It was 1:30AM last night. I was between segments of my biphasic sleep pattern and preparing breakfast and lunch for the day-job, when who would toddle into the kitchen but my 6yr-old daughter.
“Heya, kid,” I said. “What brings you out here at this hour?” Were it a school night, she would’ve been sent scurrying back to bed, but it’s the weekend, so I don’t need to be strict.
“I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep,” she said, peering at the pan full of food. “Why are you cooking?”
I explained to the 6yr that sometimes, Dad wakes up and has to wait until he’s tired enough to go back to bed. In the meantime, there’s chores to do. “Sorry, kid, but you get it honest. I’ve been like this for as long as I can remember. It’s rare when I sleep through the night.”
The 6yr stayed up for about an hour, asking questions while I went about the meal-prepping, cooking, storing, and cleanup. She asked for ways to get her to go back to sleep and was told to go read a book, since that has helped me in the past. She tried that and was passed out on the couch shortly after.
A Swift tradition, that.
Of course, I always have company during my “can’t go back to sleep” time. There are other gremlins that like to stare at me while I do my late-night cooking, just waiting for me to be clumsy.
After seeing to the sleeping gremlin-princess (she forgot a pillow and blanket but she did grab her portable night-light, bless her) I went about my own routine to get myself ready for bed. Dawn would be soon, and I wanted to be rested for the day shift. I did manage to get a decent picture of the night sky, with the full (or gibbous, I’m never sure) moon making its way across.
It was just when I felt like I could go back to bed when I realized something about the chapter I had been working on. I have been struggling to get it finished for the past week, but it had never come across as what I was looking for. I usually refer to my notes taken during the session when this occurs, but I couldn’t find the outline or session recording to factcheck myself (and this is precisely why I record the sessions, with the players consent, of course) so for a moment there, I was worried that I would have to do a complete rewrite.
When lo and behold, the recording had been accidentally downloaded into a different set of files, those meant for this sites’ wiki-styled articles! The outline was there! As excited as I was to be able to make headway, I told myself I could wait until the next evening or Sunday.
We have a session tonight! The Field Group has a terrific challenge ahead of them, and they’re going about it smartly, RPing their hyperspace journey as their strategy discussions. I’m looking forward to what they come up with.
Lunch break is done, so back to the mail I go. Stay safe, readers!
-JB Swift
Swift's Corner 