This morning, my brain and the universe gave me a nudge. I awoke at 3:45, and after all my usual relaxation tricks failed to send me back to Nod, I moved to the sofa to avoid waking my honey.

About to drop off around 4:30, the phone rang. Skip-the-Dishes. They didn’t have the potato chip flavour I asked for but would something or other do for a substitution? Potato chips? Who? Sorry, wrong number. Click. Blink-blink.

Checked my Skip account. No, no mysterious middle of the night order I didn’t recall making. No ghost in the machine.

Relax. Relax. Finally…the edge of sleep.

BARK! Was that a bark? What dog barks just once in the middle of the night? Surely a dog outside for a middle of the night/early morning pee would bark only at something or someone that wasn’t supposed to be there.

Checked my doorbell camera. All quiet.

Relax . Relax. There is was…the edge of sleep.

Mumble-mumble. Was that a woman’s voice? Someone talking? Listen, listen. Nothing more. Checked the time. Honey’s alarm was about to go off. Phew! The night’s sleep wrestle was done.

Okay, Brain, you wanna play? Over the summer I’ve been lazing until 6 or 7 am. Time to get back to 5 am writing starts. Not 3:45, you hear me Brain? 5. Let’s write.