Xmas closing in?

My first Xmas under a new roof, it looks like. Today I went out and bought lights for my window and some Xmas decorations. No tree yet, but there's still time to go and get one. Something in the 4 foot range sounds about right to me, considering my lack of height thereof. The snows that stay have yet to fall, but I'm not impatient to see them fall (yet!) In another week, if the snow hasn't started yet, then I might get a little antsy. I hear about people going to warmer climes to celebrate Xmas. I would just feel very strange if I celebrated Xmas in Mexico, where snow is virtually unknown. The locals in Mexico find their winters cold; imagine how they'd feel if Mexico got even a week of Winnipeg's Winterpeg? Frightening, I should say. Anyway, today it was the Santa Claus Parade in Winnipeg (the 100th anniversary of this event, to be exact). My sister's boyfriend's niece was brought to see it. She probably won't remember this amazing event... meanwhile, I've never been, so it's nothing to me.
Remembrance Day was on Wednesday, and having the day off really threw me for a loop. I didn't sleep too well over the next couple of nights. I went to bed extremely early last night as a result. Now I'm going to bed at a more reasonable hour (12:00, but it's Saturday, so it's all right). Hope that will balance me out. I'll try to get through Aristotle this evening and listen to Enya, and both of these things should relax me. Actually, my brain's been whirring the last couple of nights, duelling with my worries through the night. Totally irrational, I know. Well, I slept all right last night and hopefully I sleep well tonight as well.
Well, I guess that's the end of this mess for today. BYE.

You are getting sleepy...

My alarm is set to go off at 6 in the morning so I can get out the door around 7 and be at work for 8. To guarantee that I get enough sleep, I've been going to bed around 10 at night. Seems like a reasonable course of action, right? And for the first three months or so, things were going very well. Then in the month of December, things changed. I started waking up at 3 or 4 in the morning and was unable to fall asleep again. I figured that by going to bed around 10, I was getting enough sleep as it was and my body was just ready to get going. It takes me a while to fall asleep at night, so if I wake up at 4:30 or 5, I don't see any reason to even try falling asleep again. Besides, if there's one lesson I've learned from various sleepless nights and insomnia attacks, it is not to try and fall asleep, or it will never happen. My journals are full of such reminders, and the night before was no exception.
I usually write in my journal or read when I can't sleep. Complaining is useless as I go nowhere fast. The night before last, I was awake at 2:30 or so, and I tossed and turned about the bed, just trying my darndest to fall asleep. I should know better by now, right? This most recent event reminded me of the theory I have been working on. Perhaps my body doesn't need so much sleep, and that perhaps going to bed for 10:30 or even 11 wouldn't hurt my situation. I yawned my way to 10:30 last night and woke up around 5:30 this morning. Already, it looks like my theory might be correct. Of course, it's better not to take things on faith like this. I'll start going to be at 10:30 every night starting in January and see where this plan takes me. Maybe I just don't need that extra half hour. Maybe I was just so exhausted yesterday that I slept like a log and my theory is worth little. I will keep at it and see what happens. If it's significant, I'll keep you posted.
My present book of choice is 'The last word' by my beloved Matthew Arnold. Not only was he a good poet, but he also had a steady job inspecting school systems in England and in Europe. Working in a school system myself, I'm enjoying the comparaisons he's making between schools in Germany with schools in Austria, with schools in France, and of course, with schools in the United Kingdom. He also discusses Ireland and the 'Home Rule' plan, which he was very much against. Unfortunately, I don't know a whole lot about the 'Home Rule' concept. I just know that Winston Churchill had to deal with this concept during his time in Parliament. His father had to deal with it as well, I understand. Maybe looking closely at 'Home Rule' is all moot, considering the Ireland of today, but if we do not examine the past, we may have to repeat it, so any information I can get about Ireland of those years would be welcome.
Okay, that's what's on my mind right now. There's also Xmas, but that can wait for a few more days. BYE.