It wasn’t until 0230 I was able to fall asleep this morning.  Granted, I did sleep quite a bit yesterday.  

I awoke at approximately 0342.  My dog was throwing up.  On my bed.  Don’t worry, this isn’t a gross crazy dog lady story.  

After taking her out, turning our wittle pink fan on (sometimes she gets overheated and feels the need to barf, but I totally understand), giving her one too many cookies to tie her over until breakfast time and making her drink water I also took a quick bite from the fridge, downed my vitamins, hydrated my own little body and made some yummy green tea.  I was wide awake and knew I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep.  Unfortunate.

I asked my blonde fur baby if she was a night shifter, too.  She just looked up towards her cookie cabinet.

I digress.  Continuing on to the main topic of this post.

Lately I have been thinking about working nights and the horrific toll it takes on my body.  I’ve been reading too much about how I’m going to die a young, early death.  I have a vivid imagination.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love working the night shift.  I have never been a huge sleeper (hence my full comprehensive functioning right now), and the thought of waking up at 0400 to work all day stresses me out.  Nights are more conducive to snuggling babies, if its the right night.  I feel like I can get to know my patients more and focus 100% on the tiny miracles.  And if its nice outside I can still sort of enjoy the sunshine before work.  I can also (some days more than others) do things after work instead of leaving the “office” at 1900 and just going homesies.  I have the whole day ahead of me!  And I love the fact that I’m not a part of society that participates in the typical “9-5 job.”  Basically, I’m a weirdo who likes the night shift.

Even though I’m a weirdo and enjoy it, there are some things I dislike.

1. When switching back to day functioning (yes, I do that, and yes, I know its terrible for me) some days I cannot shake the “fuzzy” feeling no matter how much caffeine I consume or what activities are included in the day.  Or how much sleep I get.

2. My eating habits are weird.

3. People who don’t work nights (i.e. everyone else in my life) always tell me to sleep if they are in close physical vicinity to me after I work a shift.  I’m a grown up.  …………………okay, I pretend to be a grown up.  But I know when I’m going to die and when I can push on and get away with a few hours of staying awake 🙂

4. This might piggyback on dislike thing #3.  I think working nights scares any potential coffee date.  AKA dog lady for life.

I would like to focus on dislike thing #2 because I think it may influence dislike thing #1 and, well, the last two things can be solved by being a dog lady forever.  

For a hot second I was considering the paleo diet because I’ve heard a lot of good things about it and thought that it would be easy for me to make the switch.  Initially, the only thing that wearied me was all the meat.  I’m not a huge carnivore – I loathe preparing meat and it just doesn’t do much for me.  I’ve watched too many documentaries that illustrate the meat industry in the U.S. and I’m not a fan.  As I researched, I found some other things about paleo.  I love beans, legumes, quinoa.  Definite problem.

Then I found myself thinking that I would commit to vegetarianism.  It would be easy, I think.  Once in a blue moon do I prepare meat at home, though usually if I eat meat it will be at a restaurant.  But being a vegetarian would instigate one (perhaps big) problem.  Also once in a blue moon (what if people said pink moon?  I’d be all for that) this girl gets herself a insatiable craving for a burger.  With bacon.  Thinking about it now makes me nauseous.  I’m telling you people, I have to be in a huge mood for a burger.  But it happens.  I might really, really, really miss that.

Did you know “flexitarian” is a diet?  It quite accurately describes my diet.  Mostly fruits, veggies, legumes, whole grains, etc. and sometimes incorporates meat.  ME.  Who knew!  

Conclusion.  I will continue with this flexitarianism approach but make a committed movement to cut out all processed foods and refined sugars from my diet.  I’m already crying about the latter.  Anyone who knows me knows I’m a declared sugar addict.  It will be hard!  When I’m tired I crave crave crave my sugar!  Bad.  Addicted, I am telling you!   Some days I’m better than others about not eating processed foods.  It’s really simple – I don’t buy it, I don’t eat it.  So it becomes a battle of self discipline at the grocery store.  My weakness: buying groceries with a hungry tummy.  I strongly discourage that practice for all the human beings out there.

I’m currently obsessing over my diet because I want to feel good 100% of the time.  This may be asking a lot but its worth a shot.  I don’t drink milk, but I do eat cheese sparingly and I try to eat yogurt for the good ol’ probiotics and protein.  A couple weeks ago I ate (too much) ice cream and my body flipped.  Lesson learned.  I love my fruits and veggies, so I don’t think this new food adventure will be too taxing.  Gee, I hope not.  

I’ll keep you posted.  I won’t start anew until I have to grocery shop (which translates to me slowly devouring and treasuring every piece of salty processed food and sugary goodness in my house)!

Might be time to feed my blondie.  I think I hear her tummy grumbling.  Oh wait, she’s snoring. XOXO