Musing on my muse

This was a pretty rough day.

So, I got almost everything built and/or rebuilt that was on my list.  I was a working machine today.  It was inspiring: I became a machine that produced exactly what I wanted when I wanted.  Everything was precise, and everything went together.  And then it didn't work the way I wanted.

Crap.

Well, I decided just before one a.m. this morning to head home and get some sleep.  I could have worked, but I was stumped and I needed to hear from my muse.  No such luck.  It makes me think of how these things work.
The muse is a character bringing inspiration to mortals.  But she is not to be controlled.  Instead, she has her own whims and designs on which she works, and because of that she is both alluring and frustrating (it's not a wonder that the muse is portrayed as feminine).   But, while I will use this word to describe inspiration as much as in reference to someone in particular, I should point out that solutions can be had more reliably: work and clear thought.

I'm still awake because I had to let my mind mull over the problem.  I am writing right now because I have reasoned through the problem and have a solution.  That makes me happy, but it also makes me go to bed.  And not a moment too soon.