Thursday, May 16, 2002. Entry #152

I slept like a brick last night.

Occasions like this should always be noted with some celebration. Having suffered from chronic insomnia most of my life, nights of blissful rest are nowhere near as common as they should be.

I do sleep well most nights. Lisa's a wonderful comfort to me and I sleep much better with her than I do alone. But I still take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour to fall asleep some most nights, and some nights I will toss and turn until morning.

When I was a kid, it would take hours sometimes to fall asleep. My folks would let me stay up late and watch TV until I was tired. Why not? It's either that or make me lie there in the dark alone.

Last night was different. I'm not sure why, but it was.

I went to bed before Lisa came home from work and I was asleep minutes after hitting the pillow. I woke briefly when she came to bed, but zonked out seconds later. I woke a few times during the night (usually when she moved around or when I was too hot or cold), but moments after I settled back in, I was gone.

Is this what it is like for normal people? You put your head down, turn out the light, and that's it until morning? I never knew how good it could be. Sleeping is sometimes a chore, something I have to work at to achieve. And working to fall asleep isn't easy, either. For me it requires enough willpower to convince myself that if I don't sleep at all, I will still be rested in the morning.

It's like the Douglas Adams' method of learning to fly. Throw yourself at the ground, and at the last second be startled by something else so much that you forget you are falling and miss the ground completely.

If I think about falling asleep, I won't. If I think about how I don't need to fall asleep, I will. Nice and neurotic.

I want more nights like last night. "Gee, I wonder how long till I fall aslzzzzzzzzzzzzz..."

Today is opening day for 'Attack of the Clones'. I almost wish I gone to the 12:01 show this morning.

I keep getting this urge to sneak out of the office and head over to a theatre for a matinee.

Must... resist...

Tuesday I got some more good news on the job front.

Frank, my boss, came to me and asked me to grab a notepad and head to our small boardroom. He said he'd meet me there.

As I grabbed my pad and pen, he went back to his office and dawdled there, waiting until I have gone to the boardroom before joining me. It was like he didn't want anyone to see us going there together. Weird.

Here's the gist of what he told me: The have decided on who to hire to fill the vacant Senior Editor slot, but while doing that they've revamped the idea I presented them.

They plan on creating a new position called the 'Web Production Coordinator' and Frank hinted broadly that that person would be me. By hinting broadly, I mean he did everything but actually hand me a contract with my name on it.

One hurdle remains, and that's for me to create a list of job requirements that such a person would have. I'm not sure the real reason for this. Frank said it was to 'ensure that there would be sufficient work for such a position', but I think it's an HR requirement. I suspect that to create a new full-time position, they have to write the requirements in detail to justify the position. By having me write the requirements, they are letting me make sure it matches what I can do.

Excellent.

Frank said I have until Tuesday, as he was going to be gone until then. On the way out of the boardroom he said, "I'm sure I'll be shaking your hand next week," and shook my hand.

Today I spoke to Frank's boss, Mr. Crumb, the VP of our division, who said he's looking forward to having me on with them full-time. Seriously!

This is it! I'm going to be Full-Time Phil! Benefits! Discounts! Paid vacations! Sick days!

Woo hoo!

Maybe this is why I slept so well.

On Survivor: My picks for tonight: Sean, unless he wins immunity. Then it will be V. Just you wait.

Don't forget the finale is Sunday, not next Thursday! Woo hoo!

One Year Ago Today: I was still on hiatus, but in 1975, India annexed the Principality of Sikkim.

Mom Rating: 5 out of 5. Good sleep AND good job news? Mom's be pleased as punch!

Previous: The Return of the Evil Tooth

Next: Happy Clone Day!

Take me home, big fella