it's supposed to do. :)

    So, you haven't received any kittycat drama from Pixel? After a few hours or a day "Glad You're Here/Missed You So" becomes: "Hey. You LEFT me." ::kitty scowl/back turned/furious grooming:: At least it does at my house. :)

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    1. The kittydrama was very minor, I'm relieved to say. I think because Arizona was there to entertain Her Fluffiness. He got lots of "help" printing things, and a furry butt to hold down the architectural drawings on his desk. Usually while he was trying to work on them- LOL. So I got "ooh, you're back!!" rather than "hateyouhateyouhateyou". I will confess that our fall vacation plans may have morphed from a week somewhere to a few days here and a few days there, partly to avoid the kittysitter issue .... (rollseyes at self).
      Missed you at RWA!

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    2. My friend who cleans the house (bless her!) gets along great with our kittehs, so they "shelter in place" with twice daily visits from her on the few occasions I can talk MacGuyver into leaving our humble abode. He traveled extensively for business for, like, 15 years, so he'd rather do the staycation. Then again, when I leave for longer than a weekend, I get all "ooh-but-kittehs-I'll-miss-them" on the day before I leave. The idea of getting away is great, and then all we talk about when we're gone is what they might be doing. :(

      Some day I'll get to RWA Nationals. :) Looks like I missed a lotta fun this year, though.

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    3. LOLOL on MacGuyver's propensity to hunker down. I hear you on that. Don't fret about missing out. There's FictionFest coming up soon!

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  3. I need noise to fall asleep. Usually the tv. I also have a hard time sharing space with somebody else. I don't know how married people can do that and not kill each other.

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    1. Ohhh, you would be my sleep nemesis! I once roomed with someone who had to have the TV on. I dozed on a couch in the elevator lobby instead, and learned my lesson--'do you snore?' is not the only important question! LOL on the killing each other--I think it can work, but doesn't have to. Plenty of married couples do best with separate rooms ;) (Great to see you this week!)

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  4. Hey Jess, I don't think I have any sleeping peculiarities. The Army taught me to sleep anywhere...lol! It could be bright as daylight, lots of noise going on, drippy whatever, and it doesn't phase me. If I know I'm safe and comfortable, I sleep like the dead. If not, I sleep lightly. It's something my body is trained to do, which works well for me at Conferences. I have heard, though, that I tend t talk in my sleep. Hopefully, I'm not giving secrets away.

    Peace and love,
    Paula R.

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    1. LOL! I can say from experience that yes, you can sleep with the lights on and yes, you talk a bit in your sleep. Nothing I could make out, though. I think your secrets are safe!! (What happens in 2714 stays in 2714 ...)

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  5. Quiet, cold and dark...kind of like a cave works best and oh yeah, need the hubby! The only night I really slept was Saturday night and I think that was just exhaustion kicking in. It was so nice to get home to hugs from the hubby, kids and dogs. Even though I crashed about 830 last night, I'm ready for a nap. I think my bed missed me. :0)

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    1. Oh, yes, COLD is a must! Glad you made it home okay :)

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  6. My biggest issue is temperature. It's weird, because I love to cuddle up in a nice warm comforter, but I HATE being hot when I sleep. Actually, it's really, exceptionally miserable for me to be hot when I sleep. I can NOT sleep if I'm hot. So I love for the room to be really cold when I'm sleeping. It drives other people nuts, but that's how it is.

    As for sleeping with someone, I don't know. It's been so long, I can't remember. *sniff* Excuse me while I go cry into a gin and tonic. ;)
    Jules

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    1. Awwwwwww. (Sends 'bump into amazing guy' vibes in Jules's direction.) YES to being cold. My poor roomie (see above) would've preferred the temp set something above "morgue" in our room, I suspect, but she was a very good sport about my love of being an ice cube when sleeping ;)

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  7. According to my mom I've had chronic insomnia since I was born. When I was little, she and grandma would take turns staying up to sing to me. They would be falling off the bed, dead tired, and I'd be wide awake excitedly saying, "Another song! Another song!" And no, they were not allowed to go to sleep until I was out haha!

    It hasn't been until college that I've finally been able to fall asleep in a light-filled room. because naps are a must! But, I need white noise (a fan) and otherwise quiet. I'm horrible at sleeping with someone else in the bed. Mom and I shared a bed for two nights at the RWA conference and I think I slept an hour each of those nights (Hi Coffee! You're my best friend!) and even when we switched rooms and I got my own bed, I didn't sleep then either. My first night anywhere always sucks haha!

    Oh and I also need it to be freezing in my room. I like to cocoon myself in my comforter! :)

    It's nice knowing I'm not the only one who's weird about sleep LOL

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    1. Yes to the first-night blues. Even if the situation is perfect, I'm still going to finish at least one book that first night. LOLOL on the 'another song!' Aieeeeee!

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