Between midnight and 6:00 AM

I got a letter from the local utility company that says I use substantially more power between those hours than my neighbors. It was part of a public service initiative, helping us conserve energy and save on our bills.

When my mom stayed with me a year ago, after my surgery, she was appalled that I kept my lights on all night long. Part of it I do for security -- as a woman living alone, I want it to always look like people are here and awake and moving about, regardless of the hour. Part of it is that I have trouble falling asleep -- it has to happen naturally and organically, usually while I'm reading or watching TV. If I crawl into bed after turning everything off and lay there in the dark and quiet, I get so nervous and uncomfortable.

But to me, the thing was, my mom would be so entertained to know that my flagrant nocturnal use of electricity has come to the attention of the local power company. But I can't tell her. Because she died two weeks ago.