To Sleep; Perchance To Dream

 Man, the cliches about aging and sleep are true -- especially around Villa Wifey. Sleep, deep, long, sleep, is a very precious commodity.

Wifey has it worse. She's up until the wee hours, finally comes to bed and sometimes takes a pill or another, and sleeps until 10 or 11. It's  become a family joke -- yesterday I had to return Little Man to D1 by 9, for a teaching coach meeting, and the thought Wifey might accompany me was absurd.

For me, I try to go at least a few days per week with only melatonin and iron supplements to help me out. Alcohol works to put me out, fast, but 4 hours later, I'm up like a meerkat.

Wifey got prescribed a newer thing called Belsomra, and it didn't work for her, but does for me. I popped one last night, and slept straight from 11 to 7, awakening from a DEEP state -- not a single old man bathroom break which typically comes around 4 am or so. It was a luxury.

I also awoke from a deep dream. I wonder if my friend Dave's death, a guy I knew since college, had anything to do with it. Do the newly dead stir up dreams in those of us still here? Maybe.

Anyway, the dream also involved a lost friend,who I'll call Vince, since that's his name. Vince dated Barbara in college, a Chicago transplant like Dave, and they would double date -- Dave with his Korean pre med Nancy, Vince, and Barbara. I recall thinking what a great pair of couples they were -- Vince was near med school, and ended up marrying Barbara.

I loved my times with Vince. His Dad Vince, Sr., was an Italian version of my Dad -- a little younger -- Korean War vet instead of WW II -- but same Bronx high school, James Monroe, and a self taught intellectual who adored his son. Vince, senior was an early mentor to me, and my Dad to Vince -- we both respected and learned from these men.

Years later, Vince and Barbara would divorce , and Vince hired Jeannie to rep him -- way before she married Dave. Vince would go on to marry a nurse, Bari, and have 2 kids, and then marry another nurse, Maryam, divorce and pay her a ton and then re-marry her.

We were VERY close -- Vince made a lot of money as a doc long before I did, and I was so proud of him. He went out on disability because of a heart rhythm issue, and got a huge settlement, and got better and went back to work.

But he dropped me over money. He had asked me to lend him a LOT of money so he could start a pain clinic, and I declined. I had a bad experience loaning money for a franchise business with friend Jorge, and vowed to never lend a friend again. Also, I was a bit worried about being associated with a pain clinic-- they were subject to a LOT of federal checking. Plus, Vince had just paid 7 figures to his ex wife who he was now back with -- what about her. "Oh no -- she is keeping the money this time."

Anyway, Vince said he was so disappointed he couldn't be my friend anymore. I was hurt, but as Tony S said -- what are ya gonna do?

But early this am, he was there, with me, at an office setting with of all people, my urologist Bob. Vince used to do procedures with Bob, and we'd always joke about Vince while Bob was probing me.

In the dream, Bob was sort of reviewing notes on a screen while Vince and I were pouring our hearts out, and crying, about how much we missed our fathers. And then, Dave walked into the scene, smiling.

Strange stuff. I loved it -- anything that brings thoughts of my Dad is terrific. D1 gave Little Man his name as LM's middle. When he doesn't listen to directions, which, as a willful boy is often, she uses his full name as all mothers do with young sons, and it makes me smile.

I see my doc near the end of the year for my annual. Maybe there's some new fangled sleep stuff he can prescribe, which my Obama Care plan will pay for. If not -- well -- Big Man willing, in July I get the good coverage -- Original Medicare!

Lots of sleeps, hopefully, before next July...