My hand brushes lightly down the length of her thigh, resting just above the knee. A cloudburst had come earlier that morning and the smell of it had clung to the length of her hair, teasing me of summer rains from better days. Feeling very much at home I draw myself closer until it feels as if she was breathing for the both of us. Happy now, I close my eyes and drift away. As I leave the waking world behind there's a sound, subtle at first, keeping me from crossing over. Driven to distraction by something I cannot name, I hover short of unconsciousness, the ears of my mind's eye alert. Louder now, the sound comes to me. Crying? The enchantment of my hope for slumber broken, I awaken. The crying turns to a wail and saddens my heart. "Baby, what is it? Why do you cry?" But words do not come, just more cries of her anguish that grow louder and more painful as the minutes crawl forward...
SQUAAAAW! SQUAAAAW! SQUAAAAAAAAAAW!
I awaken for real this time, and scramble for my glasses on the bedside table. Who the hell is in my room and why are they crying so loud?
But there is nobody in my room, and I quickly realize that the cries are those of birds flying outside my window.
AT ONE O'CLOCK A.M.!!!
What the hell? Don't birds frickin' sleep in Milwaukee?!?
I never did get back to sleep. I tossed and turned for hours until 7:30 rolled around and I decided to get up and go to Bruegger's Bagels for some breakfast. They're not "real" authentic New York City bagels, but they don't suck too badly (and NYC is a fourteen hour drive from here).
After a couple of hours spent following up on emails I figure I might as well write in my blog and then see if I can take a nap. There's a lot to do today, and being well-rested would help matters considerably.
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Good morning then?
Now I want bagels.
I hate when I get woken in the middle of the night and can’t fall back to sleep. Happens routinely too. It’s usually dogs yipping, music blasting, or loud talking from the hot tub two houses down and behind. Enjoy that nap!
oh, didn’t i warn you about the birds in milwaukee? that’s where i was when the blackbirds attacked me. and my friend dee-dee has nests of birds in her attic that she’s tried to get rid of with fake owls. it doesn’t work.
hope you get some sleep soon!
Wow, I can’t believe how alike our experiences are sometimes. I had that EXACT SAME problem in Atlanta last year, but instead of birds they were whores and instead of the window it was my door and instead of a hotel room it was my car.
What makes a bagel like a New York bagel. I’m no expert. I’ll settle for Lenders. Steer me towards bagel happiness Sir Dave.
It must have been one of those nights. My imbecile neighbor woke me up around midnight by blasting John Lennon’s “Imagine.” I guess there are worse songs to wake up to, but I never did quite get back to sleep, just had short chaotic dreams until I got up around 6:30.
Trying to figure out whether a ‘fourteen hour drive’ means New York is nearby or far away?
Fourteen hours should take me all the way to Barcelona or Rome which I consider to be rather far away. Yet in other parts of the world it may be considered a ‘short’ distance.
I go to pretty extreme lengths for good bagels. I don’t settle.
All those links to sandwich bars and bagel stores are makin me huungry! Speaking of which, Too much sugar in your diet does affect sleep.. I’ve noticed all the sugary things that you eat mentioned in previous posts. Naughty naughty.. : )
Mia… I always want bagels! Unfortunately, the bagels I want are in New York. 🙁
Lisa… Birds at 1:00am is a new one for me, however! 🙂
Jenny… Milwaukee must sit atop an old demon-bird burial graveyard or something. Kind of scary, when you think about it. I now worry about going outside…
Wayne… Yes, well, travel enough and stuff happens…
Brandi… I am told it’s the water. Something in the water makes bagels that taste better. In many cases, a LOT better.
Iron Fist… I would have walked next door and said “imagine there’s no music” then smashed his stereo to pieces. 🙂
SSP… That would certainly be a long drive for me! I love NYC bagels and all that, but a fourteen hour trip? Not when I have to be back at the airport on Sunday!
Roberta… See you in New York then! 😀
Anonymous… Yes, but I am fairly certain the birds screaming outside my window were sugar-free.
play with the iphone dude. play with the iphone…
Almost as bad as the time I was awoken by a crazed Mariachi band….
Because martin thought it would be funny to turn the alarm to a mexican station, instead of the alarm.
Yeah. Not so funny.
Snuggling after sex and “some “real” authentic New York City bagels” — such sensual delights–but in your dreams only, Dave? Too much a reflection for me of my own life, I’m afraid — being teased, but not appeased!
And I was just writing in my own blog about Venus going retrograde yesterday…
More to the dream than you may think. Do you know what “squaw” actually means?
Bad crows probably. Much worse than a Bad Monkey and not as funny.
A bagel sounds good. Hey, I just ate one this morning from the Nordstrom coffee stand. Poppyseed, cheese toasted, and with added cream cheese. mmmmmmmmmmm.
Luckily it was not a new Alfred Hitchcock movie;-)
After all the things you have written about how you have a hard time sleeping, I’m thankful that I can lay down on my bed and be out cold in a few moments. Often less that a minute I would bet. I’ve slept through a slight earthquake in Cali and who knows how many barking dogs.
Were you dreaming about my mom again?
I’m sorry…can we hear more of the dream, please? That was good stuff ;).
birds suck… I don’t get why people have them as pets
I’m kind of spoiled when it comes to bagels having lived in New York City my whole life. I don’t even realize how good the bagels are here until I go somewhere else.
Phew, usually when you turn to prose it means you’re having a mental breakdown.
Dave, are you coming here anytime soon? No waay!!! Join me for a bagel. Or something more debaucherous…
I can’t believe no one has asked what her name was…