Up half the night (guess I should get used to it)

I woke up at 2 a.m. to being kicked, not violently but definitely kicked. Then some rain started, pretty heavy. The rain quit then the neighbors' dogs started barking so I got a little worried that there was a burglar in the area. (I also fantasized about yelling out the back door, "Shut your damn dogs up already.")

So I let Dudley out, figuring if there was anyone within a one-block radius, he'd let me know by going after them. He just went out to pee, so apparently no one was out there. I tried to go back to sleep but my wonderful husband was snoring a bit, and I kept smelling the smoky barbecue on him from earlier today. Normally neither thing would keep me so completely awake but tonight it did. Then the dogs, the kicking, and the rain all started in again, and to top it all off I was too hot.

I gave up and got out of bed, really hoping that the clock would say 6 a.m. and I would be justified in getting up, since I passed out on the couch before 9 last night. But no such luck; it was 3 a.m. I decided to read the rest of my book, "Haunted Ground" by Erin Hart. Gotta remember to take that one to mom, she'll enjoy it.

Now it's almost 5:30 a.m., I'm done with the book and trying to figure out if I should get some work done or just surf the Net.

The wind and rain are alternating now; at one point I heard a waterfall coming off the front gutter and downspout.

I'm hungry (when am I not anymore?) so I think I will get some cereal and finish up my data entry for work. Maybe that will get me back to sleep for a little while before we need to get up for church.

We planned on going to the mall today -- yes we are a little crazy -- but I think we can skip it because I thought of a couple of ideas for gifts that my sweet husband can get me, and they do not involve the mall in any way. I was the only one left he had to shop for. Plus I need to find an easy mousse recipe online so I can take my fabulous chocolate cups for the Christmas Eve bash at the relatives'.