Feeling crotchety

I haven't had a full night's rest since Sunday, and it's really starting to affect my performance at work.

The problem is that I'm not sleeping enough, and it's not because I am incapable of getting to bed at a reasonable hour--I'm exhausted by 11:30--it's because my roommate watches TV like it's her full-time job (literally).

I'm one of those people who believes that there are better things to do with her time than seeking entertainment from a glowing box (even though I loooooove Family Guy and House). If I do watch TV, it's usually because I can't find anything better to do. I would rather take a nap or go for a run.

In our little corner of Hewett Hall, the TV is on from 7:30 a.m. until about 2:00 a.m. the next morning, which makes it extremely difficult for me to work, sleep, and reflect (and I can't turn it off or ask her to go into the other room because it will turn into a bigger ordeal than it really is). This means that my clothes get to spend more time in my room than I do.

I found it extremely difficult to focus today because I had only gotten about 3 hours last night, 4 the night before, and 6 the night before that. That, of course, sets me behind in work, which doesn't reflect so well upon me as an employee. It isn't any good because it contradicts my personality--I am not lazy by any means--and it's a real downer knowing that I can do so much better if I could just get a few more hours of sleep.

I asked my roommate once if we could turn off the TV when we go to bed. She fumed, scoffed, tore her sheets off her bed, and stomped out of the room. All I said was, "Is it okay if we turn the TV off when we go to bed?" I never said anything mean or meant harm.

Why does it have to be such a big deal to make such a small compromise? We have three TVs in three of the four rooms in our tiny apartment. The world is not going to explode if we turn the thing off by 11:00 p.m.

Fortunately, work comes to the rescue. I am happiest when I am editing a document or writing an article. It was very soothing to be at work today, but since I haven't slept much this past week, I did hit a brick wall about five minutes before I was supposed to leave.