Cooooome - fill - your - glasses - up -
To Williams! to Williams! to Willlliams!
Cooooome - fill - a - loving - cup -
To Williams! to Williams! to Willlliams!
We...will rally on Pratt Field -
We will make our rivals yield...
Viiiiict'ry - shall - crown - the - shield -
Of Williams! of Williams! of Willlliams!
---------------------------------------
Definitely one of the best games ever. We paid them back for last year.
Amherst: 0
Williams: 1
Alright, next update on my recent sleep escapades (with all the hours I'm saving, I can actually say that remotely seriously :{P ).
In my last update, I had overslept one of my naps. Following that, I got back onto the schedule alright. I ended up off-setting the sleep schedule by half an hour or so to celebrate Emily's birthday, but nothing ridiculous. If my body does adapt to this schedule, I'll have roughly an hour wiggle room so I should probably get used to not always falling asleep directly on time.
Having to take my nap at 11:30, now most of Williams Catholic is certain that I'm crazy (though I appreciate their loving concern). Granted, as my first somewhat sarcastic post might've revealed, I'm not certain myself this will work.
But, like I said, I've developed a habit since Senior year of high school of just trying things, so long as there's a remote possibility of success, and worrying about the consequences once they occur (I'm pretty sure that's a regression in terms of decision-making but since I've noticed this trend in me I've always wondered if I even did grow out of the phase of learning only from the consequences of your actions *shrug*).
So, maybe this whole thing is crazy and unhealthy and won't work. All things considered, it's only the latter that's really regrettable. I don't think I've monitored what enters my body...well, ever and, as I said before, I'm quite content in my sugar addiction. Sleep deprivation is nothing new to me, so no real new points there. Plus I've always been more goal oriented than long-term oriented ("Who cares if I'm utterly exhausted?? I finished, didn't I?"). So, from that perspective - you only live once, right? Such sound advice is what I tell myself too.
Anyway, these are all side tidbits. My sleeping was doing well. Between the 8 and 12 hour nap I was downright exhausted. And here's where things got derailed. Like before, I overslept (and, again, like before, my body woke me up in almost exactly 2 hours). This also had the added bonus of having me sleep through lab (though I technically made the 2:30 one, apparently Duane has stopped teaching the lab again from that time period so I just read over the procedure and headed back to my dorm).
I'm not so worried about that this time in part because I've (unwisely) managed the past three weekends doing absolutely no work (other than last minute scrambling, there was actually very little difference than a normal weekend of work - that still disturbs me) and, with my new sleep schedule, I'll be able to have plenty of time to just focus on my coding before going to a TA for help.
The extra 9-10 hours I've gained from switching to this schedule has made the past 2 days remotely possible. There was no way I'd finish my two labs if I was on a monophasic sleep schedule. I'd like to think that such an expansive amount of time will allow for me to not be capable of possibly procrastinating that long (thus allowing me to do my work), but I know my body's love to adapt when it comes to procrastination.
Anyway, back to the actual details of this sleep. So, for my 12 P. M. nap, I overslept. This is problematic because my oversleeping so far seems to happen at my most tired states - states that should be utterly ripe for my body to immediately jump to REM. Constantly sleeping past these is probably stopping my body from making the proper adjustment.
On the other hand, I've been playing with the idea of, if this sleep schedule doesn't work, switching to sleep schedule focused around 2 hour sleep periods (since my body seems really invested in that time frame these days). I won't gain back nearly as many hours, I think (I haven't planned any actual schedule out yet so this is guess-work), but it might be an idea to play with. I mean, considering I seriously have a problem with getting sane numbers of sleep, this might be a wiser decision since any reduction in sleeping hours would be better than none. It would allow for enough time, in theory, for my body to switch into the REM sleep I need since my big problem with the 20 minute naps (thus far) is that I'm just not getting REM (or even falling asleep in time for my alarm).
In any case, that's where I'm at right now. I'm going to hunker down and try to keep better to my sleep schedule. That part that irritates me is that that crucial moment probably won't come again until roughly four naps in (so, for my upcoming 6 A. M. nap). I can be impatient and I hate waiting. This is part of why I plan schedules that try to optimize my time all the time (and then get utterly frustrated when they inevitably go wrong due to random unforeseen events throughout the day). These two set-backs are irritating. Granted my next midterm isn't until 2 weeks, so I have time, but still.
The other area I'm wondering about is how to handle my usual methods of staying up or getting energy. I've managed to cut caffeine out nearly entirely during these past 3 days. Sugar I've been less monitoring about, though I haven't actually sought out sugar as a means to stay awake. In the "article" (I know it's not, it's a blog post, but I didn't actually pay enough attention to the site when I first went to it to notice whether it was a blog or not, and I'm more concerned with you all understanding what I mean that what it's called, in the grand scheme of things, seeing as this really is just a personal (and, therefore, informal) journal rather than any sort of formal publication) I showed you all on the first post, the author says he avoided eating before naps since the (possible) digestion made it harder to sleep. I've been doing that. But I don't know what to do about those other habits that keep me up. I mean, I have to make it to each of my assigned naps and not fall asleep before that but, on the other hand, this process works by jumping to REM from exhaustion, so I don't want to assuage my sleepiness before a nap.
In any case, I thinks that's all the updates I have. This will be...a long weekend. Work (school and workstudy), yet Halloween...balanced between polyphasic sleeping. Heh, I remember coining a phrase that seems to fit these past days quite well: "Why be normal when you can be ridiculous " I won't be able to say my life boring come my end, I can say that at least.
It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that sleep is not exactly my friend. When I get it, it's generally in 12 to 14 hour intervals (regardless of whether I want to be asleep that long) or not at all (I'd never know the morning hours otherwise).
So, in my decision to pull an all-nighter for absolutely no reason (it just felt right...?), several The Arc songs (yes, play me your melodic symphonies!) and more work on my short story later, I decide to look up more on polyphasic sleeping since a friend had mentioned it to me yesterday.
You can see this article here: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2007/03/polyphasic-sleep-one-year-later/. Don't worry, it's a summation of the experience a year after - because, as a product of the generation that grew up with Google, reading anything (outside of free time) that doesn't simply summarize the answer and information just isn't worth my time. Seriously, summarize, people. It makes life so much easier for the rest of us.
Anyway, the basic idea is this. The polyphasic sleep cycle that the writer of the "article" above used was a simple 20 minute nap routine. Simply do this every 4 hour interval throughout a day. This, in total, equals 2 hours per day.
Why might I do this, you might ask.
Because I ceased thinking about the consequences of anything during Senior year, that's why. Though, on a (remotely) more serious level, there are too many hours of the day I put to waste. Personally, I hate to sleep any of it away. Except maybe the afternoon, but of course that's when everyone's active so I have to do that, now don't I?
So, reducing my sleep to only 2 hours per day sounds splendid. The benefits sound pretty nice as well. Personally, the only benefit I need is long-term sustainability.
Considering that I pulled an all-nighter, I figure I'm in the perfect state to activate REM sleep quickly (not to mention just fall asleep quickly on the fly). The transition should, thus, be more smooth, thus enabling me to test whether this method is suitable for longer periods of time.
My first nap was at 7:30 this morning. My next will start roughly at 12 (I get out of class at 11:50).
Wish me luck.
I want to apologize right now if you guys are updating and I'm not commenting. School has been entirely time consuming and so I can't check updates, for fear of getting distracted and procrastinating (more so than I already do, in any case...). I'm terribly sorry for not keeping up with you guys. I hope you're all well, and continue to stay well. I'll try to sneak Xanga in when next I can.
I saw this and couldn't help but laugh:
The first "meeting" (if you can call informally meeting in a dining hall over dinner with whoever happened to show up (in total five people) a meeting) for Williams Secular Community went well. I'm looking forward to this year. The innitial excitement of the group forming only a year and a half ago has worn off (this will be its second and a half year) and we're now in the "can it remain relevant and not fizzle out as we all eventually graduate?" phase. I'd hope not; WSC currently is the only non-religious representation on campus and, to include those who are religious, the only secular-dedicated group on campus. It is needed.
**The tales contained herein are recalled in a most frivolous nature, taking delight to a point of frivolous self-consciousness (one might say). All events are true, though their details and perspective are confirmed at only the most subjective level, I might suppose.
In order to impose on the cavern walls of ancient time and memory these limited events of delectation, I take upon myself now the work of transcribing the events which Williams Secular Community engaged upon at Stone Hill so they will not leave my brain so shortly after the event occurred. During the course of the regular hours for college students, many laughs were had along with a bonding transcending the inner connections of the average student club or even that of common friendship so that many joyful, Godless times were had (as well as uncoördinated, multi-tempo, and off-key singing with no abandon to the night sky).
Having conceived of nature-involved events for the WSC (Williams Secular Community) in order to more appreciate nature and foster more community sometime last year, the WSC called out for recruitment to a camping trip upon Stone Hill. A fire, s'mores, and singing (regardless if anyone could find a guitar) was to take place. How could any refuse?
Taking up the call, Greg, April, Nick, Jonathan (myself), Margaret, Antal, and Kim decided to venture forth into this night in the wilderness (or the mostly treeless, pasture-like area just outside the wilderness; it's really exactly the same thing, when you think about it).
Meeting in Baxter Hall to gather forces, the group convened, decked with sleeping bags/pads, a pillow, tarps, and the joys of chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows. From there, they headed out on their journey.
Missing one of their members (he purported to be sick, a dubious claim that the group just could not accept), they descended upon the stony buildings of Greylock Quad to make plea to his better sources of reason. However, they found his room apparently vacant (or he was hiding and pretending to be gone) so the group graciously signed with their signatures to the sign on his door for a non-pressuring ultimatum that he must join the festivities (except for the apparent confusion of Kim, who wrote "Yeah, idk...").
It was then to Stone Hill!
The group made their way to their destination, engaging in the casual chitchat of a most prestigious nature (delighting in personal tales recounting the glory of surviving sleep deprivation and the successful victory in the foray of a written paper, current events on campus, opinions about certain art courses and the way that art majors and non-majors function in that, just how willing the drivers of the area were willing to obey the law that cars must stop for pedestrians that late at night, as well as returning to the ever familiar computer science (which actually occurred at an all-time low for the group, during that walk)).
As they reached the hill, the talking dwindled as they made their ascent (I imagine the suddenly very audible and measured breathing might be some indication to a reason why, but I wouldn't personally begin to know).
And then, at least, they had reached it! Quite excited, the group staked out the place to make a fire and began searching for wood to burn. At this point, the continued references to personal sticks and wood only got light chuckles from portions of the group at sporadic times.
Having gathered their firewood, Nick took great care to assemble the sticks into the shape of a circular pyramid. Soon, a wonderful fire had been started and the marshmallows were broken out. Naturally, a discussion arose (it's the nature of the group, really) about how much to cook marshmallows. The range consisted from lightly browned to Kim who seemed to enjoy the clearly audible crunching noise that was made when a bite was made into the marshmallow.
As this treat of the gods (that most of the group doesn't believe in) was devoured, it was discovered that Symphony Hershey bars were also present, which a member of the group informed could only properly be described as "really gourmet shit". It was then decided that the group must one day approach the dining services in Paresky during a mealtime and let them know that the current menu options were not up to par and so could they up the ante and bring out their gourmet shit.
At this time, or somewhat a bit before, Kim informed the group that she must then take this moment to leave. Greatly saddened, the group bid her farewell.
Then after, the neighboring group decided to go streaking. This valiant attempt was rendered moot due to the fact that the night made seeing anything beyond the fire virtually impossible. One of the streakers, however, was kind enough to take this into consideration and decided to leap over the flame of the fire whilst being naked. As they rescinded back to their camp, Nick said goodbye to one of the people he recognized.
By this time (whether this was aided by the appearance of the streakers is up for question), the number of wood and stick references had increased with prolonged laughing, taking not of which woods were still or wet. Finally, perilously breaking the silence, Margaret jumped to the heart of the matter and uttered the word penis for the rest of the group.
Directly talking about the issue now liberated to onto the table, the group (nostalgic as ever) decided to partake in the penis game. Bringing joy and mirth (with a very brief wonder as to what the other two groups might be thinking of the members' past times), the fire had (sadly) begun to dwindle.
Thus began the continued task throughout the night to keep the fire burning despite its suicidal wishes.
Having had their fun of s'mores, the group decided it really needed to sing. However, there were no musical instruments of any kind, other than their beautiful and angelic voices. Well, acoustic guitars be damned, they were going to do it.
Accurately describing their generation, they kicked it off with "The Campfire Song Song" and then "The F. U. N. Song". This quickly became a need for singing the Pokémon theme song (the original, of course) in loud, impassioned, and monolithic voices, a feat they only closely replicated again with Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl".
This quickly descended into a slew of songs that were sung, not all of which were coherent. Necessary ones included "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey, "Piano Man" by Billy Joel, the chorus of "Living On a Prayer" by Bon Jovi, and "Teenage Wasteland" by The Who.
Just due to its fitting nature, "Losing My Religion" by R. E. M. was also played. A quick pole of the group quickly found that many there hadn't lost religion, seeing as they didn't have it originally to begin with. Mistakenly, I was included in that group to which I corrected, saying, "I had, for a time," to which Greg responded, "Well, we're working on that," (one of my favorite lines of the night, I must say).
Greg also officially made himself my hero for life by suggesting we sing Bruce Springsteen. Few others knew the words, I think, but I enjoyed the chance to confidently belt a song in a group for once.
Also, at some point the idea was brought up to gangster rap "The F. U. N. Song" – how or why is beyond me, though.
Having rejoiced greatly thus far in group singing at the expense of sleeping groups and woodland creatures, the group put on a song that inspired them to sway together as a group. This evolved into an idea for a group hug and April was involuntarily thrust into the middle of a giant group bear hug.
After tiring the vocal cords, the group resolved to just listen to the music, dancing together (best dance party on campus, you know) and rocking out. This inspired Margaret to spin, which the rest of the group promptly joined. Dizzy and feeling like kids again (because all the other previous activities just didn't quite solidly do that yet), they decided to spin in pairs. Once again with group ideas, they attempted to spin as a group, holding hands; this bad idea one just has to do anyway for the sake of experience provoked laughing and giggling exclamations of strain as the circle hung on to each other's hands to prevent falling apart.
Having fallen on top of each other, the next idea was born – lying on one another's stomachs in a circle. Having accomplished this feat, the group laid there on top of each other staring up at the stars while listening to The Beatles.
After an hour and a half of thoroughly breaking down physical boundaries amongst the group, they resolved that maybe sleep might be a somewhat wise decision (despite the opinion of the ever nocturnal Antal).
Taking to the sleeping bags, they decided to once again get in a circular formation and lie on one another's bellies. However, as exhaustion finally (at 4 or 5 something in the morning) came upon them, they realized it wouldn't work quite so well. So they gathered around the pillow that I had brought and communally shared it (the looking-into-eventually-starting-your-own-private-commune for the group will be started tomorrow).
As the morning came, they sighed contently with their experience as they prepared to finally descend Stone Hill.
And with that, I must leave you all – Comp. Sci. BBQ is calling me.
So, the baptism was fantastic.
I ended up finding out right before rehersal as alter server that I had no time to set up later for work, so I had to run to the music building and set up the chairs and stands for Symphonic Winds practice tonight. However, I managed it in roughly 25 minutes and made it back.
The alter servers all got last minute preping in the back as we got ready to go out. We pulled out five of us for the occassion, all regulars (in terms of serving).
There was also three people getting their confirmation (including the one getting baptised). It was really just awesome. We were all kind of emotional the entire time.
However, pressed as I was (Sunday's always are my busiest days, sadly), I couldn't stay for the dinner and had to run off immediately afterwards.
Oh well. Back to some last minute homework, before turning in for the night.
I'm actually on top of my homework this weekend. I've had to keep my nose to the grindstone since Friday (thereby disallowing me to give anything else attention, for the most part), but I'm on a proper schedule. I don't think I've done that since the semester started.
The reason I've been so down and aloof this whole past month (sorry Xanga!) was because I was just bombing my classes and had no idea how to do better. And I'm someone who needs control (I'm pretty sure I've talked about that in some past entry). I need a plan, I need to know what's going on - things don't go well otherwise (such as borderline panic attacks during midterm week).
Aaaannnnnndddddd, to make things even better, one of the girls who joined Williams Catholic at the beginning of the year is getter baptized tomorrow. As I remember it (with my shaky memory), her parents aren't the most religious or fell out of the faith, so she's pretty much rediscovering it for herself and coming back by her choice.
Now, she's having her baptism, confirmation, and the eucharist all tomorrow and all of the alter servers are going to be there to help plan and facilitate it.
Also, in celebration for this, we had a party today at 10:30 (only break I've taken from my homework, so that was an added bonus).
It was fantastic to just hang out with Williams Catholic again. I've missed two Masses due to my stress and work and I had to miss serving for one of them (and alter serving is one of those things I absolutely love doing). They're a great group, and it was great to congratulate our new "convert" (as we've jokingly refered to her as).
So, all of this is just great. It's gonna be a good weekend (haven't had one of those in a while...).
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