Cyclical mystery

photo pulled from web.

I swear it's like pedaling to nowhere.

Why why why at 44 do I still not get it.  (Not that it really matters I guess?)

Last night while the kids were playing with L&O and then settling down for the season premiere of Star Wars The Clone Wars at 9pm, I was at the computer, feeling more tired by the second.  I was positng pictures from the aquarium.  I was vaguely dissatisfied, physically out of sorts.  I remembered the chocolate bar I had picked up at Whole Foods (where we picked up some dinner items since our original plans to have sushi in Philly fizzled out).

It was a dark chocolate with coconut bar.  In the car, Gem had declared it too laden with coconut.  Sag didn't like it either.  I felt it was too sweet.  But, I had hated the feeling I had gotten standing in front of the chocolate bar display.  They didn't have my go to Divine.  Nothing else looked reliably good.  I was becoming disgusted at my American self standing in the pinnacle of American consumerist supermarkets unable to decide which chocolate bar I wanted and not wanting any of the hundreds at my disposal.

I almost walked away, so great was my anomie.  But, then I spotted the coconut, which sounded interesting and I grabbed it.

Fast forward back to 9pm.  I plucked the bar from my purse and proceeded to eat the whole bar.  Part of me was prodding my brain with a finger going 'really? really?!'  But, most of me was in a daze.  A daze with some purpose.  Must.  Have.  Chocolate.

I hit the point of crumpling shortly thereafter and walked to my bed and lay down on top of the covers.  I just had to close my eyes.  I was so sleepy.  Normally, when the kids are up, and especially if they have friends over, it would never occur to me to lie down.

Cap was working in the bedroom, half of which is his home office.  He bore witness.  He saw something I was too hazy to see and told me I should just go to bed.  In the recesses of my mind, behind closed eyes, I muttered 'don't tell me what to do', clearly unclear on my situation.  And a crank, on top of that.  He gathered his things, turned out the light and left me alone.

I got up briefly to brush my teeth, but then fell right asleep.

So does everyone else see what I didn't?  I woke up this morning and my period had arrived.

You know, it's actually kind of interesting.  I am definitely in the autumn of my menstrual career and things are changing.  PMS used to be distinctly recognizable and it no longer is.  Now signs of my approaching period (my body being fed a particular chemical/hormonal cocktail) include what were signs of pregnancy (ie. the supra sleepiness).  An opportunity to take a trip down memory lane before it all goes away?

I'm in awe, really.  Do men get to be so entertained by their body systems?