What happens when Insomnia sets in on a hot, summer night?
Grammar: The simple present tense is primarily used to tell this story.
NEW VOCABULARY
Insomnia: inability to sleep - fuminsho(不眠症)
Cacophony: a harsh mixture of sounds - sōon (騒音)
TRANSCRIPT
It’s 4:02am, and I have been lying hear awake since about 1:35am.
So, I get up. I walk into the hallway and check on Poodle #1. His little poodle fan is on. I think he’s awake
Next, I check to make sure the door is locked. I check to see if the door is locked maybe 8 or 9 times a day. It’s my job.
Then I walk upstairs. I stop and look outside the window. I see no activity. Suddenly, a man in a white t-shirt rides by on his bicycle. He looks and sees me.
I continue upstairs. I open the kitchen door.
I look in the refrigerator. I’m not hungry, just looking. I think poodle #2 is awake.
I turn on the fan.
I turn the TV on.
I look around. Ahh. I know this show. I’ve seen this show. It’s called ‘MUST BE UKTV’. It only comes on early in the morning. It’s a live house somewhere, somewhere in the UK.
One Time One Night – I don’t know this song. But this performance was aired in 1987 February 20th. This was one month before my 16th birthday. Still 15. Not driving yet, but I was dating.
The next group they show is The Smithereens, ‘Behind the Wall of Sleep’, on air 1987 January 30th. This seems like a group my, my old friend Chris would have listened to. I’m not sure. Chris and I used to draw a lot when we were kids. We’ve slowed down with our drawing these days, but we… try to encourage each other to keep going.
I look outside; good, it’s still dark. I check my phone. Sunrise is at 5:04 this morning, in about 20 minutes.
Next is ‘The Pretenders’. I like The Pretenders. The song is ‘2000 Miles’, on air February 1983. Wow! That’s going way back.
I was only… I was only 12 then.
I think I’ve changed a lot since I was 12. But in some ways, I haven’t changed much at all since then.
Next, The Pretenders sing ‘Middle of the Road.’ I know this song. It’s famous. It makes me think of video game arcades of the early 80’s.
Back then, in the early 80’s, they all had that same video game smell – spilled Coca-Cola, French fries, hamburgers, and dirty quarters.
They also had the same sound, that same cacophony of electronic video game noises.
Finally, I turn the channel, and there’s a show that shows Shinkansens travelling across Japan. That’s it, just Shinkansens travelling. And I wish I were on one...going somewhere in Japan.
Well, it’s time to wake up now, I guess.
Song List
Los Lobos - One Time One Night
