17 Feb 2010

R: Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Riis operates on a pretty low-tech network that tends to screw everyone when any part of it goes down. The internet, phone and agency's network drives are all connected so when the internet failed us today, we all lost access to our files and pretty much had to resort to organizing hard files and staring blankly at our useless computer screens. I decided to set all the records on minesweeper.

Work being more or less a bust, some of my co-workers decided to head back into Manhattan for a long lunch. We went to a diner called Burger Heaven, which had pretty sub-par food. The fries were soggy and the burgers don't come with any fixins - lettuce, tomato and onion cost extra - so while it was nice not to resort to Easy Mac or frozen pizza again, it was kind of a wasted trip. The neon lights say More Food, but I say no thank you.

C: I have been taking Melatonin supplements for the last week and a half, with varying results. The stress of school decisions and future planning had gotten the best of me, and I was having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. I have always been prone to insomnia, given the trend of night owls and general anxiety in my family (specifically seen among the women). My penchant for highly competitive activities (including school choices) probably has not helped over the years, and it certainly is something to keep in mind when I make my final decisions for grad programs.

The first few nights I took one pill and definitely fell asleep more easily, but was still waking up early, before 5AM. I also was having crazy dreams involving vampire bats, stolen babies, and people that I haven't seen in years. Sunday night, I took a second pill and was off to dreamland almost as soon as my head hit the pillow, sleeping well into the late morning hours. I forgot to take anything last night, only remembering this morning after a night of restlessness and no longer than 3 hours of continuous sleep. I will keep this up for a couple weeks to see if it is actually working.