Hello from the Sociology department Data Center (this is what you call a computer lab once you get to grad school, apparently).

The animal kingdom appears to be pitted against me today. I woke up at 4:30 this morning to the sound of something trying to get in my bedroom window. Thankfully, the beast was not human, though it did look a bit like a burglar -- it was a raccoon, caught in my window well, trying to scale the three-foot walls.

I went upstairs to inform the mother. She was unthrilled. I rested on the couch for a few minutes, until I heard the commotion stop. I looked down the basement stairs and saw the kitten walk daintily out of my room, terribly pleased with himself. Sure enough, Rocky had vacated. Tom now fancies himself a big, ferocious tiger, scaring all of the lesser beasts for miles around.

Cat and I settled down to sleep once again, but at five-thirty cat seemed to decide that he had not yet been sufficiently ferocious. Accordingly, he pounced on my head to make sure I knew who was boss. I assured him that I did as I threw him out of the room.

Half an hour later, my alarm went off. Not that I needed it by then. I spent that half-hour placing bets as to which form of wildlife would disturb me next.

Yawn.