at 2:30 AM last night, my dogs started howling.

This in itself is not that unusual, but the lazy things were inside, on the couch, when they did it. Normally they run outside so their howls can be heard by every dog within three miles of the house. Must’ve been an ambulance out on the highway or something.

Well, I got them shushed and by the time I got back to bed I found two children that had been stirred by the noise. I try not to take it personally, but when they climb into our bed their heads point toward mom and their feet toward me. Or more specifically, my face and my crotch (two kids, they got it all covered). No matter how many times I turn them or move them or warn them (“Don’t kick dad in the face, it makes him sad”) they find their way back. Squirmy little monsters.

So, I grabbed my pillow and went to their bed and curled up in the bottom bunk. I have to curl up since it’s a kids bed and not long enough for me (almost, but not quite). The guest bed would have been better but it’s covered in toys and clothes that I haven’t quite put away. Since August.

An hour later I woke up and tried to focus on the digital clock across the room. This isn’t an easy task at any time, since I am extremely nearsighted and don’t usually sleep with my glasses on. But last night it was worse – the clock kept swimming around in circles. Fast, dizzy circles.

It finally occurred to me that I might be a little drunk, since I had a glass of wine while watching Monday Night Football, and had a very empty stomach, since my last meal was on Saturday evening and I threw up all day Sunday and only had a bagel on Monday. And I also might have had two glasses of wine. I think I finally drifted to sleep around 4:00 or 5:00.

Stoopid dogs. I could hear them snoring the whole time.