I had the misfortune to wake up at 2:30 a.m. this morning. Wide awake! I
knew the cats played a bit during the night, but normally, I didn’t pay
that much attention. Tonight, I took note because I was WIDE AWAKE!
- First, I noticed that Barclee and Dickens were on the bed, but once
they saw me stirring, Dickens came up and stretched out across my pillow.
Barclee started licking my fingers. So, now I’m really awake. I put my
fingers under the covers and she curled back up.
- The new furnace kicked on. That’s a happy sound.
- Still awake – not going to look at the clock. Someone just used the
litterbox. It’s not Barclee, or Dickens. The noise reminds Dickens he needs
to go so he jumps down and does his business. (Yes, I do have a litter box
in the bedroom just for my little old man. He still uses it pretty
faithfully.)
- The clock just struck 3. Darn it – lost ½ hour of sleep. I hear
Molly’s jingling collar as she makes her way into the bedroom and curls up
around my knees. She decides to take a quick bath and there’s a lot of
slurping noises. Dickens is back in his corner, but when Molly gets on the
bed, he no doubt decides he needs to exert his dominance and comes to sleep
on the pillow again.
- Dickens disturbs Barclee who jumps down to eat. (Yes, I also have
food in my bedroom to make sure Bridgette and Dickens eat. That apparently
doesn’t seem to be a problem after all.)
- I am NOT going to look at the clock – oops 3:20. I hear a lot of
growling. Obviously Barclee is once again defending the bedroom from the
mean intruder Tuukka. She has a very small sphere of influence, but she makes the most of her
limited power. Poor Tuukka is resigned to sleeping in the hall.
- Molly finally falls asleep. I can tell because of the little gasp a
cat makes when they drift off as well as the complete absence of purring.
Maybe I can fall asleep myself.
- Someone else is now eating. Judging from the Darth Vader breathing
and the slurping food noises, I know it’s Bridgette. Her nose is not
getting better. Must remember to call the vet.
- Dickens decides he needs to eat and wakes up Molly. She begins the
purring again – it’s so loud it sounds like a motorboat. BUT, it’s not as
loud as Hamilton when he sleeps on my face. No sign of Hamilton so far.
- 3:45 – there’s a big ruckus in the hall. Someone is running back and
forth, obviously chasing an incredibly noisy ball with a stupid bell in it!
Who would have bought that kind of thing? Tuukka's the culprit. No one else can make
that kind of noise. Barclee continues to growl every time he approaches.
- Molly finally falls asleep. I can tell because of the little gasp a
cat makes when they drift off as well as the complete absence of purring.
Maybe I can fall asleep myself.
- Someone else is now eating. Judging from the Darth Vader breathing
and the slurping food noises, I know it’s Bridgette. Her nose is not
getting better. Must remember to call the vet.
- Dickens decides he needs to eat and wakes up Molly. She begins the
purring again – it’s so loud it sounds like a motorboat. BUT, it’s not as
loud as Hamilton when he sleeps on my face. No sign of Hamilton so far.
- 3:45 – there’s a big ruckus in the hall. Someone is running back and
forth, obviously chasing an incredibly noisy ball with a stupid bell in it!
Who would have bought that kind of thing? Tuukka's the culprit. No one else can make
that kind of noise. Barclee continues to growl every time he approaches.
- Dickens jumps back up onto the bed and has to walk across my body, even though it
would have been closer to jump to the foot of the bed. He likes to take the scenic, cross-country route.
- Dickens is snoring. It’s old the old man snoring, snorting combo.
- There’s still time to get to sleep – darn the clock just chimed 4!!! Molly’s
awake again and chewing on her toenails. Since she only has 3 legs, it
shouldn’t take her that long. Must remember to try and trim Dickens’ nails
– they’re growing under.
- Dickens is snoring. It’s old the old man snoring, snorting combo.
- There’s still time to get to sleep – darn the clock just chimed 4!!! Molly’s
awake again and chewing on her toenails. Since she only has 3 legs, it
shouldn’t take her that long. Must remember to try and trim Dickens’ nails
– they’re growing under.
- Someone is wandering down the hall meowing. Welcome Hamilton to the
melee! He woke up and apparently is just checking to see what everyone else
is doing.
- 4:15-ish – NOT that I'm looking! Tuukka goes out the cat door. That
magnetic door really is loud in the dead of night. Actually, what I’m
finding out is the night really isn’t that dead!
- Dickens, Molly and Barclee see me glance at the clock and all three
come up to see if I’m awake. Barclee starts licking my elbow and I try to
move my arm back under the covers, but Dickens is laying on it. Molly curls
up next to my side and turns her purr on LOUD.
- Bridgette brings in some sparkle balls to play with.
- 4:30 - Someone comes in to eat and Barclee jumps down to defend the
food. Must be Hamilton because I THINK Tuukka is still out, and Barclee
doesn’t bother Bridgette. They have 4 full bowls of food in the laundry
room. I have no idea why they all have to eat out of this single bowl where
I can hear all the chewing!
- 4:45 - Sleeping on my arm must not be comfortable because Dickens
moves back down to the corner.
- If I’m still awake at 5, I’m just going to get up. I obviously have a
litter box to clean and food bowls to re-stock.
- 5:30 – I wake up. I slept for maybe 45 minutes. Barclee, Dickens and
Molly see me move and all descend on me again. Barclee tries to find bare skin to
lick. Tuukka’s sitting in the door way looking in. My day has now officially begun.
Honestly, I wonder why I don't hear this every night!
