Coming or Going?

It's 2:19am. Why no, actually, I do not have insomnia. In fact, I was sleeping quite soundly when the alarm went off 19 minutes ago. I am now dressed and ready to head into the office.

There is something very odd about going into the office around 2:30am (aside from the obvious insanity).

For one, 2am is when the bars close. So there you are, one of the hardest working people within rock-throwing distance, shaven, pressed and dressed, headed into work at o-dark-thirty, on the look out for drunks who are trying to find their way home.

About two years ago, I was similarly busy at work and heading in about the same time; I rounded a curve on an interchange and came upon a car on the shoulder of the highway UP-SIDE-DOWN. The crash must have happened seconds earlier as the driver WAS STILL IN THE CAR.

As I ran up to the shattered driver's window, he was crawling out - reeking of alcohol. If he hadn't had been drunk, he probably would have been killed. Of course, if he hadn't had been drunk, he probably wouldn't have crashed in the first place. I dialed 911 and stayed with him until the paramedics arrived.

I am also told that 2am-3am is the "dead of the night" and that if you ever need to catch people unawares, this is the hour to do it. So put that in your pipe and smoke it.

You might be asking yourself, "If this guy is so busy, how is it he has time to pound the keys on the blog?"

I don't have time, actually. I am just waiting for the coffee to finish brewing so I can take a thermos into the office. Our office coffee is truly horrid.

Oops - coffee is ready. Maybe I should make an extra pot in case I run into a drunk that needs some. Or should I say, in case they run into me . . .

UPDATE:

Another strange thing about going into the office in the dead of night is the radio stations. Some stations that are in english during the day go into a foreign language in the middle of the night. Some news stations just play classical music (like those colored bars you used to see on the tv if you switched it on before 6am).

There is one radio show that is a guy interviewing himself - only he talks in different voices. There is another radio show that is all about aliens.

So there you are, barely coherant yourself - heading into the office- wondering why you can't find a job that doesn't require you to work 14 hour days - on the lookout for drunks headed home (I originally typed "on the lookout for drinks headed home" which is what I do at the end of the day . . .) - flipping between stories of alien abductions, spanish where there should be english and a guy interviewing himself and that's when it hits you . . . .

The reason you could not find your coat this morning is because you left it on the hook behind the door in your office . . .

The reason why you are not going to be able to get into your office when you get there at 3am is because you left the keys to the office in your coat pocket which is STILL HANGING ON THE HOOK BEHIND THE DOOR IN YOUR OFFICE. . .

I am now back at home.

The great thing about all this is that the 5 hours of work I was going to get done before the opening bell will be waiting for me - guaranteeing me not only an *ahem* exciting day but also virtually guaranteeing that I will be working this weekend.

AND I have now induced the equivalent of insomnia upon myself . . .

So what to do now? Do I get undressed and climb back into bed? Or do I stay dressed and stretch out on the couch?

You know it's going to be some day when its 3am and the wheels have already come off the wagon . . .

good times