At one o’clock this morning my black Lab–Ocho–decided that he needed to go out.  Fearing that he had to use the bathroom, I reluctantly got out of bed and let him outside.  He shot out the door like a bolt of lightening and immediately set to barking.  Don’t know what was out there–coyotes, probably–but whatever it was really put a cramp in my sleeping style.  It took an hour to get him back in–and I’m sure the neighbors were loving me and him both by two–and now it’s four and I have yet to go back to sleep. 

I’ve worked.  I’ve checked email.  I’ve scoped out People.com and TMZ.  (Geez, Lord, Britney Spears has lost her mind.) I’ve clicked out to the Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet, watched Amber Frey talk about moving on since the Scott Peterson trial.   I’ve scrolled through some of the eHarlequin boards, visited the Plotmonkeys, Jen LaBrecque’s site, The Writing Playground and various others.  I’ve played Strike A Match.  I’ve logged onto my children’s accounts and made sure that their internet settings are still right.  (They are.)  I’m exhausted…and yet I can’t sleep.

Whah!

(Honestly, people, it’s looking like I’m going to whine all week.  Consider yourselves warned. )