overdose of work + computer + football + coffee + lack of exercise and sleep = an unhealthy, tired and grumpy owl

This is the longest post title yet for my blog of three years..

I really ought to be taking a break from my PC screen.. my left eye is red again and my thinking incoherent. But I just need to rant - whether it's self-pity or self-reproach. :(

Ok, on one hand, I'm feeling pretty stressed with work - and had put in my Facebook status that I have 5 stories to write in 3 weeks (now one more!). A few of these articles are really not easy - as in I really need to plan, contact many interviewees and organise the whole story within limited time. I can tell you the `getting the story' part would be far tougher and much more time consuming than actual writing. Well, it's so for most story I guess but now I have a few of these TOGETHER! And the more I started on them the more I discover there is to research and do and there's one particular lead story that probably needs re-angling.. thank God I haven't actually written anything but...

(I shan't dwell into work stuff cos I can't and won't reveal much and don't want to bore my readers!)

So yeah, you would imagine I'm slogging away with work.. But thanks to the Euro 2008 championship (which is almost the whole month of June) I have turned into a true-blue owl. The matches are all played starting at 2:45am - though some of the first round matches started at midnight. Those who know me know I'm quite a fan of International football - ie country against country - especially huge ones like World Cup and Euro Championship. And now having the luxury of not needing to wake up for work, I have been sleeping at the crack of dawn the last fortnight. When it came to the Quarter finals where three out of four matches ended up in extra-time.. u could imagine my sleeping patterns. I now get up about 1-ish.. but even like last nite there was no match, I still slept after 4am but woke up a bit earlier cos thought of work. And my daily mug (or more) of Starbucks coffee become an essential as a `pick-me up'

Since I had no specific things on today, I originally planned to go to gym this afternoon after working a bit more in Starbucks. For I hadn't gone for 2 weeks now (before that I took even longer a break!) Exercise would make me feel better I know. But guess what, I ended up sitting in Starbucks - doing some work (not actually writing but drafting questions and discussing things with editors) and other leisure things on the Internet - for close to five hours! Time just flew and by that time, too tired and hungry to consider gym.

When I drove home, I felt quite angry with myself.. and with things. I felt unproductive and lousy basically..

But of course not everything is gloomy. Like when I realised I forgot to bring my wallet out today, it just happened that a friend was waiting to meet me at Starbucks. So she passed me some money.. phew! And then the organiser of Gary Chaw's concert has kindly given me two comp tix for the concert this Sat which I'm not covering and was wanting to go!

So I know I should stop complaining. I should just tell myself to buck-up!!

And thank goodness only three matches left!

p.s. pardon this lousy, uninspiring post