Walking in my Sleep

I'm not sure if I walk in my sleep or not.

However I once had an experience that made me question whether or not I DRIVE in my sleep.

I was working as a security guard at Dell Computer, ensuring that the appropriate freight carrier had picked up the correct shipment of computers.

During weeks of heavy shipping it was not unusual to work overtime and meet the guard that had relieved the evening before.

One morning I left my apartment and got into my car to go to work. I had this funny, distinct feeling that I had just barely gotten home, but as much as we would work during this time, I wrote it off as business as usual.

Shortly after I got to work I got a call from the security manager.

"Brian, did you come into the building last night around 4 AM?"

Hmmm.

I didn't know, I still am not sure to this day.

I did tell him that it would't be my practice to do so, that my concerns at that time of the morning would be more about where my pillow is, or maybe getting a drink of water, but it would all center around being horizontal in my bed and not much more.

He told me the badge reader at a door that would normally be locked at that time registered an entrance attempt by my badge.

My biggest concern at that moment was what I might have been wearing.

Would I have put my uniform on, or would I have gone in my normal sleepwear?

As this blog is more or less a family venture I will not share that specific information.

Embarrasment would be heavily connected to the idea that I might have gone to work at 4 AM in that manner.

Fortunately, a review of the security videotape could not confirm that I had been there, and no more was ever mentioned of the matter. It was passed off as a glitch in the system.

It was just one of those things,

just one of those crazy flings,

one of those bells that now and then rings,

just one of those things....

Losing My Keys

I used to lose my keys.

A lot.

Especially in the mornings as I was trying to get to work.

When I was living with my my mom, dad and sister and lost my keys I would always run around frantically and demand of whoever was in the house at the time where they had put my keys....

Later, I moved out and then the fear was that I had locked them in the car or left them in the mailbox or the front door of my apartment. Then I would imagine somebody had taken them and were lying in wait until I left so they could come in and rob me blind.

I worked as a security guard for Dell Computer my first few years in Austin. I eventually worked into a 7am-3pm shift.

Understand that if you're working as a security guard, even though you are scheduled to work until a certain time, you may not get to go home at that time.

Certainly when I was working my way through college on a 3-11 shift it was always during finals week that inspired my relief to quit showing up and I'd have to work a double shift.

With no hope of sleep until after the final exams of the day, this always stuck in my craw a little bit when it happened.

Happily, the extra 8 hours always seemed to improve my test score each time it happened.

So that brings us to Austin, where I was working the forementioned day shift, and forgetting my keys.

Towards the end of an 11am-7am shift, one is always pleased to see the relief show up at 7.

These things were in my mind one particular morning as I was frantically searching for those elusive keys.

The clock was ticking closer and closer to 7 AM, and my keys were
GONE.

I searched and searched, working up a bit of a sweat and a panic, but no keys.

Even though I had already checked, I continued to pad down my pants pockets to make sure they weren't they-as if I had missed them the first time.

In despair, I gave up.

I slumped down on the floor and laid up against my bed. I called Miriam, an older wiser spiritual person who gets up early every day.

She suggested I get still and pray about it.

We got off the phone, and I followed her advice.

Unsure of what to do next, I put my hands down slightly under the bed to push myself back up, and under my right hand I felt a familiar friend.

My keys!

Since then I have been in many similar situations like this since, not so much anymore as I have learned to put my keys in the same place everyday.

Also loading them down with keyrings and other non-essential items gives it more girth and weight.

Getting quiet and praying seems to always take care of the situation.