In my early twenties I lived in a great flat with Miguel and David. In those heady days of Playstation 2, Nintendo 64, instant mee goreng, driving around aimlessly, drinking, and working part time I could do what I want. Go to bed when I wanted. Wake up when I wanted, I guess. What a sweet life. I'd go to bed late for all sorts of great reasons, like Tony Delroy's quiz was a really good one or someone came home with a bottle of vodka or we had a really competitive game of Tekken going on. But without doubt the thing that kept me up most was my aversion to that time in between leaving my usual post in front if the heater and getting into bed. Teeth brushing time. Don't get me wrong. I love brushing my teeth. In fact back in those days I even wrote a song about it. I guess this is really just a winter thing, but the memory is strong. I'd be lying in front of the heater and be so tired I'd just want to be in bed. But if there was one thing I can not do, it is go to bed without brushing my teeth. Ughhhh. But I would be so warm and comfy I would not, for love nor money*, be able to rouse myself to go to bed, because the cold bathroom and time between floor and bed were so repellent. Eventually I'd get to bed, teeth clean, but it was so hard. Until I was doing it, really it was fine then. And after the teeth, I would be in a warm bed and I'd be the happiest I'd been all night.
Perhaps the memory is so vivid because I felt the exact same way last night. Lying in front of the heater, warm and sleepy and a cold bathroom between me and bed, but now it's even harder because there is a smart phone to keep me company. Well last night, as every night, I got up to go brush my teeth and go to bed. And of course, it was fine. It's always the pulling away from the heater that is hardest. But I couldn't help look back over my life, at all the nights I didn't want to walk that bridge from warm room to bed and wondered why the fuck I can't just get a warm house?!
*lie
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