In The Dark
I woke up to rain, LOUD church bells and LOUDER fireworks going off in rapid succession. Dozens and dozens and dozens of fireworks, and then loud banda music. But, the thing that got me out of bed was my youngest dog Morrie’s whining. I’ve learned that to procrastinate in letting him out means both solid and liquid gifts left on the floor or even in his cage, and I’m beginning to feel like a new mother. I don’t need any more bodily secretions to deal with, especially at—Ye Gods! Six o’clock in the morning!
I let Morrie and Diego out of their “bodoga” nee doggie domain and wondered where Frida was. She was not on her new cushy bed in the guest bathroom. She hadn’t sneaked into my bedroom to lie beside the bed or onto her other favorite sleeping place—my long plush rug in my bathroom. Then I realized I must have left her out all night! And it was raining! I felt horrible about this, and finally as I called her, she came barreling into the house. By now Morrie and Diego were back as well, demanding breakfast in spite of the fact that they usually eat between 8:30 and 9 a.m. and it was only 6 a.m.
I fed all three, then went to feed the kitty, who was also out on her front wall—beyond which she has refused to come since I acquired the third dog. I was surprised that she, too, was up so early. It was so dark at 6 a.m. that I had trouble making her out under the overhanging bougainvillea, but she was there waiting. If it weren’t for her nagging meows I would not have noticed her at all. It must be that the church bells and fireworks and bandas brought all the animals out early this morning.
I made coffee and a bowl of yogurt, fruit and bran and went back to bed to write my blog. I didn’t make any postings the night before, so I needed to get something on my blog for early risers and those on the opposite side of the world. I usually have something set to post at one minute past midnight so there will always be something new on the blog.
I checked out Cee’s blog to see if she had posted a Flower of the Day link yet, but saw only her yesterday’s post and link. I decided to post a blog to a prompt I’d been noticing for the past day or two—I think it was “Christmas Trees of the World.” I’d collected pictures of my tree from two years ago and gotten them ready to post, but I couldn’t find the prompt. Nor could I remember whose prompt it was. After searching for a half hour yesterday, I fired off a Skype to my blog fairy godfather, Okcforgottenman, to ask if he knew whose prompt it was or if he could find it. I checked on Skype to see when I’d posted my request. It was at 2:37, but I must have fallen asleep soon after, for there were no other messages until 4:37 when, bless him, he answered:
“Maybe this is the challenge you’re looking for: http://silverthreading.com/2015/12/06/christmas-trees-around-the-world/”
I answered, “That’s it! Thanks. It is the lady who is reviewing my book!”
I can’t believe that I’d forgotten where the prompt had come from as I’d been talking back and forth with her all day, trying to figure out how to get a copy of my book to her. I settled down to edit my tree pictures and get posted, read emails and a number of blogs, then checked out the Daily Post site, surprised to see they’d already posted a prompt. I looked at the date. Yes, it was the same as today’s date given on my computer, but why was it the same prompt as yesterday’s?? I looked at the prompt page and saw that tons of people had already posted, even though it was only 8:30 in the morning. Then I noticed that I had already posted—but that should be on yesterday’s page, not today’s! This was starting to feel surreal.
I went in to pee, thinking that would resolve some of my confusion, and when I did, I saw the little bag of Frida’s antibiotic caplets taped to the mirror over the sink, where I would be sure to see them. Damn! I had forgotten to give her her pills last night! I took one out, went to the fridge to wrap it in a ball of gouda, and fed it to her. When I did, the other two dogs came bounding up as well. Time to put them down for the night, I thought, so I escorted them to their cages, locked them in and shut the outside door to their “room” as it had turned chilly here.
I went back to my computer and read blogs for an hour, waiting for the Daily Prompt to realize their mistake and post a new prompt. Suddenly, there was a “ping” that told me someone was Skyping me.
“Well, ya zipped past 300 views. Comments are starting to pile up on yer blog. Whar are ya, woman?” had shown up on my Skype screen—from Okcforgottenman!!
What in the world was he doing up at 8:34 in the morning? I knew there is no way he should be up yet, as he is a late-nighter who usually doesn’t get up until noon. And how in the world could I have 300 views when I’d just barely posted one post?
Then I noticed that his message had been written to me at 8:34 PM, not AM. “What is happening? I just got a message from 8:34 PM!” I fired back at him. Sometimes this happens…messages get stuck…but I hadn’t turned Skype off and I’ve been on the internet for hours, so that message should have been received 12 hours ago..
Here are the Skype messages that followed;
[12/12/15, 8:35:55 PM] Okcforgottenman: Yes, it’s 8:35 p.m. now.
[12/12/15, 8:36:02 PM] Judy: I thought it was 8:35 a.m.
[12/12/15, 8:36:23 PM] Judy: I’ve been up since 6–fed the dogs..couldn’t figure out why the prompt today was the same as yesterday.
[12/12/15, 8:36:29 PM] Judy: I feel like a time traveler.
[12/12/15, 8:36:51 PM] Judy: must have fallen asleep around 3 yesterday afternoon, then woke up at 6 and thought it was 6 the next morning.
[12/12/15, 8:37:04 PM] Judy: Sheesh…I am really confused.
[12/12/15, 8:37:14 PM] Okcforgottenman: It’s Saturday night.
[12/12/15, 8:37:32 PM] Judy: so when I gave the dogs and kitty their breakfasts, I was really giving them all a second dinner…and I dosed Frida with her meds twice!!!
[12/12/15, 8:38:00 PM] Judy: I was just starting to get so confused about why the prompt hadn’t changed.
[12/12/15, 8:38:37 PM] Judy: Audrey will think I’m crazy…I just sent her an email saying fireworks and stuff was going off at 6 am
[12/12/15, 8:38:42 PM] Okcforgottenman: Is it still daylight there?
[12/12/15, 8:38:52 PM] Judy: no it was pitch black when I woke up and still is.
[12/12/15, 8:39:06 PM] Judy: I couldn’t figure out why Frida was out.
[12/12/15, 8:39:19 PM] Judy: I really do feel like I’m time traveling!
[12/12/15, 8:40:27 PM] Okcforgottenman: Well, you published Mexican Christmas only 2 hours ago.
[12/12/15, 8:43:34 PM] Judy: Yes… I woke up…saw it was 6 and thought it was 6 am tomorrow..I thought Sat. was tomorrow–just lost a day. Sheesh.
Well, needless to say, I was confused and I’m still confused. I keep trying to remember if the dogs are in or out and whether they should be in or out. I keep expecting it to get light. It is now midnight, but if it were the time I think it should be, it would be noon tomorrow. Perhaps if I go in and have a turkey sandwich and a rum and Coke to counteract the breakfast and coffee I had six hours ago, it will get my internal clock back in sync. As for the dogs, they are quiet now, perhaps busy digesting their two dinner bonanza!
Should I worry?????
Here is the lady all the fuss was being made about. The festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe is huge here:
