Sleep is good — but awake is always better this time of year

It's late, and what I really want to do is slide into bed and sleep until spring.

You know how it is. The Christmas season is great, but sometimes you just get SO tired that you fantasize about sleeping, and eventually you start envying horses because they can sleep while standing up with their eyes open, which (if you're really tired) can cause you to start thinking strange thoughts, such as "If I were a horse I could be standing here in this checkout line at Target sleeping, AND NO ONE WOULD EVEN KNOW."

And before you know it, you start wishing you were Mr. Ed.

Or maybe you don't. The point is that when you get tired you get weird.

It's going to be a while, however, before I can go to bed tonight. My husband and I are leaving for New York first thing in the morning, which means I'm running around like a maniac. Washing! Folding clothes! Packing! Making "To Do" lists for the kids! Even though they'll totally ignore them! Wishing with all my heart that I could JUST GO TO BED . . .

The last time I was this tired, ironically, was the last time we went to New York during the holidays. My husband and I landed at JFK, hailed a cab, and headed straight for Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettes in their annual Christmas Spectacular.

I'd been looking forward to the performance, but by the time we crossed the Triborough Bridge into Manhattan, I was seriously wishing I were a horse (of course).

Not even the sights of the city revived me, which is saying something because New York at night in December is unbelievably beautiful. The whole town wraps itself up in black sky and pine and a million twinkling lights.

"Well," I thought as I trudged into the theater, "maybe I can sleep once the show starts."

It was not to be, however, thanks to the man in the seat next to us. He was no more than 30. Bright-eyed. Clean-shaven. Dapper in polished loafers, crisp khakis and a red crewneck sweater.

"Is this your first Spectacular?" he asked before the production started.

I nodded.

He grasped my forearm and gave it a little squeeze. "Well, get ready for the best show you'll ever see."

Just then a family of five shuffled in and sat down in front of us, presumably because they had tickets for those seats.

"Excuse me," my new best friend barked at them. "You'll have to move. If you sit there, you'll be in our way."