What's so great about it being late?

Can somebody explain to me what is the big freakin' deal about staying up late?

OK, maybe it was "fun" when we were younger because it was forbidden, it was naughty, it was testing limits. As an adult, I just don't get it. Is it wrong to like to get up when the sun gets up(well, relatively soon afterwards) and go to bed not long after it gets dark?? (we're not talking about going to bed at 6pm in December, but you get the idea!) Is it wrong to get 8 hours of sleep during the span of time we label as "night?" Is is wrong to do recreational and social events in the, heaven forbid, afternoon????!!!!

Last night, we were driving home after hanging out for awhile at my brother-in-law's condo. We ate some Mexican and were watching the Cubs game. After the game, we mutually decided to leave. In the car, my husband teasingly said I am "older" than him; he was referring to the fact that, in general, I don't like to stay up late and when I try to stay up I am often falling asleep. Unfortunately we are complete opposites in this respect. He is a total night owl, will stay up til the wee hours of the evening (or is it really morning??) and then sleep in late. I am not a 5:00 am type of person, but I would rather get up around 7:00 am and go to bed between 10:00 and 11:00am (probably closer to 10). Tell me, is this bad??

Well, apparently it is for our social life. When we moved to Tinley Park, we anticipated hanging out more with my husband's family, typically his brothers, cousins, and all of their significant others. My husband's brothers and cousins still are in the "let's go out to the bars" kind of mentality. And often it's last minute, calling us up when I am already in my pajamas and half asleep. Sure, in college I could somehow muster up the motivation to get up, change, and go out. But nowadays the comfort of my bed just is too strong. It would be different if people called the day before so I had some notice and would know not to start getting all cozy come 8 or 9pm. Or, better yet, if it was at an earlier hour altogether. Why does going out have to be after 10pm?? What happens then that can't happen in the afternoon or early evening? This is my burning question. A beer or mixed drink doesn't taste as good when the sun is up? Bean bags, pool, karaoke aren't as fun in the light? And why does it always have to involve alcohol?? (Which I think will be an entirely other blog post) So, typically, we have passed on offers to go out. And now we rarely get a call. We hear after the fact about weekends out at the bars and feel a little left out, but also knowing we probably didn't miss much of anything too spectular. We have called the same people to come over to our house for an afternoon of board games or watching sports on t.v. Usually they pass at our offer.

I have never been a night person. I was always one of the first ones to fall asleep at slumber parties and miss the late night gossip and crazy goings on. (Luckily I never woke up with shaving cream on my face or with someone holding my hand in warm water, which supposed makes you pee your pants). I am chronically falling asleep infront of the t.v. My husband has learned to never start watching movies with me after 8:00pm because I am highly likely not to make it through to the end. About 9:30 pm my eyes start to get droopy, I get pleasantly sleepy, and after 10:00 pm my brain starts shutting down for the night (unless I am moving around alot). I don't know what it is. The comfort of home, a cozy bed/couch, snuggled up next to my hubby...warm feelings of safety and security. But are they making me boring? And am I taking my husband down with me?

The good thing is my husband was over going out and drinking like three years ago. I like to be social, occasional drinking is fine, bars can be fun but often are loud and potentially boring. But hey, I like to sleep. At night.