I've recently been pointed to a very funny web comic called Penny Arcade.
The basic premise is that these two guys play video games, mock Apple technology, and swear a lot. Exactly, it's genius.

If you're thinking of buying an iPod, you should read this comic for some perspective before you make up your mind. I laughed continuously for a full minute. At least.

I got some good advice from my mom about storing my basil. She suggested that I put the stems in some water to keep them fresh longer. Excellent idea!

Normally, my basil wilts in the fridge after about 4 or 5 days. So I arranged the basil carefully in a large panel glass, and filled it with enough water so that all the stems were submerged. Then I put the whole thing in the fridge, for extra protection.

Two hours later, all of the basil was dead. Completely, absolutely wilted. Shrivelled beyond recognition.

If you have any plants need killin', gimme a ring!

Things were going so well. I was feeling tired, but resolved. I had a plan to keep myself awake. I was enjoying having the extra time.

Then this morning, I had my first nap around 5am, and woke up at 10:20am. Unlike other breakdowns, I don't even know what happened. I have no memory of setting or forgetting to set my alarm, though I find it hard to believe that I would forget something so intrinsic to the process. I have no memory of the alarm going off, and doing something silly like going back to bed.

Basically, all I can conclude is that my own brain has sabotaged my memory in order to guarantee a significant amount of sleep.

I don't have it in me to start all over again. I'm pretty pissed off; it's one thing to be faced with a conscious lack of determination, but quite another to discover that said lack is so inbuilt, your own body will conceal it from you and manipulate your senses when necessary.

Upon reflection, having been through this once, I would definitely consider trying it again if there was a significant need. In particular, I think of my friends who have new babies; being able to get by on naps, at least until the baby can sleep through the night, would be extremely helpful. Just approaching the sleep deprivation in a consistent way might be preferable to the torture new parents seem to undergo.

I just finished the final nap of my first full day of true polyphasic sleeping. It was really hard to get up after this one, but now, about 20 minutes later, I feel alright.

To be more specific, "alright" means alert without feeling drowsy, and no major aches or pains. I have a general sort of lightheadedness, and I am officially off driving until I can establish this routine solidly.

Meanwhile, I'm not sticking so rigidly to the nap schedule; if it's "naptime" but I don't feel tired, I'll delay my nap by up to an hour until I feel more drowsy in order to have better luck falling asleep. Also, I am definitely going to consider adding an additional nap at times when I become overly tired; this didn't seem to complicate matters for the others who tried this method.

Was able to get to sleep smoothly yet again, and had a quick dream that I can't remember. I did whack the snooze button once though, and I've got to stop doing that, as it might be defeating the purpose. Duh.

Steve Pavlina, my inspiration for this project, found that he could help fight the exhaustion by adding an extra nap when he got desperate, but he never did the snooze thing. Considering how successful he was, I will try to keep the possibility of an extra nap in mind as a possible reward for not snoozing.

If anybody doesn't know what to get me for my birthday, here it is:

The Bacon Wallet
Now I just need them to invent a fried egg keychain and a hashbrowned watch.

Fell asleep quite easily, again, but needed to whack the snooze button a couple times. Funny, I think this is just a subconscious reaction to my alarm, as it's what I usually do when I wake up feeling tired. It's like I'm forgetting what it is I'm trying to accomplish in the first few seconds of waking.

Anyhow, I feel a bit numb, and according to Phil, who I was visiting earlier (along with Cori and their new baby boy), my eyes have the glassy look of a sleep-deprived new father. Although he may have been projecting.

I'm also being very lazy and procrastinating about my writing. I've gotten stuck on a key part of the beginning and conflict introduction, and can't seem to work past it. Sorry, I will try harder tonight.

I finally fell asleep. I remember having a strange dream where I was playing recreational volleyball with some friends and there was no net. And I woke directly from this dream when the alarm went off.

I don't feel refreshed or anything, but I've started to feel some hope that this could work.

Stepping back, at this point I have had a very mild headache and general body aches all day long. Nothing to call in sick over, but noticeable enough that I recognize it as a side effect of sleep deprivation.

So far my plan to avoid falling back to sleep is working. Unfortunately, I can't sleep when I'm supposed to, either.

I've tried using something to cover my eyes, making everything dark; waiting until I was tired; and extending my nap length to 40 minutes instead of 30. I still haven't been able to fall asleep.

Perhaps the third time will be the charm?

Even though I've lived in large cities most of my adult life, I haven't embraced the cultural diversity they offered until recently. And by diversity, I mean what they consume.

A friend of mine has helped me discover Calgary's tiny Chinatown, as well as some incredible Asian and Italian markets.

My favourite discovery recently is Gunpowder Mint tea, which is delicious and insanely cheap. You should be able to get a good-sized box of loose Gunpowder tea at any Asian foods store, or tea specialty store, for a couple of dollars. Next you need fresh mint leaves; at the same Asian foods store, a big bag of fresh mint was less than two dollars.

I don't have a big teapot, or a tea ball in which to hold loose tea leaves, but I've found that my bodum works like a charm. Drop in a tablespoon of loose Gunpowder tea, a small handful of mint leaves, and about 4 tablespoons of sugar (or more or less to taste, obviously). Fill with boiling water, and stir to dissolve the sugar. Let it steep for about a minute, and then drink it. This should make about 3 cups of tea, and of course you can play with the ratios/steep time if it's not to your liking.

It's to my liking.