Frustrating & Sleepless Nights

I'm tired. So tired, I can't sleep.

Here's the deal: I climb into bed every night, exhausted from a day of "working." That's right. I'm using quotes. I mean, it's hard to believe I get paid to write news stories every day! It's like a hobby. Living the dream people! Oh, and in case you can't tell, that's sarcasm. Just when I'm about to close my eyes, Chaplin (my cute but troublesome cat), decides it's time to race around the house. I become part of the track and get pounced on. Then, he gets tired and decides to get in my face to see if I'm asleep. If I close my eyes, he goes away. If my eyes are open, he meows and tries to make me pet him. Sure, it sounds cute. But at 1AM, it's not. Trust me.

Sometimes, Chaplin decides he needs a playmate. This is when he pounces on Charley (my sweet wienerdog). My pets, all combined 22 or so pounds of them, suddenly sound like a herd of buffalo. Not fun: when they make their path under my bed and I occasionally feel something thump from under the bed. This goes on throughout the evening.

Last night, I stayed up past 3AM. Then, Charley woke me up at 8. I got up. Took him for a walk. I'm barely awake as I type this. I can't go back to sleep - have stuff to do before work. But, despite the cries of protest I am sure to hear from Chaplin, I plan to lock both kids out of my bedroom. I MUST SLEEP!

Oh, and another thing about this crazy cat business. Why is it he doesn't seem to understand words like, "NO!" "STOP!" "DON'T DO IT!" "I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU TOUCH THAT ONE MORE TIME!", but when I ask if he's hungry, he plops down in front of the pantry for a second, then runs to his bowl and meows like he's the most innocent cat ever? And why do most of his meows sound like they're questions?

Maybe it's fatigue, but these are real questions I have this morning. Maybe I should get some more coffee. It's going to be a LONG day!