As a chef, this nocturnal nature has been a great help. (As long as I wasn't working the early morning breakfast shift!!) Finishing a busy night, riding the adrenalin buzz could often take me to 2 or 3 in the morning without any trouble. It made for a great many memorable nights, most of which would not be appropriate to discuss here.
Last night, I headed out to walk the dog around 11:30. I put on the I-pod and headed out, leash in hand. It was an amazingly still night, and there was not a soul to be seen anywhere. I settled the headphones on my ears, pressed shuffle and headed off. At times like this, I just let my mind wander. I feel that I get some of my most creative ideas that way. Within 20 minutes, I had 3 dishes bubbling through my brain, that if no-one had been at home I probably would have stayed up until morning cooking. They will come to life over the next few days, to be sure. But then, a song came on that stopped me dead in my tracks.
"You're The Boss" Brian Setzer and Gwen Stefani. Such a cool track. And before I knew it, I was singing along with the song and dancing. Yes, for those of you who know me and are now staring dumbly, I said dancing. It was amazing. The moonlight shining down. The gentle glow of the street lamps. The dog staring at me like I'd lost my mind. I was in the middle of hundreds of houses, most quiet and dark. And unlike all those people, I was alive and just buzzing. It was incredible. As though I was the only person on Earth. The song ended. I straightened my coat and set off on my way, both dog and I perfectly happy to pretend the impromptu dance session had never happened. But it wasn't over.
Marc Cohn, "Walking in Memphis" This song has always had the ability to grab a hold of me, but last night was something different. Within a few bars, I was singing at the top of my lungs. And I don't sing, at least not when people can hear me. It's not that I'm embarrassed by my voice. I just have too much respect for other people's eardrums to subject them to my caterwauling. But it didn't matter. The music just flowed through me. And on that quiet, still winter's night, I sang so freely that I cried. It was incredibly liberating and freeing. Luckily, I had a Milk-Bone or two for Drako. He really didn't know what to make of these strange noises. Hopefully, he's not too traumatized.
When I got home, I sat down and wrote out half a menu worth of recipe ideas. The power of the night had lifted me up and energized me beyond belief. When I finally lay down to sleep, I was just vibrating with that energy. It took a half hour for me to finally fall asleep. And as I dozed off, a lyric came floating through my brain that summed it up so perfectly.
"Working late night, not that we hate light
Just feels right, that's when tracks come out tight
Thoughts start creeping, people are sleeping
Pull words out of the dreams, it's the deep end
It's the deep end, people are sleeping
Pull words out of the dreams, it's the deep end
Keep in mind, it's not that we hate light
Just feels right, that's when tracks come out tight"
"Deep End" - Swollen Members
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