The demons at 5 a.m. -- a rerun

There I was, kept from sleep again by waking nightmares of the historic commission, when I flipped the TV on in predawn desperation and flipped into -- a rebroadcast of the HARC meeting, on the city's cable channel.

I looked grayer, balder and wearier than I'd hoped -- but nothing like the poor soul in the great Goya etching "El sueño de la razón produce monstruos: The sleep of reason brings forth monsters." At least my voice was strong.

The overhead camera captured the exhibits well, and in my biased way I thought the whole process captured my horrible predicament all too well indeed, though it missed the howling owls.

I filed the appeal Friday, and I await word from the city's special master about the hearing. Sleeplessly.