Tired of Being Tired

It is fairly late and I am tired. As much as I love what I'm doing and who I am doing it for, I do grow weary. Lots of late nights (last night I got to bed at 3am) and early mornings (I was up at 8am) have taken its toll. I stay up late to hear from my son, Joel, who is getting off at work at 2am Central Time (midnight here). I wouldn't pass up the opportunity for anything. Talking to him is one of the great joys of my week. Even if we don't talk about anything earth shattering, it is time I get to spend with someone I haven't physically seen in a year. It is all worth it. But, it is one of the many things that have made me tired. Sleeping on the couch with Joanie on the bed in our living room; trying to get my head around Latin this summer; getting prepared to teach a two-week intensive class beginning Monday; preaching on Sundays; doing RA work for one of the professors; taking a weekend trip back to Fresno (4+ hours one way) to perform a wedding ceremony for a friend - all these are joyous problems that I wouldn't trade for anything (OK, maybe I would trade the Latin!) but they do make me tired. I put in about 8-10 hours over the last couple of days doing Latin and about 15-20 hours over the weekend getting a major translation project done for this past Tuesday. All takes its toll.
When I get tired, I get irritable. I snap at just about anything. Yesterday the lawn guys were blowing stuff around the complex and blew all kinds of dirt through the window. I shut the door and voiced my frustration. I've snapped at Joanie (nothing too major but enough for her to know that I am tired). It's at this point that I get tired of being tired. So, it's time to go to bed and get a good nights sleep. I may turn on the air conditioning and crawl under the covers and worry about tomorrow, well, tomorrow. Tonight I think I will just get some sleep and try and get renewed. Things will not slow down for me until I slow them down - at least enough to get back on track. So, if you are irritable, get some rest. If the baby is keeping you up, catch up as best you can. If the dog is barking, put some cotton in your ears and turn on some music. If you're that sleepy, go to church on Sunday. I've seen plenty of folks catch up on their sleep during a sermon. Goodnight. I'm going to bed.