The wake up call

You know your style is seriously cramped when you can't even pull a proper all-nighter.

That might not make sense to those who don't write for a living, but there comes a time in every writer's life that looming deadlines and too many responsibilities result in an old-fashioned, red-eyed, going to bed when the rest of the world wakes up kind of writing marathon.

And for me, well, let's just say that procrastination is my middle name and I can't seem to get jack done without a deadline actually kicking me in the ass.

Before I had Buttercup? No problem. I did this often when I brought work home with me, writing an article from fresh notes taken at the city council meeting I had just covered.

Now? I'm lucky if I can write past 1 a.m. thanks to my lil' sweetie's internal alarm clock. No matter what time this girl goes to bed, she wakes by 2 a.m. to finish the night off cuddled in my arms.

Sure, it is a fantastic way to end my evening. No complaints there. But it does strike me as funny how this nightly phenomenon finally hit home with the "Hey-you don't call the shots anymore" message that should have been clear months and months ago.

I'd write more, but it is 1:41 a.m. and I have 10 minutes to brush my teeth, wash my face, and get my jammies on before my boss yells at me for trying to sneak in some overtime again.