(Sunday) Night Terrors

For as long as I can remember, Sunday nights have always been a tremendous letdown. Signifying the end of 48 hours worth of freedom and an imminent return to the cubes,  they are just the worst. I've noticed that with each passing week, they become even more upsetting....it used to be that my mood would change around 7pm, as the reality of another workweek would begin sinking in, but lately, it's been so much worse than that. This morning, for example, I woke up and realized it was Sunday, and I've allowed it to control and ruin my whole day! I don't know what it is or what is wrong with me, but I need to figure out a way to make Sundays more enjoyable . Here are some things I've tried (with limited, temporary, or no success):

1. Buying scratch tickets: Winning big means no more work, a dream come true! If I could get out of the working class, Sunday nights would no longer be dreadful-they would be happy, and so wouldn't ever other day and night for the rest of my life! However, with each losing ticket, my mood becomes worse and my level of despair rises. Unfortunately, when it comes to gambling in ANY capacity, I am a ridiculously sore loser. Just ask my friends who have been to a casino with me. Do you even KNOW how generous I would be if I hit it big? Let's just say, many other people, (including Big Ran, Mrs. Big Ran, and Big Ran's parents),  would no longer have to work either....

   
2. Going shopping: There was a point in time where this actually helped, albeit temporarily. "How?", you ask? Well, I would go shopping and pick something new out to wear to work....maybe a shirt, or a new pair of shoes, or maybe even something as small as a new eyeshadow---anything to make getting out of bed on Monday morning a little easier and more exciting (*Note-new pants were very rarely involved in this ploy as the disappointment and frustration of trying to find a pair that fit correctly would usually result in me wanting to put my sweats back on and STAY in bed forever*) . Anyway, this self bribery (is that even a real phrase?) stopped being effective when I bought a house and began living just slightly above the 'paycheck to paycheck' level. Now I have to choose between electricity or a new shirt.....and somehow, someway, the bills always win! This method also failed over time because I realized that spending money wasn't going to get me to my ultimate destination; The Land of Independent Wealth, where work is for suckers!

3. Napping: You know how when a little kid gets really fussy and agitated, you'll hear the parent say; "Looks like somebody needs a nap?", as though that is the solution for a bad mood? Well, I bought into that. At one point, I started putting myself down for naps on Sunday afternoons. I absolutely adore my sleep, and while I feel unbelievably refreshed and relaxed after a good nap, I realized this 'solution' was backfiring in two critical ways. First, I found that I was wasting hours of my free time as my 'naps' could sometimes resemble a full night sleep for some people. Secondly, and most importantly, the sleeping during the day screwed up my sleeping at night. I would be laying in bed, wide awake until 2 a.m., so, come Monday morning I was extra beastly and out of sorts. I would then drag myself to work and by 10 a.m. I think many people would have agreed that "somebody needed a nap"...and that somebody was ME!

 
So, there you have it....my failed attempts at making Sundays less depressing. If you have any better ideas, please let me know, but for now, I'll just continue suffering through my Sunday Night Terrors.....

-KC Jones


*Big Ran Note:  All this is right on the money.  I ALWAYS assume I am going to win and win big with any scratch ticket or lottery ticket.  KC and I bought Power Ball tickets once and I was honestly surprised when one of us didn't win.  Optimistic?  Maybe.  Amazingly naive?  I don't think so, I know that realistically the odds are stacked against me.  I'm not sure what it is.

I have started getting really depressed on Sunday nights.  I start saying things like, "OK, it's only 7 pm, I still have like four hours before I go to sleep."  By the time it's 10 pm, I'm probably not a lot of fun to be around.  Ultimately, I don't want to go to bed because I know what's awaiting me in the morning.  That's probably not a good sign.