I looked at the clock on the microwave, it was five a.m.

I was going to leave for my vacation to Winnipeg on Monday, but with getting home from the cottage on Sunday I really needed a day to do home stuff, so I delayed my departure by a day.

I wasn't sure on Sunday night if I would sleep in on Monday, or get up early to pack as much as I could into my day off. Not entirely by choice, I ended up taking the early option. I was having a decent sleep, dreaming away, when I awoke suddenly to the sound of glass bottles toppling over somewhere in my house. I lay there perfectly still, waiting for footsteps to follow. There was nothing. Sometimes I leave my cell phone on my nightstand, usually on Friday nights in case of lazy Saturday mornings spent mostly in bed with a book or Mac. On this particular morning, it was sitting uselessly in my purse by the back door.

I turned on the light by my bedside, but then realized it illuminated my bedroom and made the hallway impossible to see into. I switched it off again. Now, had there been someone sleeping soundly next to me, you can bet your Manolos I'd have woken him up. But no, it was just me, and these are the kinds of things that a young, fiercely independent woman must face on her own. I was pretty sure there was nothing out there waiting to jump me by this point, so I didn't bother grabbing any kind of weapon. (And what would I have grabbed anyway? I have some 2 1/2" heel boots under my bed and a hammer in my closet. How the hammer ended up there I have no clue, but I think I'll leave it there.)

I walked into the kitchen and flipped on the light. By the stove, on the floor, I saw the source of the noise--three empty beer bottles and a wine bottle, toppled over. No apparent explanation though. I looked at the clock on the microwave, it was five a.m. Well at least the ghost was kind enough to haunt me at a decent hour of the morning. I went back to bed and some how managed to get a few more hours of sleep. I haven't been scared like that since Christmas Eve 2001. I'll have to tell you that story some other time.

Haunting aside, Monday was a productive day. I decided to start a "learn to run" program and went for my first exercise in the park. I definitely need new shoes for that. I came home, cut the grass, and did some laundry. Then I suffered a few hours of boredom before I had to get ready to have my sister over for dinner. After a rough and early start, day one was a mild success!