Monday started early and ended late.

All heck must have broken loose at 1:00 a.m. on Monday because I heard siren after siren. As soon as one started to diminish, another came along. When I finally heard the last one, I looked at the clock: 1:06 a.m.

I was woken out of a sound sleep last night. Once I finally woke up, I found out why: my cell phone was ringing. Then I fumbled to find it in the dark. Then I fumbled to get it out of the case. The screen said Skippy was calling. (When one's boss calls in the middle of the night, it can't be a good thing.) Alas, just as I flipped the phone open, the tone sounded to let me know I missed his call. I then groggily pondered how to call him back. (Yeah, I was that seriously asleep.) He told me that a tree had fallen and blocked one of the roads on campus. It was 10:30 p.m. (It was still Monday!)

I dressed, drove to check out the tree, and went to the shop for a chainsaw. It started smoking when I cranked it up. (No, they're not supposed to do that.) The other chainsaw wouldn't start at all. I grabbed the small, folding handsaw from my office. The blade bent as I was working. Still, I managed to get enough branches off that the nighttime security guard and I could pivot the tree to the side of the road, so mommies can drop off their little darlin's at school in the morning. I got home at exactly 11:30 p.m., an hour after Skippy had phoned.

It was a long Monday.