I Wanna Be Sedated....or maybe I already am...

I was driving home from the Seattle Sleep Disorders Clinic tonight and suddenly was overcome with the desire to hear I Wanna Be Sedated. I switched radio stations at least 500 times while dangerously leaning over in a drunk-sleeping tilted sort of way to continue the search. But alas, it did not happen. The closest I got was Paradise City by Guns n Roses about a block from home. I would have been happier with Welcome to the Jungle, but it was good enough.



Why, you ask, was I coming home from the sleep center BEFORE I got to sleep? Well, there's a really good explanation for that. I blame it on Deryck Fritz. You see, my sister Cathy has been SCREAMING at me online, every post I made, to write a book. She eventually shortened it to BOOK!. And yet, I felt the negative response. Other people have expressed great joy in my twisted mind and oddball adventures in life. Yet still, I did not want to write. Frankly, I still don't. Not for me. But today Deryck, a college friend, sucker punched me big time. He said that if I couldn't write for my own dreams, that I needed to write for my friend's dreams. How unfair is that!!!!! VERY. But he knew exactly how to guilt me into picking up my blog writing and thinking about the future.



College held perhaps the most productive and hilarious years of my life. I discovered that I could have friends who truly enjoyed my "interesting person" magnet and my ability to wander into every odd corner imaginable. I realized - thanks to the demands of my department Chair, that I have plenty of talent and no true selfish desire to use it. I went to college in New York City, and it was the finest place on Earth for me. No frats (I am sorry, you are not a fraternity if you do not have a house in my book - just my book, you can have your own book so get over it). There was one dormitory with 400 kids and many were from other countries. Having adopted the Puerto Rican lifestyle when my stepfather taught me the true meaning of joy (FOOD), I spent many hours sneaking up on students in the kitchen (yes, in NYC you get to cook your own food, or we did at the time!) and learning about that particular person's food. It was so entertaining and interesting, and I always got a few bones thrown my way to eat! Sometimes LOTS of them! I beleive the only negative attitude I might have shown was when a cockroach appeared in my life. I would immediately scream throughout the dorms, "WHO IS FROM THE BRONX?" and someone would run out and say "ME!" and I would hand them a newspaper and ask them to go kill the roach. You know what? They ALWAYS killed it (even if they whacked me with the newspaper first). I love the Bronx. And I love anyone who grew up there!



So, back to whatever the heck I was talking about. Hmmm...Bronx, cockroaches, food, college! I was talking about college. I entered Pace thinking I could never survive one semester there, and I probably didn't realize how wrong I was until I graduated. Each semester, after finishing all my exams and handing in all my papers ON TIME (a first for me, teachers in HS always let me hand them in up to a month late), I would go out to the local deli with Brenda (my roommate for those who don't know) and get two big big cans of Foster's beer. Then we would drink them through a straw. That's two each, not one. Small Foster's cans never taste as good as the big ones. It was a quiet celebration and recognition of another freaking awesome few months.



So, needless to say, Deryck, who travels all over the world for the UN to help other people have fair democratic elections, skewered me with wanting me to at least give it a go for the troops from Pace. How cruel of him. He somehow knows that my life blossomed due to the entire experience at Pace. And he knows I owe Pace, NYC, and my long list of friends from college at least a true effort.



I told Deryck that I would think about all this tonight at the sleep center. And I got my little bag packed, with a snack and caffeine free diet coke, a good book, jammies and a bottle of water. I drove up to Seattle and got there early, so I decided to sit in the empty sleep clinic. Sitting there, enjoying that I was going to have a night of reading with no interuptions and no thoughts of writing, a guy came in and asked me if I was there for the sleep clinic. I said yes, although I pointed out I was 30 minutes early and he could wait to check me in. This guy was super smart. He asked my name, I gave it to him. And he said he did not have me listed for that night.



So.....instead of freaking out, I went up to the counter, reluctantly put away my book, and got out my papers. I said, "OH, you're right. I am supposed to be here in 2 weeks!" He was so happy. And I drove home. It occured to me that somehow this was not working to my advantage. I gave up my narcolepsy meds for 2 weeks, thus driving my poor sweet husband insane, and now I will have to go another 2 weeks. Then I thought about not reading my book and figured it was a sign that I need to at the very least start my blog again.



So here it is. From your buddy who at times is so intelligent, and at times is the Village Idiot. But either way, I am having a ball!