Day 328: Sleepy Head

This morning I woke up at three-thirty a.m., thanks to a visit from the cat. Apparently I was sleeping on my back. I didn't know that I slept on my back until these visits began recently. Here's how it happens: All of a sudden I find myself awake and realize there is something on my chest. Of course, it's kitty and she is sitting there purring and head butting me in the face every few seconds. Just often enough so that if I'm trying to ignore her and fall back to sleep, I am awakened again. And again and again. I would have sworn that I never sleep on my back but then there I was, on my back with a cat on my chest.

Her middle of the night visits usually don't bother me so much since I can generally go back to sleep fairly easily. This morning however she came visiting a couple of times and by the time the alarm went off I was feeling like a big piece of lead. I got up long enough to go to the bathroom and then snuggled back into the covers and fell fast asleep again. It was so easy and felt so cozy with my husband's warm body next to me. I was deep in a crazy dream, you know the ones that feel like reality? You wake up and think it actually happened, or is happening still? Well anyway, suddenly I felt my husband stir and then his voice in the distance was asking, "What time is it?"

I am pretty sure he asked a few times though it didn't make any sense at all to me. We had just arrived at the train station where we were to disembark. Surely he knew what time it was. He had our tickets! "I really need to know what time it is," brought me back to reality. I literally could not budge. I was so heavy with sleep and my dream of train stations and all of our stuff scattered around our sleeping car that I just could not pick up my head to look at the clock. My arm was also asleep so when I tried to move it, nothing was happening. Finally I could muster up the strength, it was almost seven a.m. He sprang out of bed and ran to the shower.

I took my sleep head downstairs to make the cat some coffee and get us a couple of cups of cat food. No, wait, the other way around. Anyway, the day started and eventually I woke up. I even rode my bike to work, stopping on my way by the early morning sale at Ahlens City, one of the big department stores here. I bought a couple of Christmas presents, and yes, I did get "one for me." I also picked up some Christmas cards and gift wrapping supplies. All for fifteen percent off! What a fun way to start the day!

Hope you have a happy weekend!

Look at this sweet little stjärngosse, or star boy.

My walkin' boots... hope you get to do some walkin' and enjoyin' the outdoors this weekend! Sending you all some love from the K is for Kärlek (love) manhole cover!

Day 296: Strange and Wonderful

I was having this crazy dream about my cat early this morning. She was outside on our seventh floor balcony and somehow she managed to sneak through the space at the bottom of the balcony bars and jump down to the neighbor's balcony right below us. But you know how in dreams things can be slightly off from reality? Our neighbor's balcony, which is directly below our balcony in real life, was instead attached to their kitchen windows over to the left. I ran back into the apartment frantically to call my husband and when I returned to the balcony she was sitting right there. She had jumped back up to our balcony. I could see that she was still full of piss and vinegar and was about to try leaping off the front of the balcony so I grabbed her tail and started pulling as hard as I could to keep her from jumping. Right about that time I was suddenly awakened by a tiny wet nose sniffing my face, then there was a rough tongue licking my chin. She was sitting next to my shoulder, purring loudly and kneading dough on my arm.

Did she know I was dreaming about her? Was I making noises in my sleep while dreaming? Really pulling her tail? I guess I will never know for sure but she woke me up and pulled me back to reality, just as I was pulling her tail to keep her from jumping. Kitties are strange and wonderful creatures. I sometimes wonder if they are little angels sent to watch over us. It seems that way sometimes when I look into her eyes. It's as if her eyes are telling me that she understands what I am feeling and she knows what I am thinking. The other day my husband and I were talking over breakfast and I said that when Pina goes to kitty heaven it may be a long time before I want to get another kitty. His response surprised me. He said that he would actually go out and get another kitty right away. He said that having Pina has shown him how important having a kitty in his life is and he wouldn't want to be without one again for very long. Hearing that made my heart melt for him just a little bit more. Nothing sweeter than a boy and his cat.

Looks like dinner time... where's my fresh fish?