I was awake at 5am. I could hear a louder-than-usual train in the distance. Then then train whistle. Unusual. Hmmm? Changed positions, fluffed a pillow, hunkered down and pointed the internal compass toward Dreamland again. Somewhere in the mid-sleep mumble -- you know the one: it's the might-or-might-not-be-asleep-but-feel-oddly-somewhat-conscious phase -- I heard the cat jump up on the dresser. I knew it was the dresser because the jewelry and assorted perfume bottles and meds started rattling. Then a thud and a rumble as the cat jumped down.
Wait. We don't have a cat.
Huh?
I was awake now. AWAKE!
I blinked a couple times and listened to see if the floorboards would creak but didn't want to move too much in case there was someone/something unexpected in the house. All was quiet. Very quiet. Hearing nothing more, I figured it wasn't a burglar, refluffed the pillow, rolled over, and happily went back to Dreamland. After all, maybe it was a squirrel playing a rough game of tag on the roof. Maybe? Or maybe my dreams were just super vivid and I imagined it. Maybe?
An hour or two later when I was awake for real (that second pillow fluffing worked great!) I learned it was not a cat. Not a squirrel. Not a burglar. Not even some part of a crazy dream, but a ... hold on to your hat ... it was an earthquake! Seriously! How cool is that?!
But if there ever IS an unexpected some one/thing in the house in the middle of the night ... sigh ... at this rate I would probably offer him or her a cold beverage and cucumber sandwiches, some cookies, and strike up a conversation. "Ever been to Niagara Falls?" "Where did you go to high school?" "Really? Police Women of Broward County is your fave TV show?" "Oh, and go ahead and take the tray out from under the sandwiches. Honest. It's only silver." "Here's a goody back of extra sandwiches and snacks, too. No sense in being hungry while you're playing burglar." "Love the early Halloween costume, by the way."
My head is already shaking in shame.
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