I lived alone, and the only other work I was doing was writing for PC Magazine. As I worked on the book day after day, I kept going to bed later and later. Every young coder knows what it's like to pursue a problem for hours on end like that. I found working at night very peaceful. The telephone never rang, and many of the stores were closed (even in New York City) so there weren't many distractions. If necessary, I could always run down to one of the all-night neighborhood delis for — oh, this was so long ago — cigarettes.

Sometime during the year, I was staying up so late that my days and nights became swapped. "How are you doing with the book?" I remember someone asking. "OK, I think," I said. "I'm listening to the radio a lot. But I'm going to bed after Morning Edition and getting up in time for All Things Considered."

I enjoy few things better than a late-night coding session, particularly if I can augment my insomia with really cheap food. O for the late night kernel hacking sessions brought on by one Angelos Keromytis. Of course, at the time, they almost induced a nervous breakdown. But it's a lot better looking back. In fact, I may be feeling the need to do it again . . .