close calls

I sent myself to bed early, knowing that I had to be on the Broadway by 9:00 this morning, and wanting as much sleep as possible. Of course, when one is used to waking up at the crack of noon, falling asleep at the dainty hour of 1:00 AM is no easy task. It took some doing, but I finally succumbed, and was awaken a few minutes later by my dispatcher.

Of course I was being called into work. It only made sense when I considered that I had left work a few hours ago, and had another shift scheduled in less than eight more. I mean, how could that time possibly remain so empty when I could clearly be working? Crazy Scout, I had assumed that the dropping water level meant I would be seeing a day off, but that's just crazy. I love working ten days and thirteen shifts in a row!

Yeah, I know that I don't actually do anything, short of eat too much, watch TV, gripe about sleep, and ogle pirate ships. It's just that I've gotten accustomed to seeing my husband, sleeping one full night a week, and seeing the occasional ray of sunshine from some place other than a stuffy, glassed-in room, and I like the occasional day of freedom. Alas, I'm on-call now for the next two weeks, so true freedom isn't to be had.

The mental anguish clearly bringing me down, I adjusted my wake up time from 2:30 to 3:30, and fell back into a fitful state of sleep. My husband, coming to bed at a much more reasonable time, asked me when I had to be on the bridge as he settled in between the sheets.

"Forefurdy," I grumbled.

There was a pause, and then he replied, "Do you know it's four o'clock now?"

Fuuuuck. I rolled out of bed, threw on some attractive sweats, grabbed my keys, and wandered out the door in a haze. I drove downtown, passing only one other person in the drive, pulled into my favorite spot in the empty lot, stumbled up the bridge, and made it here in the nick of time. Now I wait for the boat, and pray to Jeebus that I don't have to wait for him to come back downriver, too. In the mean time, I complain quietly to anyone who will listen.