Fire Burn, and Caldron Bubble

In the 1800s, travelers would write down their observations of foreign lands and upon returning home, the more worldy and wise folk would find a publisher for their thoughts and voila, Alexis DeTocqueville emerges as a philosopher. I wonder what someone who could slide around my glia would say upon their return.

I can imagine this sign at one of my synapses describing the bizarre tidal pattern. There's probably a herd of visitors there right now trying to check things out. Some nerdy Dad with a camera around his neck is dragging his bored little kid through an exhibit about the abnormal synaptic activity.

I've been pondering my brain a bit lately because I've been plagued with the return of my daytime tiredness. I expected it would return and, as my body is apt to do, I've fallen into a frustrating pattern. I'm half-awake and unfocused during the day and just as I lay down to bed, I remain exhausted but my mind launches itself into overdrive.

For example, last night I was thinking about what would happen if a terrorist cell detonated a nuclear bomb on the moon. This, naturally, gave way to a bizarre tale of how I found a nuclear bomb in my office at ASU (gotta love Tempe!) and when I tried to alert the nearest law enforcement official about it, he wouldn't believe me and when I insisted, he threatened to institutionalize me. So I went home, grabbed my pets and headed over to my parents. As I was speeding East, I saw the mushroom cloud in my rearview mirror. Surreal.

Anyway, as I was just about to get incredibly cranky about this whole thing, I stumbled on this study that suggests that "abnormal thalamocortical network function may underlie sleep anomalies and complaints of nonrestorative sleep in depressed patients."

Ha! Now all those 14-hour nights of sleep feel more justafiable.

At least my mood is still decent, although I think the bull is about to trample this matador.

That's the impression that I get.

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