Changing your sleep patterns - in a hurry

Hustle -- Where are you planning to park at BWI? I have a basic idea of where you live (because I think I live near you) and I think, if you want to be in the security line by 5:30, you might want to leave a little bit earlier than you planned, unless you're valet parking your car at BWI or someone is dropping you off. Even then, I think you might be cutting it a little bit close.

 

Where do you live, the Airport Hilton?

On my last trip I went to my usual remote parking lot . . . LOT FULL.

Angrily headed to the terminal (and its $12 per day rates).

First garage . . . GARAGE FULL.

Second garage . . . Levels 1 through 6, FULL.

Fortunately, a handful of spots were open on Level 7. Of course, then I needed a shuttle to get me from this remote garage back to the terminal.

Left the house at 6:30 a.m. . . . was about 8 a.m. before I was in the security line.

 

East of the Rockies, hello.

 

So here's the update. It's now 12:38 a.m.

I got up at 7:45 (a solid 2 hours earlier than normal) and went straight to work. Put in my time, came back home, immediately went to bed; crawled in at 5:45 or so.

I lay there and lay there and lay there; I try and take myself to as many happy places as possible to drift off to sleep. Each time I think, sweet, hello dreamland! And each time that didn't work, I'd get a little frustrated, worked up and wake up a bit.

Finally, a little after 8, I gave up for good. I got up and helped my wife pack and get the house ready with some minor cleaning up. I had some dinner and, for good measure, drank a beer and a glass of scotch.

We finish up around 10:30. We hop into bed and this time, I manage to get comfy and drift off to sleep. But, as expected, I wake up an hour later, wide awake. And here I am.

But this hasn't been a total waste. I downloaded a handful of Iron Maiden songs that will help pass the time on the plane.

 

Nothing says Beddie bye like "Aces High." Good luck on your trip.

 

Keep downloading now, babe. Don't even give sleep a thought. You'll be fine.

 

I would if the player wasn't full... I had to boot a few marginal tunes off to make room for The Clairvoyant.

Now I'm just playing poker, waiting for 3 a.m. to arrive.