Serious Zzz's

Coming up soon, it will be ten years since I graduated from high school.

It will also be ten years since one of the longest periods I can remember staying awake. Awake on one day for the evening commencement exercises, followed by the all-night party, followed by a jazz band trip to Six Flags! Easy to stay awake when there are rollercoasters involved. After all day at Six Flags, home just in time to head out to see "Mission: Impossible" in theatres.

About 40 hours, give or take. No human record, for sure, but it is a personal record. Now, even 24 hours can be done without too much effort. It happens sometimes almost by accident, writing a paper over night. Luckily, it doesn't happen often. I think my body would rebel.

Another long stretch of time awake popped into my head. Staying up all night so that I wouldn't miss a cab taking me to Midway airport to catch my 4am flight to Colorado for the Trombone Festival. Then being awake all that next day. Perhaps sleep deprivation and altitude sickness explains some of my behavior during that trip...

Strangely enough, the two events occured almost two years apart, to the day. Odd.