Who needs an alarm clock?

I have no use for an alarm clock. I have the wet, cold nose of Miss Stella to burrow under my covers and poke me in the face until I wake up at 8:30 on a Saturday morning when I went to bed well past one. And she'll then stand by the door and thwack her tail at its hollow wooden center and, as if I haven't gotten the picture yet, she whines and does a routine as to the above mentioned mixed with walking over to me to look and see if one, I can see her, and two, I'm getting up.

That is how Stella makes sure she gets her breakfast. And this process she will undergo every morning at 8:20 if I haven't woken up first.

The good news is even though it is currently 37 degrees outside the sun is shining and the forecast calls for totally sunny and a high of 68 degrees. I guess if I have to get up at a reasonable hour, today is the day to do it.