Things I’m Learning About Traveling
Posted on October 9, 2007 Posted by John Scalzi 25 Comments
When I’m traveling, I have about four good hours a day. After those four hours, I increasingly look, act and respond like a zombie. Also, my body seems constitutionally unable to leave the Eastern time zone, which means that here on the west coast I’m pretty much dead in the water at 8pm. I wonder if this mean that when I travel to France later in the month I won’t be able to get to sleep until 4am. We’ll have to see.
Anyway: Hi, I’m a zombie right now. How are you?
I’m a zombie all the time.
I work 12 hour shifts, overnight.
I have forgotten what sleep is.
And unless you’ve ever had to switch around your sleep patterns, you’d never understand how hard it can be.
(And getting older doesn’t help!)
I just overdose on caffeine, and muddle through somehow.
I recommend consuming more brains. Brains provide all the nutrients an active zombie needs to help you through your day.
Zombie Scalzi, eh? Don’t go eating any brains. That’s gross. And dangerous. Prions, you know. Scary stuff.
I am better at staying up rather than getting up, so I usually stay up about 36-48 hours when I make a significant timezone change, and that usually does the trick. I suspect you know all the tricks, but your body refuses to play along. That sucks.
Work and life here are busy, and I’m pretty sure I’m not going to finish off the glass of milk from which the orange cat has just pulled his head. A shared drink here or there, I don’t mind. Full feline head insertion into the glass is a line I’m not sure I want to cross. Maybe it’s because I know he needs wormed.
See, rambling like this when I’m tired causes me to buy you a cookbook, and other people things like the DVDs of Bloodfreak and Jesus Christ, Vampire Hunter. Time to go to bed.
The Executive Committee of The Official Ghlaghghee Fan Club is fine, thank you for asking. We recommend:
http://www.lolcatbible.com/index.php?title=Main_Page
to the readership of the Whatever.
The Official Ghlaghghee Fan Club
From your description you sound more like a philosophical zombie than the undead kind. I’d ask you if you were, but I’m guessing the response the man in your head has in his book is a denial.
Uhn…. Brains…..
When I went to Vegas in October of ’06, I was up till 1 a.m. pst (which I guess is second, third, and fourth winds on East Coast time) and was like, Gee, this isn’t bad.
*close my eyes*
*snooorrrreee*
While a relative newcomer to this blog (after reading Old Man’s War, I felt I HAD to…), I can relate to the thought of being a zombie. I’m sitting through four hours of New York (legal) Practice right now, and rather wishing that something would take the brain away…
On the one hand, one has Jonathan Coulton’s office zombies.
Of course, it could be much worse: He could be a vegetarian zombie. “Graa – aaa – ins!”
Well, I’ve been reading this blog for a little over a year now, so I suppose now is as good a time to finally comment. :)
Great blog, Mr. Scalzi. And great books, too.
I started a SF satire site a few weeks ago, and your blog “Whatever” has fallen into the crosshairs in the latest article, with the greatest respect, of course; hope you enjoy.
Read here.
Well, I got up this morning at 4.30 so I could do a two-hour hill ride. I’m feeling fine now, but I expect to feel the zombie around 10am, right in time for a meeting.
Also, I just downloaded the new Radiohead album. I like so far.
John, I for one welcome our new zombie masters (meet the new boss, same as the old boss). But I digest. Point is, don’t be down on yourself for being a zombie…
The future’s so bright, you gotta eat brains.
Yesterday, I drove back and forth between Stamford and New Milford, CT three times. It’s an hour and 20 minute drive, mostly on two-lane highways with construction.
Zombie-Nathan feels you pain.
Well, of course you can’t leave Eastern Standard Time: you’re a member of our tribe and we’ll actively fight to keep you from going over to those superficial Pacific bastards.
Try to enjoy your sojourn in foreign territory, and maybe get in some whimsical and sorta-puzzling PST sabotaging while you’re out there. And have a good trip and travel safe.
You don’t drink alcohol, don’t smoke, don’t do caffeine, what do you expect?. See, all that clean living hasn’t properly prepared you for life (or un-life) as a zombie. Oh sure, being a brain sucking night crawler looks easy, but it requires preparation and training. Night after night of long, hard hours in the pub conditioning yourself to function without oxygen or sleep. In the future, leave the shambling undead to the professionals.
I just got a full night’s sleep for the first time in living memory.
It was awesome.
Of course, it could be much worse: He could be a vegetarian zombie. “Graa – aaa – ins!”
They’re actually groaning “Braaaaaan.” That’s why zombies in online games drop muffins as loot.
Tania — go to http://www.cthulhulives.org/store/store.lasso
and check out the Solstice albums, if you need Yule present ideas!
I’m sitting at work, tired after 8 hours of sleep, with a headache and I think I just hurt my back from freaking stretching (injured my back in a minor car accident last year, so it doesn’t take much).
Aside from that, I’m fine. Thank you for asking.
John hasn’t left Eastern Standard Time, he left Eastern Daylight Time. Indeed, he merely referenced “the Eastern time zone”, which covers all bets.
As for right now, Eastern Standard Time has left us — migrating over one time zone arena. (grin) Until our new Daylight Savings Times overlords allow things to go back to kilter, that is.
Dr. Phil
My focused-on-east-coast-timing brain has been in Ireland since early Monday morning — and sleep might best be described as erratic.
Combine that with 10 hr days trying to grok everything I need to know about a new job and you have a very stupid, very clumsy, Elaine.
Also, I think their habit of over-using commas might be catching.
Be careful to stay away from Anita Blake, she’d probably hit you up for some zombie sex.
Arrrr… I just looked up when Daylight Time ends, and (in the U.S.) it’s not until November. o.O
Hey John,
I was thinking of you while I was walking this morning (I really need an iPod or something) and it occurred to me that I bet that little internal alarm clock of yours isn’t functioning very well right about now.