Wichita Bluff Nature Area After Falling Into Bathtub Hoodoos

I had what I think must have been a sleep walking incident last night. I was in my bathroom, apparently asleep, and went to get back in bed, except I was still in the bathroom, where there is no bed.

Instead I lowered myself into the bathtub, eventually crashing down on my tailbone, real hard. I awoke to find my legs draped over the edge of the tub, with me unable to pull myself up. Thrashing around I somehow turned the faucet on, cold water. That woke me up fast, with me quickly swinging around and getting vertical.

What a living nightmare.

I thought I would end up badly bruised, with a big blotch of purple. But, no sign of such. 

So, to unkink my aches and pains I decided a salubrious walk with nature via the Wichita Bluff Nature Area would be a mighty fine thing to do.

I figured right.

I sat on the bench you see above for a few minutes, pondering my multiple miseries and woes. And then started walking again.

Eventually I came to the location where I usually find a Wichita Bluff Hoodoo. Or two.

 As you can see via me standing on the Mars-like landscape, there is only a pile of rocks at Hoodoo Central.

I hope last night's sleep walking incident does not portend a return to this happening multiple times. I already have sufficient aggravations. I do not need a new one...

Sleepwalking In Texas While Driving In Afghanistan With Betty Jo Bouvier

We are looking out at the morning of the 3rd Friday of the last month of 2010. Only 14 days to go til the end of this current holiday season's excessive joy.

I had a rough night of nightmares last night. The nightmares had way too much action going on.

I think there may have been some sleepwalking involved.

Because one of my pillows was outside this morning, sitting on a table on the patio. I did not know this til I looked out the window to take the picture you see here and saw the pillow.

I do remember one of my nightmares.

Betty Jo Bouvier, the Wild Woman of Woolley, and I were on The Amazing Race. The task was to drive ourselves from Kandahar, Afghanistan to Kabul. We were provided with AK-47s in case we ran into any Taliban. It was a nervewracking drive to Kabul, with Betty Jo complaining all the way, blaming me for getting her stuck on this ridiculous race.

I woke up exhausted.

I have no idea what I am doing today, except for being absolutely certain there will be no driving in Afghanistan.

Sleepwalking Through Another Semi-Chilly July Day In Texas

I was up before the sun was, again, this second day of July. You are looking at the view from my patio a short time later. With the sun starting to brighten up the place.

It is only 78 out there right now, so I've got the windows open with a pleasant breeze blowing in. I do not recollect being able to do this in July, in Texas, before.

I believe I had a sleepwalking incident last night where I switched my A/C to heat mode. In the morning I back off the A/C and turn off the fan. But, this morning when I turned the A/C knob, I could not turn the fan off.

And then I thought I smelled something like a candle burning. Followed by perceiving heat. I went back to thermostat and saw that the COOL lever had been moved to HEAT. So, when I cranked the A/C dial to 90, rather than turning off the A/C, it turned on the heater to heat this place to 90.

Worst sleepwalking incident since I found myself down at the pool, at 3am, with no swimming suit to be found.

Speaking of swimming and missing swimming suits, I found another swimming suit that I was able to wear for my morning swim. A very long swim.

The Dallas/Fort Worth forecast, today, is for a chance of rain and thunderstorms. Again. Followed by the same tomorrow. And the same for the 4th of July. And the same the 4 days following the 4th of July.

So far, basically, here in Texas, I'm getting to experience a Pacific Northwest summer without having to go to the hassle of flying up there. I suspect this will soon change. I hope.

Another Sleepwalking In Texas Incident

I had myself another sleepwalking incident. It's only when there is evidence evident in the morning, or an eye witness reporting, that I know I've been sleepwalking again.

Unlike the last known incident, last night's did not involve any bruise-causing fall.

About 2 in the morning I woke up and couldn't find my second pillow. I reached around on both sides of the bed. No pillow. I knew something was not right, but I ignored it and fell back asleep.

I woke up again about 5 and decided to get up. Turned on the light. The second pillow was no where to be seen.

I go to make coffee and then walk out to the patio to get my swimming suit. I slide open the patio door and there it was. My swimming suit and my pillow.

I don't think I went swimming. The exit door was locked. My previous leave the house sleepwalking incidents have always left the door unlocked.

It's a bit unsettling to know you've been up wandering around with your pillow in the middle of the night and have no memory of doing so, because I've no idea what else I may have done. Or where else I may have gone.

Below is a YouTube video of a sleepwalking dog....

Naked Sleepwalking in Texas

I'm having me a day. It started by having a bad night. I've not mentioned it before, because, well, it seems a bit embarrassing. But for awhile now I've had myself a little sleepwalking problem.

I always thought sleepwalking was a myth type thing, til it happened to me. I remember none of last night's sleepwalking.

But, I've been sort of able to piece last night's incident together. I believe I got up, started walking to my bathroom, then knocked over a little bookcase. This caused me to fall down.

The noise awakened others. I then left my bedroom and headed to the front door. By then I was being observed. Apparently I was speaking gibberish in what sounded like a language other than English. Then I got more lucid and began walking robotically, saying go away, I'm fine, I hurt my back.

Then I walked into the kitchen, turned on the light and began swatting imaginary cockroaches. After that I went back to bed. When I woke up this morning, late, I had no memory of any of what had happened.

Last week I had a very weird sleepwalking incident. I woke up, walked into the kitchen, made coffee, then opened the front door to get the paper. No paper. I came back inside, walked back in the kitchen, something seemed wrong, I walked back in my bedroom and saw that it was 1 in the morning. I turned off the coffee and went back to bed. Now, unlike last night's incident, I remembered the coffee incident.

So, I Googled for info about sleepwalking. I had no idea it is such a common problem. And it has been on the increase. Of late hotel and motel chains have made note of a big increase in the number of naked sleepwalkers, almost always men. I always sleep in the buff, so this makes me one of the epidemic of naked sleepwalkers.

The Wikipedia article on sleepwalking had several bits of info that hit bingo with my experience. One interesting thing I learned was in 1846 legal history was made in Massachusetts when Albert Tirrel was found not guilty of murder, arguing if he did commit the murder, he did it while sleepwalking. The sleepwalking defense earned him an acquittal.

So, I guess looking on the bright side of sleepwalking, I have myself a pretty good excuse if I do anything bad.

With last night's sleepwalking, and who knows what else went on, but by the time I got up I felt exhausted. This morning there was no swimming, stormy weather stopped any biking, hiking or roller blading. My only escape, today, was going to Sprouts Farmers Market and getting a lot of good stuff, and hopefully not a Swine Flu Virus from being in that crowded store today.