Oh Sleep, why dost thou elude me? Surely you have a sense of justice and entitlement, and really ought not resort to punishing the innocent insomniac. I lie awake, obeying advice not to read, or have music going. There was a sleep expert on the radio some time back who said these habits were bad for being able to fall asleep. This is the third successive night of having trouble falling asleep, and it does get very tedious. And exhausting.
I have to be up early enough to get to my class. There have been two assignments for Italian in the last two days: the first was this morning, and I wrote on the even-enthralling topic of the glories of the quince. We all had a good discussion. I don't think my ratio of correct to incorrrect usage, grammar and vocabulary have improved markedly, alas, and I always have dreadful trouble thinking up a topic.
I have a CD-Rom with an Italian dictionary, which helps, as I have that and the word processing open simultaneously, and it does seem easier than picking up the printed dictionary and flicking through its pages. Suspect things are underlined by the spelling and grammar checker, but it does not pick up everything and we all seem to have problems working out which preposition to use before the infinitive of a verb. One of my old grammar books has a little list, and I can remember some of the rules, like decidere di and continuare a, but possibly the subtleties of language are becoming more rather than less confusing. I could not work out how to say 'set into the floor'.
For this morning's class, which starts in five and a half hours, the class's task was to prepare something special, in our experience, about Venice. My preparation had me going through my numerous books on Italy/Venice, and various photo albums, until I decided to do a piece on Monteverdi's tomb in the basilica of the Frari. Naturally, while I worked I had to listen to the Monteverdi Vespers.
Then I went to bed, a little later than usual, and evidently my mind won't relax and shut up until I arrive at the class in a semi-somnolent state. And probably with a blank mind.
It is now 4.18 am.
I have to be up early enough to get to my class. There have been two assignments for Italian in the last two days: the first was this morning, and I wrote on the even-enthralling topic of the glories of the quince. We all had a good discussion. I don't think my ratio of correct to incorrrect usage, grammar and vocabulary have improved markedly, alas, and I always have dreadful trouble thinking up a topic.
Anyway everyone present at the class loves quinces and so we all had a good time talking about them and discovering more botanical, horticultural vocabulary as well as more about cooking terms. Like the words for poaching or simmering gently until setting point is reached.
I have a CD-Rom with an Italian dictionary, which helps, as I have that and the word processing open simultaneously, and it does seem easier than picking up the printed dictionary and flicking through its pages. Suspect things are underlined by the spelling and grammar checker, but it does not pick up everything and we all seem to have problems working out which preposition to use before the infinitive of a verb. One of my old grammar books has a little list, and I can remember some of the rules, like decidere di and continuare a, but possibly the subtleties of language are becoming more rather than less confusing. I could not work out how to say 'set into the floor'.
For this morning's class, which starts in five and a half hours, the class's task was to prepare something special, in our experience, about Venice. My preparation had me going through my numerous books on Italy/Venice, and various photo albums, until I decided to do a piece on Monteverdi's tomb in the basilica of the Frari. Naturally, while I worked I had to listen to the Monteverdi Vespers.
Then I went to bed, a little later than usual, and evidently my mind won't relax and shut up until I arrive at the class in a semi-somnolent state. And probably with a blank mind.
It is now 4.18 am.
3 comments:
I'm thinking if you'd spent just a little more time thinking about the tomb, and the tomb only, you might have dropped off.
I too am having this problem (she writes at 2.30 Friday morning). My problem, I fear, is mostly cancer drug side effects. Stress busy mind too.
I love checking back to your blog. I must get back to mine!
Take care
I also suffer from insomnia, and will admit that I do get up and read. Or play mindless patience. However my tried and true sleep drug is to set up the ironing board, turn the iron on, and pretend I am going to get on top of the ironing pile. Before I know it my eyes are closing and I scurry back to bed. And, if it should now work, the ironing gets done.
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