Auntie B's Wax

Remember the days when you could survive with little or no sleep?  When staying up until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning didn’t faze you enough to prevent you from taking care of business the next day?  Once I got into my thirties I couldn’t handle the late nights as well.

That’s kind of when my intense longing to retire came about.  I thought to myself, when I retire I can keep any hours I want and not have to go to work the next day! 

I trudged through a couple more decades working the day job, tending to the virtual paper chain I’d created to count down to retirement.  I still had nights when I couldn’t sleep, but they were mostly due to hormones rather than partaking in fun.

Finally, at long last, I was able to retire at a relatively early age and I jumped into it saying, Yay!  Now I can set my own schedule, be awake when I’m awake and sleep when I’m sleepy without having to answer to anyone!

I found out soon enough that answering to someone else wasn’t the problem.  It’s the staying up all night.  I just can’t do it without suffering severe consequences the next day whether I have to answer to someone or not.  I’m not fond of shuffling around the house like a zombie, having no appetite, shaking like a leaf because I’ve been so high-strung for hours and hours.

However, sometimes the ends justify the means.  This is to say that when I’m up all night I get things done.  Quiet things as not to disturb the peacefully sleeping Husby.  That mostly involves my retreating to Craftland armed with loads to do and something plugged into my ears for entertainment.

The clock says 2:45 a.m., but I was actually productive until around 5:00 a.m.

Yeah, it took me a day and a half to recover, but boy did I get some things done, and had loads of fun doing them!  Mostly because I was plugged into Pandora, which played the music I used to listen to when I could stay up all night and not suffer consequences.

So, while Amadeus was rocking me I was having a wonderful time getting things done…and dancing!

Dancing With Myself (Another favorite song and pastime of mine.)

Oh yeah, the stuff I got done?

Lots and lots of candles!

I wouldn’t recommend all-nighters if you can help it, but take advantage of them if they crop up in your life.  There’s plenty of time to act like an old lady/man the next day.  And the day after.