Rubbing My Eyes
When a baby is tired they do one of two things - cry or ball up their little fists and rub their eyes. When I'm tired I do one of two things - lose something or do something really stupid.
It is a clear sign that I need rest when I drop my ATM card down the side of the driver's seat of my car and can'tt find it for eight months. I once even lost my purse and, after calling stores to try to locate it, found it a week later in the trunk of my own car - black purse on black carpet - too tired to see it. Or today I knew I was tired when I was sitting in the car rummaging through my purse for my car keys and getting really frustrated because I couldn't find them. And then noticed that the car was running - I had already put the keys in the ignition and turned the damn thing on! Time to hit the bed!
And just like a baby, I nap! You might find me on my oh so comfortable couch with a book spread across my chest while I take a 20 minute or 4 hour nap. I can nap just about any time and anywhere. Fully clothed with shoes on, lights fully lit, broad daylight, it doesn't matter - I can sleep. I take to the couch when my head is spinning from too much activity or too many emails or phone calls. I actually get a physical sensation that signals it's time to lay down my head and empty it. After a nap I am refreshed and can go on with life.
People ask me if I nap how can I sleep at night? No problem! I have always required a lot of sleep (hopefully 8 hours, often 7 hours, can't get by with less than 6 hours) so I sleep like a baby even if I have napped during the afternoon. Friends tell me that I am lucky that I can sleep so easily. Lucky? I don't know. It seems I inherited the talent from my father who takes a nap every afternoon and could always fall asleep at the drop of a hat. And, I passed along the talent to my son who had to be weaned off naps for first grade and never complained about going to bed at night. What a talented family we are - world class sleepers!!
Real Estate Hint - Let's talk about radon. Radon is a gas that comes from rocks in the earth. Radon seeps into houses and primarily accumulates in the basement but is also found on other levels. Realtors advise every buyer to test a house for radon as part of their home inspection. Home inspectors will perform the test which includes putting out cannisters in the basement for 48 hours and then sending the cannisters to a radon lab for testing. The US govt. has ruled that radon tested at 4.0 pcl or less is acceptable. Any radon test that comes in over 4.0 pcl should be mitigated for health reasons. Long-term exposure to radon has been shown to cause cancer. Therefore when a radon test comes in over 4.0, realtors suggest to buyers that they ask the sellers to install a radon mitigation system that will bring the level of radon below 4.0. In most cases, the sellers will agree to pay for the installation of the radon mitigation system. These systems run about $1200. Once the mitigation system has been installed it is good for life and the only working part that might quit is the fan. A periodic testing of radon in any home can assure homeowners that the radon is at a "healthy" level. As radon is a gas it can change according to weather, etc.. Radon test kits can be purchased at major hardware stores.
It is a clear sign that I need rest when I drop my ATM card down the side of the driver's seat of my car and can'tt find it for eight months. I once even lost my purse and, after calling stores to try to locate it, found it a week later in the trunk of my own car - black purse on black carpet - too tired to see it. Or today I knew I was tired when I was sitting in the car rummaging through my purse for my car keys and getting really frustrated because I couldn't find them. And then noticed that the car was running - I had already put the keys in the ignition and turned the damn thing on! Time to hit the bed!
And just like a baby, I nap! You might find me on my oh so comfortable couch with a book spread across my chest while I take a 20 minute or 4 hour nap. I can nap just about any time and anywhere. Fully clothed with shoes on, lights fully lit, broad daylight, it doesn't matter - I can sleep. I take to the couch when my head is spinning from too much activity or too many emails or phone calls. I actually get a physical sensation that signals it's time to lay down my head and empty it. After a nap I am refreshed and can go on with life.
People ask me if I nap how can I sleep at night? No problem! I have always required a lot of sleep (hopefully 8 hours, often 7 hours, can't get by with less than 6 hours) so I sleep like a baby even if I have napped during the afternoon. Friends tell me that I am lucky that I can sleep so easily. Lucky? I don't know. It seems I inherited the talent from my father who takes a nap every afternoon and could always fall asleep at the drop of a hat. And, I passed along the talent to my son who had to be weaned off naps for first grade and never complained about going to bed at night. What a talented family we are - world class sleepers!!
Real Estate Hint - Let's talk about radon. Radon is a gas that comes from rocks in the earth. Radon seeps into houses and primarily accumulates in the basement but is also found on other levels. Realtors advise every buyer to test a house for radon as part of their home inspection. Home inspectors will perform the test which includes putting out cannisters in the basement for 48 hours and then sending the cannisters to a radon lab for testing. The US govt. has ruled that radon tested at 4.0 pcl or less is acceptable. Any radon test that comes in over 4.0 pcl should be mitigated for health reasons. Long-term exposure to radon has been shown to cause cancer. Therefore when a radon test comes in over 4.0, realtors suggest to buyers that they ask the sellers to install a radon mitigation system that will bring the level of radon below 4.0. In most cases, the sellers will agree to pay for the installation of the radon mitigation system. These systems run about $1200. Once the mitigation system has been installed it is good for life and the only working part that might quit is the fan. A periodic testing of radon in any home can assure homeowners that the radon is at a "healthy" level. As radon is a gas it can change according to weather, etc.. Radon test kits can be purchased at major hardware stores.
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