It’s Tuesday, it’s 10.33 and I’m hungry and beginning to flag. So far I have accomplished little.

Even the title I just settled on, whilst holding a modicum of humour, is imperfect, as no prunes appear in the post.

Last night I dreamed of microwaving something. I’m not sure what but the microwave alarm turned out to be my alarm telling me it was time to wrench myself from bed and make breakfast. It was a pitiful thing made of fresh fruit and wheat biscuits, full of fibre and vitamins, and lacking in charm and good cheer. Then I drove Julia to wood turning, struggled in traffic and finally returned home where I started sorting out emails.

Turned wood Christmas decorations with acrylic paint marbling

Really, I should be brimming with energy and preparing to launch myself on the main part of the day.

I am in a quandary. Do I need toast and tea to restore my energy levels, or do I need to lose weight to restore my energy levels? I’m not sure I can do both.

Experience suggests that if I stop, have tea and watch a little daytime TV, I will nod off. This is not good. Alternatively I can make tea, sit back at my desk and, lacking energy, stare at my screen. Experience suggests that if I can’t find inspiration, I may well nod off.

There have been times in my life when the ability to sleep in adverse circumstances has been useful. This is not one of them.

While I’m here – does anyone know anything about the mechanism where an external alarm is so rapidly assimilated into a dream? I could swear that the alarm started in my dream before the external one went off, but it seems unlikely. Presumably some academic know the explanation, but so far my internet searches have failed to find one.

I can find stuff on the symbolism of alarm clocks in dreams, and see that other people have similar dreams, but that’s not the question. I’m puzzled by the speed with which it seems to become part of the dream.

More my type of breakfast