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09/04/2007: Right by Night.

There are times when I seriously just space out and think about how much more success I’d find in life if the accepted “active hours” were reversed and people slept by day amd worked by night.


It’s after 2 AM as I write this. I wouldn’t really call myself an insomniac, because I’d sleep all day tomorrow if I could. But I can’t, because that’s when everyone works. I’ve sent all the e-mails I needed to send and did all the little things I needed to do, but that won’t matter if I’m dead asleep at 10 AM and somebody wants to know why I italicized certain words and didn’t offer the same graces to others.

It occurs to me that I’ve been more or less tweaking my professional life for the past several years not so much to work less, but to allow for the maximum number of times that I can stay up all night and not need to be coherent the next day.

It’s pitch black right now, and there are only three audible noises: The keyboard, the hum of the fish tank filter, and an assload of crickets outside. At least, I’m pretty sure that they’re crickets. Do any other bugs sound like ambient sound effects from old Eurythmics songs? I’m pretty positive that only crickets do.

I know I’m not alone in this peculiar ideal; I just wonder why it is this way. And, if I got what I wanted, would I end up wanting to stay awake all day instead? Is this all just some alien form of anthropophobia? I can joke about hating sunlight and do an Oscar-worthy impression of eleven-year-old Kirsten Dunst’s vampire death scream, but maybe the sun ain’t the problem. Maybe you’re the problem. You, you awake people. Sleep while I move. Let’s switch off.


Posted by Matt. E-mail me!

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Discussion Thread: 123 comments

Damn! How did I miss this blog post considering I was up till 4 AM (Chicago time) last night?

Like many here I am also a classic night-owl. The second that I lack a reason to be up early, such as a job or school, my sleep schedule instantly changes. In a matter of weeks I’ll convert from usually falling asleep between 11PM – 12AM to staying up as late as 4 or 5AM. Of course this ends up being slightly annoying too as I’ll typically sleep until 2 the next afternoon. If I were to get up any earlier, and not allow my body 8 hours of sleep (kind of like today), then I will feel sick. My body just doesn’t function well without sleep. I’ll feel a bit like I have the flu, slightly nauseous all day. Fun stuff.

I always feel a little bad though when I sleep much of the day away. It can sometimes make me feel a little isolated from the other people in my life, even though they are working and I wouldn’t have been around them anyway. If that makes any sense. Even with the guilt I will still partake in my “night-life” as long as I don’t have a reason to be up at 7AM. It is just too much fun. Everything is better after midnight. Everything except fried chicken if you are a mogwai, I guess.

Ghosted by Magic Toy @ 09/04/2007 1:01 PM EDT

i just had a cup of espresso. i’m zooming… at least it’s already 1:00 ! 5 more hours to go!! its better than 10 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ghosted by Andrew @ 09/04/2007 1:07 PM EDT

Oh yeah man, for many many years now, i’ve been a nightowl.I’ve always preferred the night for some reason, maybe because it’s quiter, cooler, i dunno, it just feels better to me.Plus i hate the sun, it’s just too damned bright, and too damn hot in the summer.That’s why i love cloudy days and rainy days, as well.Especially rainy days.

Ghosted by BloodMist @ 09/04/2007 1:07 PM EDT

I’ve been nocturnal as long as I can remember. I definitely get that from my mom. I can remember being sent to bed as a kid and just staring at the ceiling for hours. I still do that. I have found that I hate working nights though. I like to save my best hours for me, and I think part of the appeal of night for me is the freedom of obligation.

My father-in-law pretty much functions on farmer hours and gets smug satisfaction by finding out what time we got up on any given weekend morning and letting us know how much stuff he’d gotten done by then. What he doesn’t seem to understand is that when he crashes into bed at night, we still have 5 or 6 good hours ahead of us. We’re awake just as many hours as he is. Just because the hours are different doesn’t make us lazy. And even though he’s so proud that he gets up at 6, he seems to forget about that nap in the middle of the day he can’t seem to go without. At least when we’re up, we’re up. Ugh. That gets me riled.

I can understand why everyone has to work at the same time though. I worked at a company where the owner tended to spend time with her kids during the day and do most of her work at night (she worked from home), which was a huge problem because I’d need her to deal with something right away, and either I couldn’t reach her, or she was off at some soccer field somewhere and couldn’t deal with it. Sometimes you need everyone accessible at once. By the end of my tenure there, pretty much everyone was working their own hours and it was becoming a real headache. There were only two of us in the building for the entire duration of the business day because we were the only ones who hadn’t made some life change (like having a baby or moving to the country) and demanded special treatment. Hmmm…how do you like that? Guess I’m still a little bitter.

Ghosted by Lori @ 09/04/2007 1:08 PM EDT

Ah! Gotta love caffeine! There have been many a day I wouldn’t have made it without that wonderful stuff!

Ghosted by Dan @ 09/04/2007 1:10 PM EDT

Manimal I need your love tonight! Can I get a gold star? :-)

Eddie Lightning Frog I didn’t think people could be allergic to Ferrets. I thought they were a good stand in for people with cat issues for that reason. That aside, I think you should go for the pygmy opposum so your house doesn’t stink like a Ferret. The more you bathe them the more scent oil their skin produces so the stink just gets stronger despite being descented (removal of anal gland). Plus Ferrets have a sadly short life span and are very prone to cancers. I had 2 at one point so I can speak from experience on this one. My boy was all fat dumb and happy all the time and my female was the spawn of Satan and evil to the core. She hated everyone except my husband and would even bite my pillow when he had her on the bed and she could smell me. It turns out she was actually a succubus in disguise because my boy got sick and the sicker he got the healthier her coat and skin got. She was sucking the life out of him. I miss my little man. Incidentally they were named Sugar (f) and Spice (m).

Ghosted by Cricket @ 09/04/2007 1:27 PM EDT

my friend has a ferret, he puts him on a leash and takes him outside… haha.

Ghosted by Andrew @ 09/04/2007 1:42 PM EDT

I too find that I function more creatively after the sun has gone down. I suppose that has a lot more to do with not being at work than it does with the position of the sun.

I make time for fun/personally rewarding things at night after dinner and grading papers. I think that the association dark = creativity is based on who you’re working for at a given time of day.

If I taught Algegra 1 at 3:00 am, I’d probably love noon because that’s when I could blog about the dice tower I’m in the middle of planning (or whatever.)

Ghosted by penguin_poet @ 09/04/2007 1:46 PM EDT

I also prefer night. Although when I’m off work, I just go to sleep whenever and wake up whenever. Sometimes I sleep a six hours, sometimes I can occasionally sleep twelve. Who cares. When I’m not working, it’s my time to relax. I hate it when people brag about how early they got up. I get plenty of sun at work so when I can, I try to avoid it. I hate the hot weather and bright light.

Ghosted by Scott @ 09/04/2007 1:48 PM EDT

I had two ferrets too but mine were the opposite. Sammy(f) and Simon(m). Sammy was as sweet as could be, she would come up and give you kisses or curl up around your neck and go to sleep. Simon HATED me but loved my wife. He would go under the hide-a-bed couch we had at the time just so he could crawl thru the fram and bite me on the rear! Sadly Sammy passed away and Simon went into mourning so we gave him to another family that had ferrets so he would have company. Now we have guines pigs, much easier to handle and a lot less smelly.

Ghosted by Dan @ 09/04/2007 1:51 PM EDT

Morning just sucks. I’m sorry, but there it is. My parents used to tell me that nothing good happens after 11:00 at night. WRONG! Nothing good happens BEFORE 11:00 in the morning! All of my co-workers know that if they need my help before lunch, they better come bearing coffee or coke. Otherwise they can fully expect to be treated like idiots.
I didn’t realize the Great State Fair of Oklahoma was approaching so quickly. What will they fry this year??? No gimmick that Oreo has put out there comes close to batter-dipped, fried Oreos!!!

Ghosted by Saint @ 09/04/2007 1:53 PM EDT

holy hell, fried oreos? i always wanted to get a fryalator (sp?) and fry like… everything.. but fried oreos? and they’re good?

Ghosted by Andrew @ 09/04/2007 1:55 PM EDT

Right. You are now officially taking cooking advice from a single American male you met on the Internet. God help you all.

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef (greasy chili sucks)
15 oz ranch style beans (1 regular size can)
16 oz tomato sauce (2 small cans)
1/2 bottle Guinness Extra Stout or other dark ale
1 tsp-1/3 cup chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano (if it’s not already in the chili powder…check the label)
1/2 tsp cumin (optional)

Note: This recipe generally comes out slightly thicker than the stuff you get in a can. I’m aware that some people like their chili to be more stew-like, with mostly-liquid sauce, and some prefer it thicker, to the point that a fork is not out of the question. It’s pretty easy to tailor to your needs, but keep those definitions in mind for the “thinner,” “thicker,” and “default” chilis in this recipe.

Instructions:

1. Brown the hamburger meat in a frying pan. For best results, start thawing in the refrigerator the day before. Season lightly with salt and black pepper, then drain. If you’re going for a “thinner” chili, you can probably skip the draining.

2. Put the meat, beans, and tomato sauce in a saucepan over medium heat and mix well. Pour in half the ale while stirring until evenly mixed and drink the other half while you ponder the proper amount of chili to add. After a certain point, adding more chili powder will add more flavor without too much additional heat. I generally go with 1/3 of a cup, but I’m from New Mexico and have generally evolved to meet a different standard of spiciness. If you’re from up north or don’t really like spicy food, you might start with a tablespoon full for your first attempt and adjust up or down from there to suit you. Chuck in any other spices you’re using at this point.

This is the time where you really need to decide how thick you want it. If you want a thinner chili, you can add the whole bottle of ale and up to a cup of water. If you like it thicker, toss in a tablespoon or two of corn meal. Note that it’ll thicken up considerably as you cook it, so don’t get too carried away.

Oh, and I wouldn’t use regular Guinness. I haven’t tried it in the chili, but I’ve made a great many meat pies in my day, and it tends to leave a pronounced and bitter aftertaste. Extra Stout is the way to go, but feel free to experiment.

3. This is where people generally screw up. Chili is a stew. You gotta let it stew. So once you have it all nice and mixed up and it’s bubbling nicely, put a lid on it, crank the heat down to “low,” and leave it. The longer it stews, the more flavorful the end product. On most stoves, the low setting should work just fine, but I had one in my last apartment that would burn the chili unless it was all the way down on “warm.” So stir it periodically to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom, and adjust it if you need to.

4. Serve. Get into a massive argument with everyone else at the table about how you should arrange the layers of cheese, chips, and chili. As all True Believers know, the proper configuration is a layer of Fritos on bottom, a generous stratum of cheese, then the chili, and then a sprinkling of cheese on top. My favorite cheese is a mix of cheddar and mozzarella, for the perfect fusion of flavor and melting characteristics. Should serve about four, but I’ve dealt mainly with college students, so your mileage may vary.

Oh, and I suppose you can put lettuce and diced tomatoes on top of it, but if you do, I really don’t want to hear about it. Infidels.

Ghosted by Jedoc @ 09/04/2007 1:56 PM EDT

They fry everything at the fair. Oreos, Snickers, Twinkies, I even heard they are going to have a “fried latte” this year!

Ghosted by Saint @ 09/04/2007 2:00 PM EDT

Hmm…It looks like there will be a Ghostbusters 3 but this one will be CG. I don’t know what to think about that.

Ghosted by Bill @ 09/04/2007 2:02 PM EDT

Thanks Jedoc! I’ll give that a shot for dinner on Friday. Sounds really good!

Ghosted by Dan @ 09/04/2007 2:03 PM EDT

okay, i’m going to make frito pie. then i’m going to fry it. along with candy bars and anything else.

Ghosted by Andrew @ 09/04/2007 2:12 PM EDT

I’m going to sit on my porch and watch the fire trucks drive by to put out the grease fire at Andrew’s house.

Ghosted by Dan @ 09/04/2007 2:22 PM EDT

Is a malt cup and a ding-dong a good lunch? I can’t tell. I swear, you guys, I’m not 300 lbs.

I would be excited about a new ghostbusters flick, but the cg does make me leery. No getting around it nowdays I suppose.

It would absolutely HAVE to have the original cast though. All of the guys would HAVE to be in it for me to even bother.

Ghosted by MaryJane @ 09/04/2007 2:25 PM EDT

From what I understood all the original cast is supposed to be in the film but Murray is only going to lend his voice to the movie, not appear in person. Not sure excatly how they are gonna work that out but I guess we’ll see.

Ghosted by Dan @ 09/04/2007 2:28 PM EDT

I once read on a website somewhere that nocturnal people served an important and highly respected role in early human communities. While everyone else was asleep, they would tend the fire and watch out for danger. It’s more than a choice or a habit, it’s in your DNA. It has something to do with body temperature peaking at a certain time.

This makes me feel a little better since I’ve been a night person from day one.

Ghosted by GloomyJack @ 09/04/2007 2:31 PM EDT

Maybe he will be a CG ghost.

Today sucks so much it’s getting a hickey.

Ghosted by MaryJane @ 09/04/2007 2:33 PM EDT

I’m fine with just Bill Murray.

Normally I’m also Anti-CGI, but I really don’t see another option (that the mainstream audience would identify with). Ah… the days of blues and green screens living in harmony…

Ghosted by Cotter @ 09/04/2007 2:33 PM EDT

One thing I like about September, besides the State Fair, is cicaidas chirruping like hundreds of tiny, tiny metal guitar solos.

Ghosted by kingklash rockin' out to insects @ 09/04/2007 2:34 PM EDT

Dan- i loled.

i remember watching a king of the hill episode where boomhower and bill fried everything they could get their hands on because after trying a fried bannana (sp?) they wanted more. i do wonder what a fried candy bar tastes like……. i’d fry like everything: turkey, steak, chicken, candy, cookies, chips, fruit, vegetables…. oh my.. hahaha…

Ghosted by Andrew @ 09/04/2007 2:35 PM EDT

Of course, the one person I want is out.

Typical God…

Ghosted by Cotter @ 09/04/2007 2:35 PM EDT

I’ve never tried a fried candy bar or Oreo either Andrew but I’d be willing to give it a shot. I do have to say though that fried turkey is really good!! I do one every year for Thanksgiving. The first year I did it…..set my porch on fire.

Ghosted by Dan @ 09/04/2007 2:39 PM EDT

The first time I had deep-fried turkey, I thought it was going to come out all battered and crispy. I was kind of disappointed when it was pretty much just regular turkey. It’s good though.

Ghosted by MaryJane @ 09/04/2007 2:48 PM EDT

I suppose you could do a battered deep fried turkey. Hmmm…something to try this year.

Ghosted by Dan @ 09/04/2007 2:50 PM EDT

I am the same way, but for me its just a complete and utter loathing of waking up early. I can’t stand it no matter how much sleep I actually get the night before.

Ghosted by Joker @ 09/04/2007 2:51 PM EDT

There is a name for extreme forms of this, and I have it: delayed sleep phase disorder/syndrome. It’s really only a disorder if it adversely effects your life and functioning, and if you want to work a “normal” job, it definitely does. Check out these cool people in Denmark who are starting a movement called “The B Society” for people who want to work non-traditional schedules. They are gaining a lot of steam:

http://www.b-society.org/

Ghosted by Kate @ 09/04/2007 2:53 PM EDT

Mmmmm…Battered, deep fried turkey…dipped in caramel…and hot fudge…dusted with powdered sugar…followed by an immediate angioplasty.

Ghosted by Saint @ 09/04/2007 3:03 PM EDT

Dan- sorry to hear about your porch man, thats absolutely terrible.

i’m gonna have to go out and buy a deep fryer soon…..

Ghosted by Andrew @ 09/04/2007 3:04 PM EDT

No worries Andrew. I live in Colorado so there was snow on the ground to extinguish the fire. It was just funny because you always hear the stories about people doing that and never think it’ll be you. Trust me it happens FAST. If you plan on frying something, I’d advise to put the object in the fryer, then fill it with water, take the object out and mark the side so you know where to fill it with oil.

Ghosted by Dan @ 09/04/2007 3:07 PM EDT

okay, i’ll make a note of that.

what if i fried one of those “baconators” from wendys? … OMG…….

Ghosted by Andrew @ 09/04/2007 3:08 PM EDT

I get so much more done at night! I wish I could sleep like a normal person but I just can’t… especially when I’m reading. See I have this problem where I can’t put down a book once I start it so I sit up all night and throw my sleeping schedule entirely out of whack. Fun huh?

Ghosted by Ladytink_534 @ 09/04/2007 3:08 PM EDT

Saint, if I can pull off a battered deep fried turkey I’ll let you know so you can make an appointment with your Dr. afterwords.

Ghosted by Dan @ 09/04/2007 3:09 PM EDT

Hey. It seems Monday nights are the night I get no or little sleep. I guess it’s just I’m just dreading my 3 day work week.
I’ve pulled all nighters usually playing Madden or another Playstation 2 game. I stay up by either drinking a shitload of Mountain Dew or just drinking plain water. I also notice if I eat I get sleepy. So fasting from food helps me if I wanna stay up.

Ghosted by Superior Maxiumus @ 09/04/2007 3:11 PM EDT

I do all my best writing at night.

Ghosted by CW @ 09/04/2007 3:12 PM EDT

I had a fried Snickers at our state fair a couple of years ago and it was the sweetest, gooeist, delicious thing I’ve ever had. Funnel Cakes are the only thing equally as good.

We had our state fair last month, but I didn’t go. But September and October are the months where a bunch of food festivals start popping up around here, which we love going to. Just saw a commercial for the Latino Cultural Festival this weekend. That means pigging out on tacoes, churros, etc.

Ghosted by JLAJRC @ 09/04/2007 3:28 PM EDT

I’m pretty sure my fiance has DSPS. Poor thing has to take melatonin to be able to sleep at night and has a ridiculously hard time waking up in the AM.

I personally have loved the night for as long as I can remember. I used to go to my grandmama’s and stay up until midnight with her on the weekends.

Honestly, I don’t want to work no stinking nights because that’s when everybody else I know is free to go do stuff! Also, as someone else said, I want the night to be my “me time”.

Right now, I live with my parents and the only time I get to do anything around here is after 10PM. There’s only one TV and somebody is always watching it even though there’s never anything on.

When I actually had a job, the shift I liked working the most was 10-6. Didn’t have to get up too early, didn’t have to be at work too late. 11-7 was okay too.

Ghosted by Annette @ 09/04/2007 3:29 PM EDT

I wish I could work 10-6, but then I’d probably just stay up even later and be useless until 2 or 3 o’clock in the afternoon…it’s a vicious cycle.

Ghosted by Saint @ 09/04/2007 3:38 PM EDT

I, too, am nocturnal. When I was a kid, being sent to bed meant I would watch TV (spoiled only child; I had a TV and VCR in my room) or play with my toys until the wee hours. Even when I’m exhausted, I can’t go to bed until 1 AM at the earliest. My boyfriend thinks I’m crazy when I start cleaning house at midnight, but that’s when I get my energy. Glad to see I’m not alone here.

Ghosted by heeree @ 09/04/2007 3:49 PM EDT

Jedoc: “As a German Catholic, I’m pretty sure I’m contractually obligated to participate in any area Oktoberfest events. If I don’t, I’ll be abducted from my home by a crack team of stein-wielding nuns and forced to get drunk while listening to oompah bands and eating tons of sausage and kraut” Wow, how can I sign up for that?!

Your frito chili pie recipe sounds interesting, sans the beans I might try it out some day. Most likely not, as I’m more of the type who buys a bag of chili cheese fritos, a white onion, a bag of shredded cheddar, and a can of hot dog chili (no beans) and heats the chili on the stove, dices and onion, and mixes away.

Cricket did you try your soda yet? If you have and posted something then I must’ve missed it.

Magic Toy did you figure out how to send the Miis over? I passed out and didn’t notice your message until this morning when I was getting ready for work, and I only read it, but didn’t have time to respond. You can do so through the Mii channel. As far as I understand, it delivers the Mii right to your lineup, if I’m wrong, then I apologize.

Cameron T, I saw your post in the stickers blog and I will add you once I get home this evening.

Ghosted by fistpittingnork @ 09/04/2007 3:52 PM EDT

okay, two more hours to go !

Ghosted by Andrew @ 09/04/2007 4:00 PM EDT

Nothing like the homs stretch huh Andrew? I have to admit, posting with you guys today has made this day fly by. Thanks a lot!

Ghosted by Dan @ 09/04/2007 4:11 PM EDT

Regards the county fair while I was “gone” I went to the local county fair by myself to go see Night Ranger. It was walking distance from here so that was neat. I had beer battered mushrooms, slushy lemonade (which was just a Styrofoam cup with lemonade with lots of ice, very disappointing) and at the end I got a elephant ear which was huge and delicious. And about Night Ranger? They still got it :D

On Oct 6 I am planning on seeing weird al at the fair a town over. There is a temp agency I am getting work through for now hopefully I can do a job or two to get enough money to go. I know that sounds inconsiderate for the people I am living with, but you don’t know the half of the story. Wow I’ve become cranky my time away. Oh well such is life.

Ghosted by Goob @ 09/04/2007 4:16 PM EDT

Ahhh – the final 2 hours of the day and the boss has snuck out early leaving me to do nothing but read X-E on the company’s dime. Not a bad beginning for a holiday shortened week…

Ghosted by Saint @ 09/04/2007 4:24 PM EDT

Click my name for some of the newer deep fried food additions.

Deep fried guac bites sound pretty tasty. There’s deep fried Coke and Pepsi, too. Not listed in bold in that article, but if you read through the first paragraph it explains what it is.

Ghosted by fistpittingnork @ 09/04/2007 4:30 PM EDT

YOU NEED MORE PUMPKIN STICKERS ON YOUR BLOG. I only say this because I really hate that skull looking one…and the sea monster.

Ghosted by ashley @ 09/04/2007 4:37 PM EDT

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