Like that kid in fourth grade who was always getting "time-outs"

I get overstimulated easily.

Kind of like a kid who's had too much Halloween candy and then talks really fast about SO VERY MANY THINGS!, spreads all her toys out in front of her on the floor, plays furiously for 20 minutes, then falls fast asleep in a sweaty ball on the rug. That's what I'm like.

I love spending time with friends and family, but after a few days without a solid chunk of time to myself, I start to get anxious. I get all nervous and cranky and little paranoid. I need NEED time to myself, for centering purposes. If I don't get it, I can almost guarantee that I will, at some point, throw myself down on my enormous apple green IKEA ottoman and sob at the terrible state of things. Then I get a morning or afternoon to myself where I watch Star Trek and drink lots of tea or chocolate milk or whatever and I bake some corn muffins and putz around the apartment running my hands over the cats' heads and making the airplane noise while I splay their ears apart (they don't like this) and I'm fine again. I'm perfectly normal... relatively speaking, of course.

I'm getting better at heading off the crazies and just scheduling alone time. For instance, last weekend was delightful(!) as Die Frau and husband came for the Head of the Charles. Then this week was hectic and tense at work because of last week's lay-offs. Then I had a lot of stuff to do at night because I'm helping my theatre group with their show. There are dishes in the sink and lots of half-finished things sitting around my living room. I'm feeling a bit disorganized. BUT! I have ALL DAY tomorrow to do whatever I want.

And I'm excited for that alone time. I need it.