I’m a late to bed, not quite late enough to rise girlie. On bad nights this can look like a 1:00am bedtime so last night I was proud of myself when I decided I was done at 11:15pm.

And I would have been, except for those last few dishes and then starting the dishwasher which led to a quick fix on whatever weird thing is happening at the base of our machine.

That’s when I remembered trash collection is today. Off I trundled to put the can at the road, but glass half full I got to see a really cool moon and at least it’s not 35 degrees anymore.

That was it, right? I mean I still had to do PJs and teeth brushing and all the last minute prep that delays this process further…except I couldn’t get to the bedroom because Mittens decided to aggressively block that particular move.

Did she hiss? No. Swipe at my ankles? Also no. But Miss Tubbykins decided there’s no way I’m going into a room and closing the door on her. This launched a surprisingly competitive foot race for the bedroom and for the second night running I didn’t have the heart for it.

Which is how I ended up begrudgingly loving on the girl kitty in an attempt to lull her into a daze, one that would give me just enough wiggle room to make a break for it. Last night’s saving grace was that we parked back on the couch at 11:30pm — the night before found me sprawled next to a dining room chair giving our special feline her late night loves after 1:00am. I think we can all agree that’s far too late for someone who’d like to function the next morning.

In the end all attempts were futile. Mittens still scurried with me to my bedroom door just when I thought I’d quieted her into submission or at least a stupor to slow her down. Which means I stared into her disappointed little face as I told her no and refused her entry.

Doug snoozed his way through all of it — hostage lovings, hostage negotiations, and the final breakaway do not disturb his slumber. So I laid in bed, disappointing the cat and feeling guilty about it.

Maybe that’s why my dreams have been so weird the last few days. Bless her furry little heart.