Awake is the new sleep

I overslept this morning, and I finally woke up after having a strange dream. Often I wake up when having weird dreams, as if my mind is telling my tired body that it is time to get up. I hit the off button on the alarm at 6, and went back to sleep. I dreamed I was in a parliament building of sorts, arguing with a group of people. A woman struck me, and I began to fight her. Then I woke up. It was 6:24. I nudged L and he got up for his shower, and I took care of the dogs.

Many of my dreams are a mixture of locations. I dream in England, in America, and Ireland. Sometimes I dream of people who have died, or of people here but in a location that is several places at once. Last week I dreamt of being in an old kitchen with big New England cupboards, with counters covered with thick tea mugs, dirtied by tea. It was the pantry in my grandparent's old Cape Cod house, but I felt as if I was in England.

Another low point in my short history of dog ownership: I think Mojo has fleas. I got him a flea collar tonight and am hoping for the best. I still feel traumatized by his bath almost 2 years ago. He was sprayed by a skunk, and immediately after it happened he ran back into the house and rolled all over my bed. He is a tidy, clean dog, but he is, after all, a dog.