Lie with the dogs

There's a chance I'll be sleeping on the bathroom floor tonight. No, I didn't have too many cocktails. And no, I don't have the flu.

What I have is a thunder problem. Well, to be exact, Alley has a thunder problem.

Alley is a 50-pound German Shepard mix with the bark of a police dog and the piercing look of a mom when her teenager misses curfew. She growls at strangers and chases away wildlife. But when she hears thunder, her whole body shakes as she whimpers and pants. Oh, and she stands on me. I can be sound asleep in my comfy bed and Alley will stand on my stomach and drool on my face until I awaken.

She will not be comforted. No amount of petting, cuddling or treat-eating will distract Alley from the terrible storm brewing outside. The only way to console her is to move to the bathroom. Since the bathroom is in the center of the house and has no windows, Alley can't see lightening or hear thunder. I imagine in Alley Land if she can't see it it doesn't exist. Unfortunately, she needs to have her mommy (me) and her canine sister Sassy with her in the bathroom. I think she feels like she's protecting us from the storm by taking us to this safe room. Sassy doesn't mind. She and Alley will curl up on the bathroom rug and fall into a deep slumber.

It's not so easy for me. The bathroom floor is cold and hard and there's not much room for a pillow or blanket. I eventually fall asleep, but I wake up with an awful headache, a pain in my neck and a sore back.

Maybe I will have a cocktail (or three). After all, I'm going to have a headache tomorrow anyway.