Tree branches and twigs, grey sky, a street lamp partly hidden. Got up for a decaff coffee. Still having trouble sleeping. I half think it’s my toes. I’ve got achy feet and have problems with the weight of the duvet. So I throw the bedding off my feet, then they are too cold. Perhaps I should wear bedsocks, but then won’t they put pressure on my toes? So instead I’m up and about, watching the slow change in light iin the sky, listening to the radio, trying to sit comfortably on an armchair. Playing with my phone. Oh for a decent night’s sleep.
One minute I’m looking at various art online because I wanted to research a particulate artist. The next I’m falling asleep because of being very tired. The trouble is I was still holding my phone and my finger was poised over the keypad. Oops! The next thing I knew my finger was close to an ‘add to basket’ button. I’d almost bought a £200 painting! It was very nice, but I have several bills to pay this month….
Note to self, put the phone down if you are going to fall asleep!
I was struggling to sleep again last night so I got up at 5am to have a warm drink. Sometimes I can sleep in the armchair.
I decided to turn the radio on for something to sooth my nerves. There was a programme called Test Match Special on. It was a cricket match between England and Australia. Australia were ahead three games in a five game series. This was the fourth test match.
The match was likely to go Australia’s way because they were well ahead on runs (in cricket you run between two sets of wickets with bales on top called stumps) . The bowler throws a ball at the stumps and tries to knock the bales off. The batsman has to defend the stumps. They try and hit the ball with a cricket bat. If they hit it they try and get runs. There are two batsmen (or women) at a time. They run between the stumps. You get four runs if you get the ball to run over the boundary line and six if you hit it over the boundary in the air.
Anyway, Australia was well in the lead. England had lost six men out of eleven and were batting. The commentators said that the last four of England’s batsmen had either suffered injuries or not done well in previous test matches. It looked very bleak!
I listened and was enthralled. There were missed catches and the Australians were trying hard, bouncing the ball high and hurting the batsmen (cricket balls are very hard). Lots of calls for leg before wicket (the batsman has his leg in the way and stops the bales being knocked off). Slowly the score crept up, three batsmen were caught or given LBW. (leg before wicket). I couldn’t sleep, this was too exciting! There were two batsmen left. Each round of bowling is called an over (where six balls are bowled) the last two overs came up. The first batsman tried to hit some runs so he could get to the other end and take the strike for the last over, if he did the last batsman would not have to play. But the Australians managed to stop him and the final over started with England’s last batsman waiting to be bowled at or bowled out! They couldn’t win but if he didn’t get knocked out they would have a draw.
Six balls. One after the other. It was radio so I couldn’t see what was going on, I could only listen to the commentary. Five balls to go, the daylight was going, the floodlights were on. Four balls, my heart was thumping. The batsman (Anderson) calmly prodded the ball away. Three balls. If the batsman tried to hit the ball the fielders (the rest of the Australian team) might catch the ball and get England out. Two more chances, the batsmen again stopped the ball. This was the last ball coming up. Australia had to dismiss the batsman to win. The bowler ran up, pitched the ball at the batsman and…. The batsman carefully pushed the ball away (I didn’t actually listen to what he did, I was too busy jumping up and down!) He ended the match safely not out. England drew the fourth test! Not a win, but a hell of a lot better than the previous three tests. The next text match is starting in Hobart, Australia on Friday. I’m expecting at least another sleepless night.
My two boy cats last night, sleeping on an armchair and on the arms between the two armchairs. I’d got up to get a drink because I couldn’t sleep again. First one came up to say hello, after he’d been cuddled he went to sleep on the chair where the bigger cat usually sleeps. Then the big cat came in and seeing his usual space was taken jumped up next to me on the chair arms. Eventually he settled down too. It’s so good to see them getting on so well. The big one could bully the others but he doesn’t, they all three are pretty respectful of one another. If you are wondering where the third one, the small female was, she was upstairs curled up in the cupboard!
When you don’t sleep well it’s easy to be drawn into watching TV. The last few nights have been horrendous. I’ve not got to sleep until 5 or 6am. Then sometimes there is a programme I really want to watch. Tonight there are four hour long episodes of Monarch of the Glen. It was a series I watched twenty years ago and I haven’t seen repeats of it. The pleasure of watching it outweighs the sleep I am missing. But maybe one day I will get back to sleeping well.
Last night I came downstairs because my back was hurting and yet again I was having a sleepless night. But that wasn’t the same for the cats! This boy was asleep on the floor so I has to carefully step over him to get to my armchair. Then he woke up and jumped on the chair arm and settled down next to me. Then the other boy cat jumped up on my hubbies chair. Soon they were both snoozing next to me. I eventually went back upstairs because this cat started snoring! I was so tired I actually went to sleep. X
Please can I have a new body? I’m sure bits will start dropping off soon. Not only do I suffer from insomnia but now when I go to bed I have to contend with trying to find a comfortable position. My back has sometimes troubled me (I think from years ago when I used to be a care assistant), but recently it’s got far worse. It hurts just trying to lie down. Then I end upon the edge of the bed gripping it to stop my back slumping. I basically sleep either on one side or the other or on my back, but each of these is getting much more painful. Then I try and turn, but the pain as I twist is getting off the scale. Get in the doctors? But it’s nigh on impossible to get in and see one while everything covid is going on. So I’m taking mild pain killers and hoping it’s just a phase and it will ease off. Meanwhile, very grumpy today!
Yes, its almost 3.30am. No I can’t sleep. Yes, the neighbours security light keeps flashing on and off….flash.. flash…No, I can’t calm my thoughts, yes, I tried counting sheep. Yes, I just had a warm drink (decaff coffee). Yes, I am tired. No, I do’t know if I should be sticking commas after Yes, and No,. Yes, I WANT to sleep. Yes, his snoring doesnt help! No I can’t count sheep, they get blurry and disappear. No, it doesn’t help having to wear a mask for sleep aponea at night. Yes, I am too hot, but the house is too cold when I get out of bed. Yes I AM looking at a screen, which I know is bad for sleeping! Yes, aches and pains are NOT helping.
Yes, I try relaxation, sometimes it works, not tonight. Whats bugging me? I need to try and sort a friends problems out. No, I can’t tell her I don’t think I can help- I’m her friend. Yes, Covid is worrying me a lot. Yes, I’m very hot and bothered…. No- THIS IS NOT Helping! Oh well, better go back and TRY and SLEEP…
Hello Insomnia, my old friend, you’re keeping me awake again… its 3.40am- again.
Mallaband-Brown 