Most weekends, I have one event to go to. Sometimes it's a concert or some other musical event. Sometimes it's just a meal with a friend. Sometimes it's dinner or something with my family. It's a rare weekend when I have both days completely open, but most of the time that's just fine with me. It's good to have free time, and it's good to have things to look forward to.
This past weekend, I had two events. Friday night, I went with an old friend to see some folks we know play at a local coffeehouse. Before the show, he took me to dinner. The dinner and show was my Christmas present from him - a very nice one indeed. Dinner was at a new restaurant to me, and it was very tasty. After dinner, we headed over to the show, which started at 8 with an opening act. Neither of us particularly liked the opener, but we were looking forward to the trio who would be performing as the main act. One of the guys, the eponymous front man, usually plays with a folk band that has become a national act after years of playing local clubs and bars. His usual bandmates weren't on the bill with him, but rather he was playing with a couple of other folk buddies, including one guy from another band that my friend and I had been seeing for years. It was something he did regularly - every 5 years on his birthday. So with two of the three guys being musicians we enjoyed, we figured the show would be good. And it was, complete with a happy birthday tribute. But it was getting late, and my friend had to get up early, so we left before the encore at about 11 pm. By the time I got home, it was about a half hour later. I read a little before settling down to sleep at a little after midnight.
Saturday night, the rescue with which I volunteer was having an annual fundraiser. The woman who founded the rescue also owns a couple of local restaurants, and the volunteers and others associated with the rescue took over one of those restaurants to eat, drink, and celebrate another year gone by. And to raise some money for the rescue. One of the very active volunteers started the event as a fundraiser for her birthday - instead of giving presents, give to the rescue. A lovely sentiment that had raised quite a bit of money for the rescue each year. The event officially ended at 10, but at 10:30 we were still jawing. And then I stopped by the other restaurant on my way out to get some rescue-related clothing, available only at the other restaurant at the other end of the strip mall. By the time I got to my car, it was again 11 pm. I got home, got ready for bed, and it was almost midnight again.
This was not the norm for me. It had been. In college, I rarely went to bed before midnight. But then again, I arranged it so I never had classes before 10 am if I could help it. And often not before 11 am. And I was younger then. These days, staying up past midnight two days in a row is exhausting.
And it was the second weekend in a row that I had had such late nights. The previous weekend was New Years. My sister-in-law hosted a party on New Years Eve for my brother's birthday, which was later that week, and for the family to celebrate the change of years. The plan had been to have dinner and potentially stay up together till the ball dropped. We didn't make it that late, though. My very pregnant niece and her husband were the first to leave about 10:30 pm. My father and mother made it about another half an hour later. That left me with my brother and his wife, which just seemed like it would be awkward, so I left with my parents. I was pretty tired anyway, so it was probably just as well. I got home a little after 11 and decided that, at that point, I might as well stay up till it was actually midnight. I turned out the light at 12:02.
The next day, New Years Day, some friends were having a holiday party. This particular crowd never runs out of things to say. It was 11 pm before we knew it. I decided that I was beat, having been out late the night before. I headed home, but by the time I got home, got ready for bed, and settled in, it was midnight again. Yawn! The next day, I was exhausted and tried to nap. Unfortunately, I just couldn't quite get comfortable and didn't get the nap in. I was a little appalled that I was so tired, but later that day, my throat started getting sore and I realized that I was getting sick. I thought that explained my tiredness. Though I knew it was also that I'm just not used to being up late anymore. And I'm not as young as I used to be.
I still think of myself as a night owl. I still hate getting out of bed in the morning. But when going to bed at midnight exhausts me so much, I might have to rethink that characterization.
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