That awkward moment when you stay up all night playing Pokémon.

After nine all-too-quick hours of wondrous training, bonding and adventure, I looked up from the world of Pokémon to discover that the sun was rising. It occurred to me in that moment that
a) I had not slept at all, and
b) I have scheduled an entire season of Doctor Who for tonight, so there is no sleep forthcoming when that fiery ball dips below the horizon once more.
This is perhaps more meaningful for me than one might think, given my generally nocturnal nature. Contrary to popular belief, just because I tend to be awake for more of the night than the day doesn't mean I don't value my sleep. Oh, no. In fact I value my sleep more than most things. Breathing comes in first, and sometimes food, but sleep is generally the top of the pile. Without it...things get strange. Bat Country strange. I have very little capacity for long periods of wakefulness.

Whatever else you may say about sleep deprivation, it amounts to a state of mind which is simultaneously like being incredibly drunk and also like having had way, way too much caffeine. It walks the line between 'funny' and 'humiliating'. I, for one, think it's worth the sideways glances and exasperation of my hapless friends, because I come up with some brilliant thoughts in my zombie-like state. Currently I have latched onto the idea of recreating these beauties in the comfort of my own kitchen with a ferocity I am unaccustomed to, even for baking:

It may even happen, if I don't collapse into a snoring, dribbling pile of insanity before I get around to it. Wish me luck.