Not Just "Missy Cissy"-

Eyes wide open... it's still dark. What time is it?
I raise my head off the pillow to see the face of the alarm clock over the blonde head lying next to me... it's 2:30. Here we go again!

We push the doohickey on top of the thermostat all the way to the left before we go to bed, so the temperature in the house gradually drops to 50 degrees overnight. On top of this we have a floor fan stirring the air to make some white noise, so the wind chill in the bedroom could be even less than 50. At this temperature my 12 pound, furry, "living hot water bottle" finds it most comfortable to burrow beneath the covers and curl up in my crotch. So far she hasn't budged... another indicator that the room is mighty chilly.

Oh well. I'll lie here quietly. The waterbed is heated. My living hot water bottle is in place. I listen to Sara Jean snore... wait, that's a misnomer... HUM. It's actually a comforting sound, not irritating at all. Over the sound of the floor fan I hear the refrigerator motor kick on downstairs... my hearing surprises me sometimes... I'm not deaf to all frequencies quite yet.

We're half a mile from the railroad tracks. I hear the drumming of the big diesel locomotive idling. In the distance I hear the approach of another train. It reaches the crossing and blows the horn and I smile. In the wee hours of the morning the engineers cheat... they're supposed to blow "Loooonnnnnng, loooooonnnnnnng, short, loooooonnnnnng", sustaining the last long toot all the way into the crossing. At this hour, in deference to those living right next to the tracks, most of them pull the rope for their horns about halfway and get a half-volume toot. Sometimes their horns sound more like goats crying out for a mate. After this train passes, the engine I heard idling speeds up, then I hear another half-hearted horn bleating. He was waiting for the other train to pass so the track would be clear. Maybe one was going Northbound and the other South? I can't tell from my listening point, but I bet that was the case.

I gently raise my head and glance at the clock... 3:05.
The alarm to wake me will sound at 5:40... I have a dreaded day shift today. I lie and listen to the wind blowing outside and I'm glad I don't have to work in it. Twenty-five degrees with a 10 knot wind does not make me happy. Lying in bed next to this beauty with a loyal dog helping keep me warm is what makes me happy. The thought of having to get up while it's still dark outside is stressful to me, and is what is causing this insomnia.
Head raised... 3:47.

The last time I raised my head before dropping back into slumber the clock read 4:11. I woke five minutes before the alarm went off and took care of my bathroom needs before waking Sara Jean. She has a big day today and needed to be up early too.

Coffee.
Egg sandwich... yum!
Lunch bucket and thermos in the car, along with other work needs, I'm on the road a little after 6 A.M.. Flying weather this morning will be nice, but the forecast for this afternoon includes rain and snow... normal for this time of year.

At work my mechanic announces he has "phase inspections" to perform on the aircraft, and it will be "out of service" until Noon. We start the tug, attach it to the BK117, and carefully pull it into the hangar. When I finish this post and push "publish" I'll lie down and catch a nap...
Remember, "E.M.S." means "Earn Money Sleeping".
I hope you slept better than I did last night, but if not I hope you can make a little money today while taking a nap!

So let's hear about selling homes, giving away kitties, working out at the Y, doing the same old work for a "new" employer, recovering from the tragic loss last weekend, and anything else that might be happening to our beloved VK's.