I'm Back!

It feels like it has been forever and a day -- but I'm BACK!! My, how I've missed you!

Six weeks ago my blog was disabled by Blogger because an automated "bot" picked up some "spam-like characteristics" on my blog (I'm still not exactly sure what that means -- but whatever it is, I must figure it out so that it doesn't happen again). Since then I've been going through the restoration process to have a human look at my blog to confirm that it's legit, and then restore it. It was definitely a lesson in patience, as there are no humans to actually talk to -- you just need to complete some online forms, post your blog site on a message board, then wait....and wait...and wait for your turn to be reviewed.

You cannot imagine my delight when I logged on to my computer this morning and found this great gift from Blogger -- my blog is back in action!

So friends -- grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and join me 'Round the Kitchen Table -- we have lots to catch up on. It might take me a moment to collect my thoughts and pull my overjoyed self together -- so in the meantime, please, tell me how you've been!

Forgot Something

6:00 AM -- A much earlier wake up than I'm accustomed to on a Sunday. I went to the bathroom, then climbed back in bed, hoping to return to the same cozy spot and sweet dreams of just moments before....but that wasn't meant to be. My mind started its morning stretches, and was quickly moving on to "race mode"....so I got up to start my day.

I actually love the early morning when the house is still sleeping. Even the dog lay still as I made my way to the kitchen. The skies were just starting to lighten, so I kept the kitchen lights dim, lit my new "Cozy Home" candle and started a pot of coffee.

As the coffeemaker gurgled and perked, I went about emptying the dishwasher and tidying up the dishes that had been left from last night. A few more morning chores -- feed the dogs, sort through a stack of mail, wipe down the counter -- and I could enjoy some quiet "me time." Just a cup of fresh-brewed coffee and a visit to all my favorite blog sites to catch up with my "blogging friends."

Just before the coffee maker beeped, I grabbed a cup, poured a splash of cream in the cup (my way of saving a step by not having to use a spoon), then waited for beep and that last drop of rich coffee to fall from the filter.

"Beeeeeeeeeeep. Beeeeeeeeep. Beeeeeeeep."

I reached for the pot and started to pour, but to my chagrin the nectar of the coffee gods wasn't the rich black-brown that I'm accustomed to...and rather than turning the cream in my cup to a light brown, it turned it to a watery skim milk.

Arghhhhh...in sleepy haze I must have forgotten to add the coffee grinds! So much for my mind doing its morning stretches. Let's try this again.



Ahhhh...much better. Now, let the day begin!

"Forever: The time it takes to brew the first pot of coffee in the
morning." ~Author Unknown

Outsmarted

I poured a cup of coffee for myself twice this morning. Both times when I went to add the milk, I accidentally grabbed the jug of iced tea from the refrigerator door instead. Fortunately I caught myself before pouring it.

After the first pour, I made a mental note that the milk was the 2nd jug in when I opened the door. Obviously my internal post-it note system failed, so after the 2nd pour, I switched the position of the tea and milk in the fridge, to avoid making the same mistake a third time.

Alas, when I poured myself a bowl of cereal, that initial mental note sprang to mind and I reached for jug #2.

Yepper. Who knew iced tea and Total Cranberry Crunch was such a good combo? Yuck.

Counting Sheep

I love sleep. Sleep is a good thing, and there is nothing like waking up in the morning after a great night's sleep -- refreshed and ready for new day.

Nights like tonight on the other hand -- not so great.

3:42 AM: My eyes don't want to open and my body is so tired it hurts, but my mind is like a puppy who has been crated for a couple hours -- wide awake and ready to play. A tired body just doesn't stand a chance against an energized mind.

3:45 AM: I ask myself, "What are you worried about?" This is usually a good question for me, because I usually realize that there's not much I can do in the middle of the night that I can't do better in the morning (with a couple more hours of sleep). No worries come to mind tonight, just a whirlwind of ideas.

4:00 AM: Search my nightstand for my rosary beads and pray. This is along the lines of counting sheep, but a whole lot more rewarding in my opinion. I keep rosary beads beside my bed and somehow just holding them in my hand usually puts me right back to sleep. While I pray I am unloading all that is on my mind and it quiets right down. When this works, I'm usually snoring 1/3 of the way through the first decade. Tonight -- the entire rosary.

4:30 AM: Break out the deep relaxation music on my iPod. I have several great podcasts that I play in sequence that always do the trick - no words, just relaxing sounds that typically whisk me off to some tropical island paradise in my mind. This morning the boat to paradise was anchored on the shores of some big party town.

5:00 AM: I surrender to my inner puppy and drag my tired butt out of bed and down to my office. Check my email. Read about a truck that is ablaze on a local highway. Make my to do list for the day.

5:20: Let my brain release some of its energy and write this post.

6:15 AM: My mind is finally quiet....just in time to start my day. Of course now all I want to do is zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Sleepless nights happen to the best of us. What's your best trick for falling back to sleep?