Hibernation

"Huzzah!" to the bear!

After sleeping for 19 of the past 24 hours, I admire the bear's ability to move, let alone leave the cave and lumber down to the berry store. Nature is the man! Unlike me, the typical bear doesn't have a remote so he can switch on Morning Edition to ease into his wakefulness. For those of you wondering, NO, I don't typically sleep like this. But I've turned to the wisdom of the self-help book and it told me to.

The book reassured me that it was normal to be tired during times of emotional stress. The book also said that it was okay to sleep as much as I need to. The book made sense. Since I have psychic boo-boos a-plenty, sleep should equal healing. A couple of weeks of interviews, cat sitting, thievery, chatting with the ex and all forms of brain-usin' have exhausted me. So, sleep, my beauty!

The same book suggested that I mix in some physical activity to balance out the sloth. So I did a bunch of sit-ups this evening which made my neck crack. I will never figure out how the neck bone connects to the gut bone, but it does. One of my favorite things is to feel the ridges of my abdominal muscles that I'll never see again. They are in there, doing their thing, under a gentle field of fat. See, just like the bear, I have tucked in some extra grub to tide me over.

Of course, I can't say whether I need all this sleep. Could be that I'm making some diet and exercise mistakes. Whether it's a mistake or not, I find solace in the idea that I participate in natural processes. Perhaps not as magnificent as migration or volcanic eruption, but just as necessary.

I don't know what the bear gets out of this deal. More vacation time than a Frenchman? Sacre Bleu! What do I get out of this sleep indulgence? At the very least, a more relaxed me on my way to Victrola for a great cup of coffee in between my dreams. "Huzzah" is right.