This morning I woke up to a sea lion.

Diana's out of town, in Phoenix, so no, it wasn't her. Here in Sausalito we're overlooking the harbor and we're close enough to hear boats, seagulls, and the occasional drunk live-aboard. Well this morning at about 6 a.m. my ears were perked awake by the sound of a barking sea lion down in the harbor. Ar Ar Ar! That's what I heard. There are plenty of sea lions over in San Fran, but I didn't think any would venture over here to Sausalito. "That sucks," you say because I was woken out of my beauty sleep? Naw. Beats the times when I'd wake up in the middle of the night in Baltimore or DC to the sound of gunfire or police sirens. I'll take the barking sea lion any day. Besides, I'm headed up to Tahoe to meet Di and we're gonna spend her birthday there in lots of snow and sun. The barking sea lion was for me an auspicious sign!