NOT Rudolph

11:30 PM - The lights are still on in the house. It is finals week. The schedule is a bit topsy-turvy. It is the way of things during finals week. The humans will placate the cat and go to bed soon. Tomorrow is an early and long day. Must get some sleep.

12:15 AM - One human takes a while to wind down, but he always takes longer to fall asleep. Don't worry, he'll...zzzzzzzz

1:00 ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

1:29 AM - Something is going on...huh? wha? Must wake up. Why does it seem like there is a pulsing light?

1:30 AM - clock rings the half hour. Pulsing light still there. R's brain is still confused, but becoming a bit alarmed - literally. Don' t all of our smoke detectors make loud noises if they go off? I wonder if the speaker went bad in one and it is just blinking. Better get up and investigate!

1:31 AM - Hmmm. That light isn't coming from inside the house. It is OUTSIDE! What's going on here?

1:32 AM - Arg! All of these older windows are covered in frost and I can't see out, but the lights are right outside on the road. And they are very bright. Was there an accident? Santa come early with Rudy?

1:40 AM - now you know the lights are bright and annoying. Even T has been awakened by this. We now have identified the source. The trail groomer for the snowmobile route is STUCK in the ditch in front of our house. It is REALLY cold out there tonight and he's out there shoveling away in an effort to get out. I'm not sure that I'm feeling sorry for him right now. Thoughts about calling...who?... I don't know... the sheriff? enter our heads. Conflicting feelings about how difficult it must be to work in -15 degree F weather vs the annoyance of continued blinky lights, lost sleep and periodical loud growling as he tries to rock the vehicle to 'unstick' it don't help me to feel sleepy either.

1:45 AM - Ok, fine. He hasn't come to the house to ask for help. It seems as though he's been on a cell phone. We don't have a big tractor to pull him out. We need to get to sleep (if we can). Close some additional doors and try to drown out the light.

1:50 AM - white snow outside and really bright lights. grrrrrrr (was that me or the machine out there?)

2:00 AM - clock rings in the hour. T appears to be asleep again - at least part way. R is still annoyed. blink blink blink grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr blink blink blink...

2:10 AM - sounds like the thing is moving now. Oh no.. he still has to go all the way around our property (where the trial runs)! Oy. Blinky lights for a while yet.

2:20 AM - blinking is fading into distance. quick check - no presents under tree. drat.

2:30 AM - clock rings in the half hour.

2:40 AM - One human takes a while to wind down, but he always takes longer to fall asleep. Don't worry, he'll...zzzzzzzz