INSOMNIAC IN THE SUMMER
Yesterday was a doozy! I was awake at 2AM with my insomnia. At 8am I was dragging my a** but took a shower anyway. Some reviving took place and I proceeded to travel to my friend’s house outside of Boston. It was a scorching 3H day, with all the extra traffic included. My friend & I went into Boston to check on our admission status at UMB. They took pity on me because of all the unbelievable things that went wrong with my application. It seems to be straightened out now but it took forever to do. The school bureaucracy as we all know can drive you nuts. I persevered...
I couldn’t find my friend, Janet, for my cell phone didn’t work inside the building. So I went to the cafeteria to wait for her knowing she had to eat sometime. We did manage to find each other in that cafeteria where the food hasn’t improved since I left in ‘03. How can they build such a beautiful building and ignore the small details like food? A student thrives on good food... don’t they know that?
We went back to my friend’s house where she was kind enough to go over my essay for admission and then the long ride home. I had trouble keeping my eyes open but managed to get home safely about 6 pm. Finley home, I called my neighbor and asked her to call me at 6:30 pm. Boy did that time fly. I wasn’t sure I even closed my eyes.
We were to go to the Traveling (Circus) Listening Meeting that the Town’s Selectmen were having at 7 pm. Needless to say that they were, as usual, late.
The meeting was held in a 1810 building, that was oddly enough, next to the Town Hall. The Town Hall is where most of their meeting normally are held and is air-conditioned. But, we sat dutifully in an unbearably hot room and suffered through their evasion of issues time again and again. We are such dummies... Thy must have enjoyed seeing the sweat pouring off our brows.
It is now 8:30 pm and the meeting is over at 9 pm. By this time, I’m melting fast. One selectman caught me with my eyes closed, dozing off... I had my hand up, for most of the one and a half hours, waiting to be called. That is except for when my hands or arms had pins & needles in them from lack of blood. Finely I got my chance to speak and ask my one and only question..... “Is this a legal meeting? Isn’t it required by the Open Meeting Law that you are required to have this meeting in a handicapped accessible building?” Their reply was humorously evasive.
“Well we were waiting to see if anyone complained and we were going to adjourn to the downstairs where it is handicap assessable.” “We will go right downstairs now if you want?” The audience gasped… but I laughed in sarcasm. Out shot, “Isn’t it a little late?” As my thoughts became words, I spouted, “How can anyone complain if they can’t get up the huge flight of stairs to complain?” then added, Or, if they have to wait until a half hour before the meeting is over to complain?” Then I explained that I had already climbed the stairs once and I wasn’t going to tackle any more. Laughter from the audience....
The meeting went on but I was fading fast. My one and only point was made. They are illegally having meetings that most elderly or disabled people can’t attend. They already knew about the handicap accessibility problem but they hoped we wouldn’t notice. Either that or they are terribly insensitive to the needs of the Town’s people. I suspect this is done to control the agenda.
Oh! There were many very good questions asked last night but none got an answer.
My neighbor saw my distress and mercifully motioned to leave.... Ahhh!... home and 11 o’clock. It is now 23 hours that I had been awake. My head hit the pillow and I didn’t wake again until 4 AM today.
So here I am writing this all down trying to keep my sanity knowing it will be another 3H day and I will again be awake through it all...
The sky is getting light so get a few more winks in before you have to get up. I’ll still be here writing. Till tomorrow…
Sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite.
Sleepy Sally Sandman
Incase you didn’t know 3H is Hazy Hot & Humid
