Dispelling a myth

[ellenmillion]

Myth 1.

Ellen doesn't sleep.



I think that when people picture me with my projects, they have this image of a squirrel, up late, sucking down cups of coffee and bouncing out of bed after just a few hours of napping, sort of hyper and chattery.

This is SO not me.

I don't like squirrels. They are my nemesis. They have eaten all of my birdfeeders, chewed up more than one important item, and pooped on my stuff. They are furry little terrors and I have taken more than one down with a slingshot. Also, they are masters at looking unbelievably cute until you point a camera at them.

I do drink coffee, but not generally after noon.

I sleep at least 8 hours every day. Like clockwork. My gaming buddies make fun of me for being the first to bag out every night, but man, I gotta be in bed about 10 or I'm just USELESS. Maybe I'm a weenie, and not nearly the tough gal I make myself out to be, but I gotta get my sleep. Sleep comes first. Everything in my life is scheduled around sleep. I'm unbelievably grumpy is I lose out on sleep, and a grumpy Ellen is not a pretty sight. I do sleep in sometimes, so I guess I'm not entirely a creature of the clock, but I gotta have my sleep to function at full capacity. I've tried all-nighters and late-nighters before, but the quality of the output is such crap, I should never bother.

I don't have more hours in the day than anyone else! I guarantee you that now that I've ditched the day job, I work FAR less than any given mother. At 5 or 6 - maybe 7 on an extremely busy day - I shut my computer down, boot any troubles of the day out of my head, and unwind with my husband. Evenings are sheer bliss. I rarely even draw - just have a glass of wine, do the dishes, talk about my day, gripe about whatever's worth griping about, make dinner with Jake (he does most of it - but I can chop stuff!), eat, watch a DVD, maybe build on the house...

I love my live. *blissful sigh*

But I digress - my point is - you don't NEED to give up sleep to get stuff done. You just do it. When I start working, I generally power through like a football player - but when the whistle blows, I'm done!

Also, I'm quiet. I chatter FAR more here than I ever would outloud, as anyone who's met me will attest. I'm so quiet Jennie has to make little chittering noises to fill up all the empty space I leave. :P

(Who's really the squirrel?)

I don't know what animal I would be - I have trouble with that one.

Comments

[frigg.livejournal.com]

Well, this is scary. Not because you actually do sleep, but how do you manage to do all the things you do within so little time? Are you the human energizer bunny? I've been working 14 hours today and have very little to show for it.

[redkite7.livejournal.com]

I have it on good authority that Jennie is really a cat. A somewhat spazzy cat =D but a cat nonetheless. *points at Ryan*

-Red, aka Raeliyah, aka Sam, the chick with the really tall then-fiance you met in CO =D

[jenelycam.livejournal.com]

I admire even more now that you posted this!! Your life is so...so...balanced!! relax time, plenty of sleep (though I require 10 hours of sleep to function coherently the next day ;P), and works like a maniac, and ACCOMPLISHES things!!!

[celticwren.livejournal.com]

"I don't like squirrels. They are my nemesis."

*laughs* But you have that cute squirrel icon! I think that angry squirrels ( in pictures, like the rabbit in Monty Pythons Holy Grail..."Sharp, pointy teeth!") are so funny.

Sleep: It's strange, one night I can get 8 hours of sleep and still be tired, and another time I can only get 5 1/2 hours and be really awake in the morning. My version of really awake is either waking up before the alarm and getting up, or not hitting the snooze button three times.

If I was on the computer less I would probably get more stuff done. <:) " Coffee: It needs tons of sugar and creamer before I even look at it. "You want some coffee with that?" I have only had...maybe four cups in my life time? I like coffee icecream better. <:) "Also, I'm quiet. I chatter FAR more here than I ever would outloud, as anyone who's met me will attest. " *Jenny and Ellen meet...crickets chirp* *LOL* I am better than I used to be, after being in retail for three and a half years you tend to get a bit more talkative, or you just have to talk more...

[hippiechic567.livejournal.com]

Hehee....yes, I can attest to the fact that you do turn in early! You and Jennie (or me and Thomas) did not do the late-night party thing at Dragon Con! You are pretty quiet and poor Jennie has to make up for it! ;)I do admire your motivation and ability to get so much done though.

[wildoaksart.livejournal.com]

But I digress - my point is - you don't NEED to give up sleep to get stuff done. You just do it.
-------------------------------------------------------------
I get tons of stuff done everyday and manage time better than the average bear, but my problem is, I want double the life space to accomplish twice as much....hehe. Overambitiousitis. So far the only thing that's working is giving up sleep cuz that's all the useable time I have left. But I power-nap really, really well!;)Zzzzzzzzzzz.....

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

a grumpy Ellen is not a pretty sight

Having known you for fifteen years, I dispute this remark. In my experience a grumpy Ellen is pretty mild. And prone to apologizing for being grumpy. :)

[dewgeist.livejournal.com]

So, the secret is...Relaxation, sleep and squirrel avoidance? Hah! *knew it*
-ok, maybe some organization and talent and grit as well:)

Slingshot eh?

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

That would explain a great deal - including the way that she and Velcro argue over who gets the hot spot next to the woodstove when it's cold out...

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Yeah, look out for me and that slingshot! :P