Where the dawn comes up like thunder

At 0530.


OK, it wasn’t thunder.

 It was Loki, whining and barking at the neighborhood vandal dogs as they chased cars up and down the road. Today would have been a wonderful day to sleep in. So, of course, we stayed up about an hour too late last night. Coincidentally with the dog demanding to play, my pain meds wore off a bit early and left me willing to sleep later but unable to find a position that afforded enough comfort to doze off. As I rule, if I can’t sleep, I’ll get up and get dressed rather than lay there tossing and turning and eventually wake up Gloria. It is a matter of courtesy. She makes the same effort to let me sleep.

Both of us have spent too many years doing shift work, being on call. We know how missing just half an hour that you expected and needed can dog you all day.

Today is a beautiful day, sunny, bright, little wind, crisp, more like we expect October to be than like the November day it actually is. I have no reason to complain about time or place.

Gloria has taken Loki outside to brush her. Loki sheds incessantly, throws off enough excess hair in a week to build a new dog. Gloria likes brushing her and Loki generally tolerates it. Today, someone down valley is sighting in a large caliber rifle or shotgun. The noise bothers Loki and she has no desire to remain outside.

Some variation of shrimp pizza will provide dinner tonight. We have goat cheese, onions, peppers, and assorted herbs and spices in the larder. We shan’t go to bed hungry.

Tomorrow will be an early morning. I have to have the Pathfinder at the dealership for a 0800 service appointment. It will be a long morning, waiting for the work to be completed. The waiting area is a bit small for my comfort and someone usually tunes the television to Fox News. That seems to be the common source of misunderstanding for far too many of our fellow Tennesseans. I’ve just spent an hour wrestling with my mp3 player, requiring a play list to be what I want, not just an alphabetic ordering of random songs. That is sufficient electronic insurgency for one day.