Tag Archives: sleeping

Just So Sleepy

05 Wednesday Feb 2014

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photo (78)I’m soooo tired ….. so sleepy.  I’m jealous of those people who can sleep 5 hours and bounce up and be productive.  I need 9 hours asleep.  9??? Yes 9.  Look it up.  That’s still within normal range.  Hovering way up on the high side but still “normal.”  Luckily I have no kids and no job so I can actually get the 9.  I’m usually in bed and counting sheep by 10pm.

Why am I so tired when I do nothing all day?  Part of it is that I’m not getting great sleep. Dogs taking up bed space, my brain’s inability to turn off, the medication I take, and many other common complaints are definitely to blame.  Still what has changed since I left my 9-5 (Ha!  9-5 my ass.  More like 5-9.) job that causes me to be too pooped to pop?  Then I remembered I don’t do nothing all day.  I do a ton of activity all day.  Most days I get 3 hours of exercise.  That’s a lot for someone who is use to sitting on her bum in an office (or airport/airplane/office lobbies) all day.  I wake up and do 2ish (sometimes more sometimes less) hours of high alert hiking in the morning with the dogs.  Why high alert?  I need to make sure I have all the dogs all the time, that they aren’t in anyones way, that they aren’t going to be eaten by wildlife, etc.  I spend most of those 2 hours (if they are off leash) counting them over and over to make sure I haven’t missed anyone.  I’m also doing squats the entire time as I get down to their level to take pictures for my guest dogs folks or to pick up poop (they all poop so much).  Down and up and down and up.

photo (77)In the late afternoon I head over to my Bar Method studio for an hour of hard-core “human only” strength and endurance training.  It’s exhausting stuff.  For anyone (and I mean any man) who thinks Bar Method is easy and just a light little woman’s workout I suggest you get yourself in a class and then post your apology below in the comments section.  I had completed triathlons when I took my first Bar Method class and I still had to step out at one point to keep from throwing up and couldn’t move without screaming “ouch” the next day.

Once in a while the instructors of the Bar Method studios get an update on some moves.  That happened recently and last night I did something called “arm dancing” for the third time.  Right now my abs are killing me from that work.  You would think after years of taking classes I wouldn’t hurt but every day the moves are a little (or a lot) different so your body never settles in and gets used to what you are doing.  You are also getting better at the work and more specific in your moves which makes all the work more targeted.

IMG_7561What’s arm dancing you ask?  Well … lie down on your back with your feet on the ground, knees up.  Jam a few firm pillows behind you so that you can push your lower body and lower ribcage into the floor while keeping your shoulders up in a curl.  Your shoulders should be below your knees in front of you.  This is a “low curl” position.  Your abs should already be feeling something.  Now curl tighter and put your arms straight out over your knees one hand on top of the other.  Now without moving your body and keeping curled as high/tight as possible bring your arms slowly up and slowly down.  Now do that a bunch of times.  I have no idea why moving your arms in this position causes so much pain in your abs but it does.

My guess is those 3 hours of working out are what is causing me to gravitate toward my bed (and Bengay) whenever possible.  All I ever need is just a few more zzzzzzzs.

Lights Out

09 Thursday Jan 2014

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photo (54)During the meet and greets with my future doggie guests and their human parents we meet in the backyard and, once everyone has sniffed each other, head inside the house for a quick tour.  In the bedroom the conversation usually goes like this:

Me:  Where does (fill in dog name) like to sleep?

Owner:  Well.  Ummm.  He will sleep anywhere.  I guess we could bring his bed.

Me:  Does he sleep with you?

Owner:  Yes.

This happens 90% of the time.  Dog owners who send their dogs on vacations while they are out-of-town are the kind of dog owners who let their precious babies sleep with them.  We all know we aren’t suppose to.  Yet we all do it.

Lights out at my house is very interesting.  Those dogs that have been with me for a while know the drill and when I say “let’s go to bed” there is a mad dash for the bedroom to secure their sleeping positions.  Things normally work out but sometimes there are arguments.

Because I love him the most I always give Riggins special treatment.  If he wants to be on the bed his spot is always up on one of the pillows.  If there is another dog there he/she has to move.  It just so happens that Bongo (vizsla), who has been here for just over a week, thinks that is his spot.  When he doesn’t get it he will stand by the bed and cry until I convince him it is just as good on another part of the bed.   He is not an easy sell.

Dragon (schnauzer), a regular guest, skips all the drama and heads straight for the foot of the bed.  He hangs out there until I get in and then he gets as close as he can to my feet/legs … when I say “close” I mean “on”.

Baby (Alaskan husky mix) who is here until she finds her forever home, is cool as a cucumber.  She will go wherever but is always there first.  She is first on the bed and plops down right in the middle.  Then she gets pushed and shoved around until everyone else is settled.  That is a-ok with her.

If you are counting that is four dogs and one human on a tiny little full size bed.  Usually the dogs all need to be up there when we first lay down while I’m ready a book, and right before it is time to get up.  In between there is a shifting of what dogs are up and which are down (except for Dragon … he isn’t moving).

photo (53)This morning the crew got up early to pee and eat.  Since I have been sick and pooped I headed back to bed for a few more zzzzzs.  I was the last in the bed and it was just too much trouble to move everyone so I plopped down right in the middle laying sideways.  Riggins and Bongo were butt to butt up on the pillows comfy as can be.  Dragon and Baby were curled up at the foot of the bed snoring.   I was groggy and the path of less resistance seemed like a good idea.

Tonight Dragon goes home and Asscher (golden retriever) shows up.  Let’s see how that changes things!

Shadow Sleeping Positions

09 Monday Dec 2013

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photo (16)I’m exhausted.  I have no right to be and I have to admit the 2 hour hike in Griffith Park with Riggins and Asscher this morning didn’t help.  Still, considering what I’ve done, my sleepiness is way out of proportion.  I’ve decided I have Shadow to thank for that.

Shadow was dropped off Wednesday night by her dad for her one night stay with us.  Riggins and I instantly fell in love with the sweet girl.  1/2 Whippet, 1/2 Doberman, and 100% sweetie.  Her dad said Shadow sleeps in her own bed at home but she would love to sleep on my bed if I allowed it.  As we got ready for bed that night Shadow sadly curled up in her teeny tiny dog bed that I had placed on the ground near the foot of my human bed.  She looked up at me with such sad eyes I had no choice.  It was only for one night.  I invited her up to sleep with me.  Whippets, Italian Greyhounds, or any skinny dog with a needle nose, like to sleep under the covers so that’s what I let Shadow do.  I lifted up the covers and she buried her way down and plopped herself down next to (or on) my legs.  She was happy as a clam.  Eventually during the night Riggins decided he needed to be in bed too so he jumped up and settled in.  By morning the three of us were as snug as a bug in a rug.  I could hear everyone snoring.  Everyone but me!  Sleeping with a dog at your legs isn’t exactly restful.

Shadow’s stay got extended and the one night became four.  Each time I crawled into bed Shadow was right behind me.  I couldn’t say no now!  Shadow went home yesterday so last night you would think I would have had a great night.  Not so much.  I missed having my little leg warmer curled up next to me.  Sigh … I can never be happy.

I thought I’d share Shadow’s sleeping positions with you so you can understand better what I lived through:

1.  THE SHADOW CHAIR – This consisted of me curling up in an almost fetal position so that Shadow could snuggle up against the crock of my knee (aka under my butt).

photo 1 (19)

2.  THE LOTION LICK – Once in a while I’d try to lie down flat and if I did that Shadow would just lay herself flat against my leg putting her in the perfect position to lick off all the lotion I had just put on my legs.

photo 2 (18)

3.  THE SCISSORS – This was the teams favorite sleeping position.  I slept at an angle giving Riggins room on his human pillow and Shadow just enough room to nuzzle between my legs.

photo 3 (12)

4.  THE BIRTH – Self explanatory.

photo 4 (8)

Sweet dreams to all the human and dogs out there!

I’m Innocent — Honest! (Re-post)

02 Friday Aug 2013

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It’s Friday and that means I’m re-posting one of my older blog rants for you to enjoy!  Below’s post was originally published on Nov. 30, 2010.  I still heart NCIS and all the male characters! Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!

I’m Innocent — Honest!

You know I heart NCIS.  It is the greatest show on TV.  I have to say that despite my love for them I was horrified at how the characters came to the conclusion that a victim/suspect was lying and most likely the killer in a recent episode.  (To be honest it may not have been a recent episode as I spent most of the TV summer hiatus watching re-runs.)  My boyfriend (aka Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo – but again to be honest all the male characters are my boyfriend.  Even Ducky.  Seriously.  I love them all.) concluded that a woman was lying since she said she slept alone when her bed was messed up on both sides (meaning no alibi).  It turns out she was indeed lying and was a mistress to some married man and didn’t want to get him in trouble — drama!  When Ziva (or some other logical woman character) suggested she didn’t make her bed everyday (again being fully honest here I don’t remember who said what exactly) he came back with the logical, “but you always sleep on the same side.”

Here is the zinger … I do sleep on both sides!  Not only am I a restless sleeper who can take out any number of blankets, pillows and a comforter within just a few hours I do sleep on both sides of the bed at one night and since I’m lazy, often don’t start with the bed being that put together in the first place.  Here is how my night goes:

Bed hogs! (Picture not part of original post)

Bed hogs! (Picture not part of original post)

I stand over the bed and analyze my strategy.  Then I grab, what may or may not be the corner of a sheet and comforter from the foot of the bed, or one side of the bed, or the floor.  I then toss it up haphazardly to give the illusion of a squared off blanket start to the night.  Then I crawl in on the side of my bed that has the nightlight since I almost always read before going to sleep.  During the reading time I’m wiggling and kicking and willing the covers to make it over my entire body.  This seems easier than just making the bed correctly from the beginning.  Then I set my book down, turn off the light, wiggle closer to the middle, and go to sleep.  At some point, as you know, Riggins decides he wants to come up and join me.  Since he is no dummy he doesn’t go around to the cold unused side.  Instead he stands by the side I’m mostly on and cries until I roll over to the cold unused side, lift up the blankets, pat the bed, and tell him to “up up up.”  (I sometimes have to stand up for him to get the gist and then immediately plop back down on my new side.)  Now I’ve got a few hours to mess up the other side of the bed!  I use my time wisely wrapping and then kicking off blankets and flipping around and around in a pattern that sometimes mirrors Riggins circle, circle, flop routine.

So you see Mr. Special Agent Hottie I DO SLEEP ON BOTH SIDES OF MY BED.  After a night of “sleep” I stand up and it looks like there was a crazy party in my bed the night before.  When in fact it was just me … Riggins and me!