3:42 am

Sleep is gold in my house. GOLD.

I work about five hours a day on my computer. When I'm not working, I'm hauling kiddos around the city. When I'm not hauling kiddos around the city, I'm sleeping. Sleep is gold.

Trying to get to bed before 10:30...is no easy feat. You know how it is...between The Jon Stewart Show, the Internet and my luscious Macbook Pro...it ain't easy to turn off. Last night...I did just that. In bed, asleep by 10:30...snooze ville:)

Enter 3:42 am. I don't like 3:42 am. It's one of those times where like, the demons arise in horror movies...or the possession starts...or the stalker looks through the window...yes, I've seen WAY too many scary movies. Anyway...3:42 am.

My. Phone. Rings. I'm all looking around...what, who...oh, it's my phone. I look at the display, it's my Mom's home number. This can't be good. Nobody calls with good news at 3:42 am.

"Hello"

No answer...nothing...not even breathing.

Damn ghosts:/ I hang up, and immediately call my Mom's cell...

Nothing...I go to voicemail:/

I call the home number again...

Busy:/ What the heck?!?

I call my Nephew. (He is 24 and lives with my Mom, which makes me happy since at least she's not living alone on the farm.)

Again, no answer:/ I'm starting to think I'm the only victim who answers the phone when the haunts call at 3:42 am.

After replaying this scene about 4 times...I accepted the fact that there wasn't anything to be done at this time. Mom lives over 2 hours away, it's not like I could just drop by. So...I went back to bed...totally worried...and totally creeped out:(

My Little Man woke me up at 5:50 am. I was happy it was past nighttime. The ghosts never come in the morning...at least we were past the witching hour. Now, in my right, slightly more awake mind...I was in full blown worry mode.

I called my Mom, house and cell, and my Nephew's cell again. Nothing...still a busy signal on the house phone. At this point, I had played out the horrible scene in my head of someone breaking into the home, attacking my Mom and Nephew...one of them managed to dial me right before they passed out...and now they were laying on the floor waiting to be saved. Who should I call? Do I call the police? I called my Mom's boyfriend. It was early...but I had to call someone...I was worried. Aren't you worried right now?

I dial the phone...

My. Mom. Answers. Whew....OK...so what the heck?

"Mom...I got a phone call from your house phone...at 3:42 am. No one was on the line, and now I can't reach anyone and the phone is busy. What the heck?"

She had no idea. Now we were both worried about my Nephew. She called him. I called him. I texted him...nothing. I felt a little better knowing there was nothing wrong with Mom, but I was still really worried about the Nephew. What. To. Do. Next...

My phone rings...It's the Neph!

"Hello" I say.

To which a very groggy young man answers "Hello...what's up?"

"You tell me" I say "I got a phone call at 3:42 am from the house line. Is everything OK?"

He walks into the other room, and looks on the desk where the house phone sits.

"Oh..." he says "The dog knocked the phone off the hook again." "He must have hit the redial button when he did it."

Wait...what? "You are telling me...I got a phone call...at 3:42 am...from the DOG?!?"

Yes...you got it...THE DOG called me at 3:42 am. I can't make this stuff up:/

Stoopid Dog! :/