Night Owl

I've been having trouble with Blogger lately.  It won't let me write a new post in the early morning hours, when I get home from work.  Wonder if they've been doing maintenance or something?  Sure is frustrating. 

For the most part, I love working nights.  I used to be a regular 9-5er, but it never came easily to me.  I went on the night shift as a fill-in type thing when my previous employer had a temporary opening.  I loved it.  There was a bit of an adjustment socially, as I was no longer able to do the once-a-month girls' night at the movies or the occasional (okay, weekly) happy hour.  On the other hand, it sure is nice to be able to hang out at the community pool during the golden days of summer. 

Walker has long worked nights, and in the beginning it was one of the things that made our relationship special. We would meet for breakfast, the only couple enjoying a leisurely meal in a restaurant full of business people snarfing down some oatmeal before rushing to the office.  We could go to matinee movies and have the theatre pretty much to ourselves.  In the spring, before school let out for the summer, we'd visit parks and bike trails and hiking paths and not see another soul.

There's a whole different mind set that goes along with the night shift.  Walker and I understood each other as most others did not.  If I had a buck for every time someone commented to me that it must be nice to have my whole day free, I would be able to retire.  Some folks don't seem to realize that since I work when the rest of the town is sleeping, it stands to reason that I would sleep when the rest of the town is working.  I just love when someone calls me, early, to "check if I'm sleeping".  Um, yeah, I was, before you called, thanks!

But for all that me an the night shift were made for each other, I do get frustrated when, after a long night at work, I can't come home and do the things that "regular" people do.  You know: call a friend, watch "real" TV, balance my checkbook and pay bills online, write blog posts....the TV overnight is mostly infomercials, with a couple of 80's sitcoms thrown in.  I usually have home shopping on for "company", but rarely actually watch.  Many times the websites I visit are down for maintenance, or the cable company is doing maintenance and I can't get online at all.  I used to come home and clean, since Walker works later than I do and I'd have the house to myself, but now Bro and the boys are sleeping.  No more vacuuming at 3am for me.  Which, if you think about it, is not a bad thing.  =)