Are We Keeping You Awake?

I've been burning the candle at both ends for several days now, trying to get caught up on things before leaving on vacation.  I'm still getting up at Dark O'clock for my workouts (it takes 30 mins for my brain and my body to communicate, with the help of mega doses of caffeine), but I'm not getting in bed at my usual time -- 10:00 p.m.  It's always something, and it's later and later each night.

Yesterday we had a rather important court hearing, high profile type thing, and there were TV cameras in the courtroom, all the hoopla for an interesting day in the courts of justice.  Of all times for me to get sleepy -- like the kind of sleepy that gets rather embarrassing, no hiding it, ready-to-fall-out-of-my-seat-and-crash sleepy?  Yeah, that.

At the onset, I panicked a little and gave myself a quick self-talk:

"T!  Psssst, T!  Wake up.  Look alive.  You'll draw attention to yourself.  You'll have people staring!"


Yeah.  Right.  Yes.  Awake.  Hello?  Inhale deeply, look focused and in control.  Got it.


Minutes later...

"T!  Snap out of it!  You're in court.  There are TV cameras!  People are starting to stare at you.  Wake the hell up!  Disconnect from what you're writing and hearing (--yes, I can do that, write it down word for word and be thinking of something totally unrelated--) and think of something that will shock you into consciousness -- like good sex or something?  Anything!  Just open your eyes and keep them open.  Look alive.  Look in control!


"I know!  I know!  I've got this.  I'm all right.  Got it.  I'm awake.  Inhale.  Ahhhh.  Yes.  Good sex.  Eye candy.  Yep.  I can see it.  Yeah, lookin' good.  Talk to me.  Yep.  I'm on top of this..."


It is the most unnerving thing for a court reporter to become overwhelmed with the sleepies.  OMG. It's horrifying.  Hanging on is so elusive at times!  You want so badly to snap out of it, be in control, at least LOOK like you're paying attention.  It's a desperation that affects all of us from time to time, unfortunately.

I remember a court reporter friend of mine telling me once that she was at a deposition, and this happened to her, and suddenly everyone got quiet and one of the lawyers turned to her and said,
"J----, are we keeping you awake?"

This little cutey knows the feeling all too well!  Hopefully I'll never end up the way he did the next time I get the sleepies.  That would REALLY give the media something to televise...

"COURT REPORTER LAPSES INTO COMA IN COURTROOM"