I'm not going to say I'm fucking exhausted cause I've got to have plenty of steam for this day. That being said, this was my night, in concise, I have to get to work really soon, fashion.

Insomnia had me by the balls last night so it was close to midnight before I put the book down to go to sleep. I awoke to the dogs FREEKING out at 2:00 in the morning. I mean really freeking out. Now, not much . . . interests me when I'm trying to sleep. So when I got up and heard what I thought sounded like someone clodhopping on the roof and flashlight beams streaking across the courtyard I dismissed it and crawled back in bed. 15 minutes later I realized something illegal or important was going on and was awake enough to now respond to it. So I put a shirt on, have my boxer briefs on, through my wonky slippers on, and head down the stairs. Yappy dogs in tow. I new I could rely on merlin to give a good solid, blood drawing bite, to whomever might be disturbing my slumber. So there I am, in boxer briefs, t-shirt, rather sketchy looking slippers, poking my head out to see that my building is literally crawling with, I must say, rather strapping looking fire men. Most of the activity is two doors down, and most of my neighbors are out on the sidewalk. The firemen yell down to me if I have the smell of smoke in my house, I reply that I have a horrible sense of smell and they would have to come check, at which point my smoke alarm gives two loud alarm calls then goes silent, at that, I had 8 of the afore mentioned rather strapping firemen rushing the doorway of my apartment. Poor me. Anyway, my furnace was hot as a broiling oven! It was freeking out! And shouldn't have been on at all. They had this cool x-ray type device scanning all the walls trying to see if there were any hot spots inside the walls at all. Luckily not. They killed the furnace. (I so wish I could see the look on the face when I tell the slum lord, I mean landlord, this later today.) Yeah, so, the almost fire was in my own apartment, the smoke alarm did not go off, and if it weren't for the sensitive nose of the neighbors two doors down, I probably would be pretty much homeless this morning. I can't begin to tell you how hot that fucking furnace was.

So the things I grabbed before I thought the inevitable eviction of my person from the apartment by the rather strapping firemen were, 5 snapshots of my maternal great-grandmother from some 6 years ago, visiting the house she grew up in. These live on my night stand, and someday, when my skills have caught up with my vision will become a series of paintings. My laptop, and my camera. I was ready to start disconnecting my printer, and setting tubs of paints and brushes out on the patio when they said I wasn�t going to have to leave.

So the dogs? They rushed out when I first opened the front door. I thought they had run off in the hubbub, nope, they were being scaredy-cats and found a nice place to hide upstairs. So much for thinking Merlin would draw first blood if there was ever a intruder in the house. :D