Sleeping on the Couch

I've spent the better part of the summer sleeping on the couch.

Before you jump to conclusions, let me explain.

Early in the summer, I was having a bad time sleeping while lying down. Acid reflux and pain were waking me up constantly during the night. Stacking pillows didn't help as they tend to slide around under you until they slide right out - and bam! Awake again and heading for the antacid.

Finally the diagnosis of severe gallbladder disease and the surgery - which I recovered from on the couch. Incisional pain and the admonition from my surgeon to take it easy (stairs) kept me there for a while.

I got to move back to my own bed after that, but after a while I came down with one illness after another. They kept me up at night coughing or sneezing or feeling nauseous or just awake. I don't know why they seemed to keep rolling over me, these illnesses. Perhaps I just had a lowered immunity due to the surgery. I don't really know, but it sure seems like I've been sick a lot this summer.

For the last two weeks, I've been sleeping on the couch again. Very sore (but not strep) throat, fever, chills, headaches. I actually did NOTHING but sleep for five days. And since then much tossing and turning. I did this to try and keep Darling Man and ZBoy from getting whatever this latest nasty was and allow them to actually sleep.

Then we got the new dog. We didn't know how he'd be with barking or whining - and we sure weren't going to have him in the house to start until we had a handle on the house-breaking situation and the cats were more comfortable. So back to the couch.

Last night, I crawled into the cool sheets on my bed and instantly fell asleep. Only to be patted on the thigh and awakened by DM. "Change your position - you're snoring."

I did and dropped off again. Did any time go by at all before the patting began again? I don't know but it didn't feel like it. "Could you sleep on the couch? You're snoring again."

I dragged myself downstairs and immediately passed out on the couch.

When DM got up this morning and came down to make coffee, I woke up. He was trying to be quiet, but the dogs sensed his wakeful presence and began whining at the door to come in.

He looked at me sheepishly. "I'm sorry, honey. That wasn't your usual restful-sounding snoring last night. That was EMPHATIC snoring."

I guess I still have some congestion, huh?

Yesterday, I was still feeling under the weather. Imagine my lack of surprise to see this:

Dear Sayre,

Here is your horoscope for Monday, September 15:

Try not to do much today -- you've got to take care of yourself first and foremost. You can tell that there's a big shift coming that will favor you, but you've got to ride out this slow patch.

Yeah - I'd go along with that. I felt loopy and tired all day. So imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning feeling more alert and energetic than I've felt in a long time. Something changed overnight and this morning, I felt... different.

Perhaps it was hearing the words "...last weekend of the summer..." on the weather channel (lunar summer and school calendar summer are two totally different things). Perhaps it was the slightly drier air that greeted me when I let the dogs in this morning.

I am NOT a summer person. The heat and humidity make me wilt like spinach in a steamer. So fall is always such a relief. It's still hot and it's still humid, but fall is coming - and the promise of lower humidity and lower temperatures lifts my spirit like nothing else.

My horoscope for today?

Dear Sayre,

Here is your Daily Horoscope for Tuesday, September 16:

You're feeling pretty great right now and ought to be able to launch just about anything that feels right to you. See if you can get your friends to go along, but DIY if you absolutely must.

I'm better.