What A Way To Start the Day

It all started when Marshall had to get up at 4 to head to work. I can't sleep when he leaves so I turned the tv on and started watching "Nick at Night." I apparently dozed off because I startled awake when I heard Cain close the bathroom door at 6:30 to get ready for school.

I stayed in bed praying I would go back to sleep and then Lucy decided she was ready to get up. She's started this new thing where she apparently starts chasing and growling at her tail when she wakes up. Mind you, she's in her crate RIGHT beside my bed so it's very loud. If I don't get up when she starts that, then she starts whining and sticking her eye near one of the little holes so she can see me. Of course, if I make eye contact it's over. I can't help but giggle at seeing her peer out at me. Anyway, we got on up and I got dressed and took her outside.

She did her stuff and I noticed that most of all my bird feeders were either low or empty. I have seven bird feeders in one little area and each one of them is busy all day. I put Lucy on her little outside chain so she could enjoy some fresh outside air while I filled up my feeders since it takes me a while to do that. I thought she'd have a good time. She did. She found some cat poop and started eating it. I yanked her away from it, fussed at her and she sat there all pitiful (because I never scold her---I know I should, but I don't) until she found some leaves to dig her nose around in.

I also noticed that my cats have a great hiding place now in which to stay until they decide to pounce on one of my birds. Marshall pulled the camper less than 10 feet from two of my birdfeeders. That ain't gonna get it. He's going to have to move that stupid thing.

Hopper, our older dog, is an outside dog. She HATES the meter reader and of course today's the day the meter reader comes around. She started barking and barked her head off for a good 45 minutes. She can see him walk to several of the houses around us, and apparently can hear him lifting the lid off the water meter for longer than she can see him. Since she barked Lucy decided she would join in, so they both barked and barked and didn't listen to any of my threats.

In the meantime I poured myself a bowl of Cheerios, forgetting that the day before they tasted really odd (the dogs were both still barking but I tried to block it out). I took one bite of my cereal and then the whole bowl went in the garbage. I don't know what's wrong with them but they taste really weird. I fixed myself a bowl of Raisin Bran instead. I sat down to eat my Raisin Bran and couldn't take ANY more of Hopper barking (and was sure my neighbors couldn't either) so I jumped up and headed outside to spray water towards her because she hates water. So far that has done the trick.

I came back in, sat down to eat my cereal and heard Lucy gagging. She upchucked the cat poop (and goodness knows what else) in her little bed. No, she couldn't do it on the hardwood floors so it would be easy to clean up, she had to do it in her bed. I put my cereal BACK down, grabbed her out of the bed, took it in the bathroom to clean it up, scrubbed my hands (and sang "Happy Birthday twice since that's how long it takes to get rid of germs apparently), and then sat back down to eat my soggy cereal. Needless to say, that didn't work out because I was so grossed out. I wasted two bowls of cereal this morning.

Lucy is sound asleep by my side now and Hopper appears to be resting comfortably in her doghouse. *grumble* I'm NOT a happy camper.

That's how MY morning started, and this is all before 8:30. How is yours going?