I know that my last post, the photo collage about sleep, isn’t what you’ve come to expect from BulgingButtons. It isn’t what I expect from myself, either, but I did it for three reasons. First, I’ve really admired some of the photo collages I’ve seen on other blogs. I knew there was a function provided by WordPress to create those collages, so I decided to tinker with it and see if I could make it happen. I did, in a very elementary way. Yay me.

I would like to learn how to manipulate the images more until I’m satisfied with their placement and their relative sizes, but for today this was enough. I would also like to spend more time integrating text into the post, in order to explain my thought process and vision (in case it’s not completely apparent). Those are goals for another time and another day, though.

The second reason I actually posted that little collage was as a bit of a reminder to myself that I need to be careful about burning the candle at both ends. I am someone who needs sleep. I become crabby and difficult to be with if I go too many nights without adequate rest. I also become worn down and susceptible to any passing germs that might be in my environment. I teach elementary school kids. There are lots of germs in my environment. I really don’t want to become a walking germ magnet. Early to bed and early to rise and all that nonsense. Except that I like to stay up late, which makes getting up early a real drag.

Finally, I hit the “publish” button because I was a little afraid that I might not find time later in the day to blog. These November challenges have taken over my being, and I MUST complete them! It turns out that I was able to steal a few minutes here, between teaching an after-school group and attending my son’s sports banquet, to clarify my earlier post. I hope you’re at least the tiniest bit sympathetic and can forgive what is clearly an amateurish attempt at what could be a great photo essay topic. Or at least a good one.

Please put away the rotten tomatoes, or better yet get rid of those nasty things! Forgive me my lame attempt, and click somewhere else on the blog for something a little more satisfying.

Until tomorrow, I remain bleary in blogland.