It was 2 am. All my chores for the day were done. I needed to push myself into the wee hours of the night so I could rest on Sunday. I have a busy week with doctors' appointments for both my Mother and me in the coming week, and Sunday was going to be the only day I would have to rest if I got everything done today.

My body now takes about two hours to "get up and get going". I knew I needed to shower tonight if I had any chance of getting a good night's sleep. The humidity was winning the battle to cool my house, as two window air conditioners had been on full blast for the last three days.

I also knew that if I took a shower, I would be wide awake. Typically, this would not bother me, but I had run out of cigarettes two hours before. There was no way I was going to make it another two hours until my body finally decided the shower had worn off, and maybe I could sleep.

Lucky for me, not far from my home is a 7/11 that is open twenty-four seven. If I needed to, I could always drive there and get some cigarettes. Running through my brain was the fact that if I didn't go to the gas station tonight, once I woke up, it would be hours before my body would be able to bend and twist to get behind the wheel of a car and drive.

So it was settled. Shower, dress in the least amount of clothes I could get away with, and drive to a gas station at 2:30 in the morning to get myself some smokes. I would have to wear my slippers because Hubby has had to sleep downstairs on the couch or the recliner for relief from the pain his pinched nerve has been causing.

Taking a page out of my Mom's book, I matched my purple fuzzy slippers to a flowy purple top and, using the side door, made my way in the dark to the garage. Once in the car with the air blasting in my face, I proceeded to back the car down the driveway without my lights on. I didn't want to wake Hubby up from the light shining in the front windows.

Over the hills and through the lights I went, and was surprised at first when the gas station was full of cars! Then I remembered it was Saturday night, and I live in Wisconsin, and it was just people coming home from the bars that had just closed. Good thing I took the time to match my slippers! How embarrassing would it have been if I had not!!!

I parked the car and wandered around the store. The "Large Big Gulp $1.00" sign had caught my eye. I had not had a fountain soda in a long time. I made my way to the back of the store to pour myself one to take back home. All thought of sleep was now out the window.

It took some time to find the right size lid to fit the soda cup and locate the straws. Once found, I made my way to the teller but got sidetracked by the prominent display of Rice Krispies treats. In my defense, it was getting close to 3 am, and I had eaten dinner at 5 pm. So I grabbed a plain treat and one flavored with peanut butter. I know. But 3 am is a tough time to make decisions of such great magnitude. It was much easier to buy both and not have to make a decision.

Finally, with hands full, I stopped at the teller. No one was there. I was in no hurry as long as Hubby didn't wake up and wonder where I was, but this time I was smart and had taken my phone with me. If he were that worried, he would call.

I waited. I waited some more. I looked out the window at all the gas pumps and noticed there were no cars parked outside anymore. Huh. Most gas stations have only one person working this late at night, and they also have to use the restroom, so I didn't think much about it until another five minutes passed.

Then all the horror stories and news stories started making their way into my overactive imagination. What if the person working was being held at gunpoint in the back of the store, and they were waiting for me to leave so they could rob the place?!

Silly, I know, but I really didn't want to die with purple fluffy slippers on while holding a Big Glub at 3 am. So I did what anyone would do. I opened the doors and let them close again a few times. I figured there had to be some kind of alarm in the back room that alerted the workers when a customer entered the building. Plus, if they were being held at gunpoint, the more people they thought were entering the store, the better.

I was saving lives by activating the alarm in the back room. I wasn't getting freaked out. Really! I just wanted my big Gulp and smokes before I left the store. Honest. Okay, it was a mix of both.

My wait ended with a four-foot-five-inch seventy-year-old lady coming around the corner telling me she was just in the back room heating up her DoorDash for dinner. I felt bad. I said I was sorry. She then told me not to be, as she hated DoorDash for dinner anyway. I tried not to smile and said the only thing you can say in this instant. "Okay."

I paid for my items and was more than ready to leave and head back home with my 3 am haul of goodies.

Little did I know my backyard was more dangerous than the gas station. As I was sitting under my maple tree finishing my smoke, all hell broke loose two doors down when a cat? found something to kill. I quickly took my Big Gulp inside.

Next time, I think I will wait and shower two hours after I wake up. Much safer that way.