In which I am tightly surrounded and cannot sleep...

It's late.

Well, if I had been working a closing shift at the store, it would be early - but that's not the case.

As a rule, when I sleep, I need to be covered up. Be it by sheet alone or accompanying blankets. It's winter, so the blankets accompany. I like to be warm, but not too hot. Chilly evenings bundled up are the best!

As a rule, Morning Star will jump up and join me - always closest to the side of the bed, because the dog gets the middle. He will stay next to me for no more than 30 minutes or someone moves and disturbs him. Usually the latter.

As a rule, I sleep with earplugs due to various city noises outside the window, the dog noisily snacking on the chewtoy du jour and various other night noises mixed in with the gentle snorings and teeth grindings of the loving husband slumbering beside me.

Finally, as a rule, I forget my earplugs and always need to get out of bed to procure them.

All of these, as a rule.

Rules are made to be broken.

Of course, the rule that wasn't broken was the last one. I forgot the earplugs. I can be sooooo reliable.

I got into bed and was finishing up my book, Skulduggery Pleasant - an excellent book by the way. It's meant for older kids, but is a fantastic read for all ages.
Morning Star, of course joined me and settled along my legs as a fine example of a personal heater. I finished up and turned off my light to get some sleep as I need to be at work early in the morning. Shortly after, my husband did the same. Jack, our Cava-Tzu, did the settled some minutes later.

Normally, Morning Star will move as soon as someone moves around or the dog starts scratching out a nest in the blankets.

Not so tonight.

He stayed fast and wasn't about to move for anything. And is he a little heater!

I never move this cat from the bed when he joins me. He is usually so picky about how much movement there is that he will move in his own time. I can usually wait to get my earplugs until he has vacated his position.

Unfortunately, tonight I drifted in and out of sleep for an hour or so while his little fire burned against the length of my legs.

In addition, Jack curled up right against the crook of my knees. And you well know that when you are under the covers, anything that is on top of the covers basically pins you down.

Feelings of being trapped, anyone?

And a furnace on either side...

Luckily, the rest of the night noises were at a minimum tonight - including the gentle snoring beside me.

Kitty finally moved and I was freed from my confinement. Having been roasting nicely, I needed a drink - so here I am. OJ beside me and merrily typing away.

As ordeals go, this wasn't a horrible one. I am still awake, though. There is the fresh excitement of discovering something new - I am now on Facebook and am becoming thoroughly addicted to it with special thanks to my husband and Betty!

I think I am about ready to expose this blog to the world.

Watch out Facebook - here I come!

The Morning Star

Good afternoon all!

As I'm getting things together for the Blog, I've found a great picture to put up for my profile. OK. It's not me. I'm not that fuzzy. But it IS my baby.

This is the wonderful one who curls up beside me during the day or beside me on the bed (besides by husband and the other pets.) This is the Morning Star.

This loving, 20 pound ball of fur was found by my husband a few months before we met. The cat was thrown out a car window near the property of Farmer's Market/Flea Market near York, PA - where we lived before coming to DC. This market was called Morningstar Markets, hence the name of the kitty.

MS wandered around the market and was fed by some of the nice ladies selling their wares. But as winter approached, fewer people were there to feed him and they grew worried about how he would survive.

Along comes the (then, going-to-be-)husband. MS approached him and let him pick him up. He had found a home! The ladies twisted my husband's arm (just a little bit) and convinced him to take the cat.

A couple months later, I entered the picture. The cat was being standoffish (a cat? really?) and was just happy having food and company, but kept to himself. He may have also been a little unhappy that he was thought to be a she... give him a break - he's fat, fixed and has a high voice. As soon as I entered the picture, the cat loved me!

At the time, I was having problems with my knee and needed to stay off my feet as much as possible. The cat and I would curl up on the couch and watch TV or play video games. Our bond was forged.

Now 3 years later, we are in DC. Morning Star lives up to his other namesake. For those of you familiar with religious lore, you may recall that Lucifer was also referred to as the Morning Star before his fall. And what a devil this cat can be.

He may be cute and loving, but he's all claws and teeth when he wants to be. You might think that when a cat exposes his belly, he is exposing his softest part to you. He's exposing a bear trap. There are five lethal weapons waiting to clamp down on your hand!

But for all the claws and teeth, though, my Morning Star is the second love of my life - following closely behind my husband.

He's cute, fuzzy and warm and he's reminding me that I need to get to work.

Farewell for now...