Weird/Bad Dreams

I have really weird, and usually scary, dreams several times a month. Brian says I'm crazy but I blame it on watching too much America's Most Wanted as a child. Watching CSI in recent years probably doesn't help either.

Last night we went to the snowmobile races. Several of our friends were racing and it was a pretty good show. There were a couple wipe outs that made me cringe but no one got hurt. We got home around 11 PM.

I let the dogs out right away but soon after I let them back in I heard our cat, Baxter, meowing frantically. He was outside on our front porch!! Now in the summer he does go in and out as he pleases but he hasn't been outside since the first frost last fall and he never tries to get out when it is this cold. I still don't understand how he got out. Brian insists that he must have darted out when we left and I hope he's right. Our door was unlocked and I question whether someone stopped by but I still think they would have pretty much had to throw him outside to get him to go. Maybe I'm just paranoid.

So the cat was fine although the dog had obviously mauled him. They play nicely in the house but outside he does not defend himself and Maci gets about half of him in her mouth at once. He was wet with drool and had little snowballs hanging off of him. I cleaned him up with a bath towel, then went to bed around 11:30 PM.

I had weird dreams off and on most of the night. First I was dreaming about some kind of hostage situation, then someone running from the cops, then I started to dream that our friends had a sick baby and they were calling me to ask how to take care of it. That last part makes a lot of sense because people call me constantly to ask how to take care of their sick pets. They baby thing was a new one though.

So in my dream, I could here this baby making funny noises in the background. Then, at 3:04 AM, I sat straight up in bed and realized it was our cat making those horrible noises!! It sounded exactly like cats that come in the clinic who are blocked and can't urinate. That is a very painful condition and they make sad, pitiful noises when it happens. I woke Brian up because I was scared to go looking for Baxter myself in case he was in a lot of pain. I told him that Baxter was either sick or he had another mouse. We had a Momma mouse move in to our kitchen and he has been catching the babies.

Well, needless to say Brian was very confused and so I jumped out of bed and went to figure it out. I found Baxter batting a mouse around under the kitchen table. Thank god!! I didn't disturb him and went to lay back in bed.

I left the light on while I lied there and tried to think happy thoughts. I figured out a long time ago that if I go straight back to sleep my dreams will just pick up were they left off. Then at 3:24 AM, Brian's boss called. Brian got up and went to work since the wind was blowing and the roads were getting bad. I fell back asleep after he left and sleep without incidence until this morning!

Do you folks ever have bad or weird dreams? Why do you think that happens? If you don't, what's your secret? Am I crazy like Brian says or is this more common than I think?

P.S. Those rooting for the mouse can breathe easy for now, I think it got away and is hiding behind the gun cabinet. Baxter just took a break from siting in front of it to come over and try to lay on the keyboard.