It all started at 0512

0602. Three dogs barking. Neighbor let out his yippy furballs; Kathleen’s American bulldog reacts: Whine. (Let me go see what that is.) Yippy furballs yip. K’s dog: Wuf. Y dogs: Yip, yip, yip. K’s dog: Grrr. Grr. Y dogs: Yip, yip, yip. K’s dog: Grrrr. Grrrr. (Let me out and I’ll put a stop to that yipping.) Repeat, etc.

0606. All dogs satisfied with performance of protective sounds.

Backtrack. 0512. Pain in my right hip drove me from bed. Other times that happens, I go to guest bedroom, where bed has a different mattress, one that gives a different support to the hip. Kathleen is using that room while she is here for Mrs. R.’s funeral. John is in the other guest room.

Earlier in the week, my wife asked: “What are you going to do when your hip starts hurting?” I replied: “Suffer.” She suggested I use the reclines-fully-horizontal chair in the living room. So, at 0512 I put on my jeans and emptied my pockets, got my pillow and went to the living room.

K’s three dogs were asleep in the hall. They followed me to the living room. I got a quilt from a couch and sat in the recliner and reclined and pulled the quilt for cover. My feet and 12 inches of each leg hung over the foot rest. I got as comfortable as possible. K’s big dog licked the top of my head.

I did not get back to sleep. I turned onto my left side to alleviate the pain. After a short time, I turned onto my stomach as much as the chair allowed. Any more turning, I figured the chair would decide to make its own turn (over) and the sound of the chair falling and my exclamations would wake up my wife and K and John and any dog that for some reason was sleeping.

0544. Charley (red poodle) begins complaints from his cage in another room. May I get up? … I want to get up. … Are you going to let me up? Repeat, repeat, etc.

0552. Enough. I let the dogs out. All five, I thought. From living room I hear high-pitched “Bark. … Bark.” K’s smaller pug has walked behind the television and cannot figure out how to come out. She is looking through the window and asking the dogs outside for assistance. K had said Lola is as dumb as a sack of rocks. Now I agree. I convince Lola she can turn around. I let her out.

All the dogs are in; all the peoples are still asleep.

This straight chair is comfortable. I think I will sit here for a while.