A Bonus Hour (or was it?)

I seem to have woken up with Sluggish Brain Syndrome. My thoughts are pinging all over the place and I can't seem to pin them down. My morning puzzles challenged my concentration skills and here I am. It has been two hours since I put my feet on the ground to start this day and I may as well just be getting out of bed.

I offered to drive my boss to an appointment this morning. Thus, I got up an hour earlier than I normally do. Is that the issue?

I am unsure how the middle of this day will unfold. My boss has told me I don't need to go back to work today. But I offered to drive her around between and after her appointments, so I will go to work and be available. There may or may not be a lot of time in between her appointments so she did suggest we could go out for lunch together if there is time to kill. 

The day will end early. I am just uncertain what time that will be. Which would be nice to know, because my aunt & I are headed out to my sisters' camping spot (an hour out of the city) after I'm done work. I'd like to let my aunt know what time that will be. But I don't know.

A quick trip in and out of the city means I should stop and get gas. Most people would pack up something to bring along. My aunt has suggested we bring a watermelon. I'm not sure.

Our little day trip will be fun and enjoyable once we get out on the road. I can't wait to point my car out of the city and head due northeast.

Then there is my next out of city adventure that has invaded my brain space. What do I need to do and what do I need to pack to head off into a technology free weekend? So far, my list includes:

• small screwdriver to tighten the screw in my glasses (it needs to be tightened every other day otherwise it unscrews itself and the lens pops out without provocation)
• books
• puzzles
• pens and paper

What will I do with a weekend of being "unplugged", unreachable and cut off from all means of cellular phone and internet coverage? The only decision I have made thus far, is that I will opt to stay "on the mountain" and out of range for the entirety of our weekend. Or else just leave my cell phone at my brothers? So many questions, so little sleep.

I just had an epiphany. 

I was worried when our cat didn't come out to greet me this morning as he always does. I puttered around here for the better part of an hour before I checked in on him in his nesting spot. He loves attention and morning is a very sociable time for him. This morning? Nothing. Even when I went to check on him and coax him out of his hiding spot, he simply lifted his head, looked at me, then put his head back down and closed his eyes. 

I got a minor pit in my stomach. This is not normal. What if he is sick? I went about my unsuccessful puzzling and put that worry to rest and simply hoped for the best. I would check on him again soon.

Shortly thereafter, he popped out of his hiding spot and started vying for my love and affection. There was not one thing amiss. 

I just remembered. I got up an hour early this morning. We are ALL out of sync with this new wake up time. 

I am not quite certain if I accomplished anything extra with this extra hour this morning. There is a reason I usually react exactly as our cat did at 5:30 a.m. - I open my eyes, check the time, close my eyes and revel in that last enjoyable hour of rest.

The only thing I may have gained, is losing an hour at the end of the day when exhaustion overwhelms me earlier than normal. And I will wonder why, because I will have all but forgotten this morning's early wake up time.