Two Left Feet

 It was one of those nights. The room was a little too cold and I wasn't in the mood to get up and throw another blanket on the bed. I'd sleep for a while and then wake, roll about, think about things that concern me, then fall fitfully back to sleep.

 My sinuses have been a mess, too, and I'd wake with cotton mouth, unable to unstick my tongue from the roof of my dry mouth. A glass of water might have helped but it was nearly as far away as another blanket. So I'd sleep, wake, sleep all the night long.

 And dream.

 I remember first dreaming of Ginger (our beloved schnauzer), already gone 16 years. I was in the dining room and she came running around the corner, smiling as usual, heading into the living room. I cornered her by the doorway into the living room, stood her on her two back feet and hugged her to me. Her warm, fluffy fur felt good against my neck.

 She might actually have been here, it was so real.

 It's been going this way all week. The night before I was awakened by an owl in the catalpa tree out front. He began hooting about 5:30 am and kept at it for at least 15 minutes. I got up that time, looked out the window, hoping I might be able to see him silhouetted against the sky (as Dad told me he once did). But, no. Soon the hooting ended and I fell back to sleep.

 And then there were my two left feet.

 I remember dreaming that Dad, Mom and I were eating at Miss Molly's in Farmersville and as we were driving home, I saw a tornado dropping out of the sky to our southwest. It was a thin, gray thing and, as I have not seen a tornado in person before, I wanted nothing more than to get into the house and get my camera.

 When we got home, I pulled off my shoes, ran up the stairs, pulled the camera out of my desk and hurried back to the kitchen. I looked out the back door and saw that the tornado was still hanging in the sky. Time, though, was of the essence if I were to get a good photo.

 I sat on the kitchen floor and pulled on my shoes. I stood and saw that I had them on backwards. Or so I thought. I quickly pulled them off and traded them around. Still not right! I realized I was wearing two different shoes, both left.

 I wanted to get outside quickly but I knew I wouldn't be able to run around with two left shoes. I sat down again and begin changing them again.

 My dream ended as I finally got back outside, camera in hand and found the tornado gone.

 My luck.

 I'm thinking maybe "dreamless sleep" isn't so bad.