Can't Sleep
It's 2:15 am, Saturday, and while I realize that there are lots of people out partying right now, I'm not one of them. I'm at my dad's place trying to enjoy a little bed-sharing with my beautiful girlfriend. We don't get to spend the night together often, so when we do, it's special. Lying in bed, trying to fall asleep, the only thing I'm able to do is concentrate on the party above us. Hip-Hop/Rap music blaring, voices yelling to be heard over the loud music, repeated bathroom activity and water running. I can deal with downtown noise, but when I can make out the words of the person above me's music, it's too much. I toss, and turn, and at 1am I decide I've had enough. I'm not about to confront a group of partiers, I don't have the nerve, and I doubt it would help...I prefer the indirect approach over a confrontational one. In "Enter The Dragon" Bruce Lee's character stated his style was the style of "Fighting Without Fighting" and proceeded to lure his enemy into boarding the small boat. He then untied the boat and set it adrift. That is my style too. With no boats to lure the party onto, I proceeded to the electrical room, opened the lock with my Swiss Army Knife (Only added that in as a MacGyver boast) and shut off their power. I did it partly because I'd had enough of their selfishness, partly because my usual way of handling conflicts is to do nothing, and partially because I wanted to be a hero for my sleeping beauty. Well, it didn't really work. I guess my imagination had everyone leaving, disappointed that there was no music, no lights, and the beer would soon be warming, but the reality was that the party continued, quieter, but still present. And then I still couldn't sleep. I was worried. What if someone saw me through a peep-hole? What if they correctly ascertained that it was the apartment below them on the same floor as the electrical closet? There was now a mob of angry, drunk, rap 'music' listeners who were very angry at me. I felt like I was in elementary school again, having just done something bad, certain that someone had told on me, and the supervision aid was looking for me... I could hide out all lunch-hour, but then as soon as I had to go back to class I was a sitting duck. How long would this worry and stress continue? Would it affect my erection in the morning? While contemplating turning their power back on (if I was caught, I could say that mine was off too and I was investigating) I did the only sensible thing a sensible guy in my situation would do: I went poo. When the noise from the flush diminished, the hip-hop returned. Someone had figured out how to turn their power back on. Some of my silly worry has subsided, but I still can't sleep, so I type. And now I'm hungry. My beautiful girlfriend lies in bed and sleeps, and I feel that I'm wasting precious sleep-together time. I wonder what there is to eat.