Too much noise...

I'm finishing up packing for our trip to Vegas this afternoon. I did NOT get a good night's sleep last night, so I can't necessarily say I'm looking forward to a day of travel... but hopefully I'll feel better after a cup of coffee...

I was up late packing and planning for this trip, and when I finally got to sleep, I couldn't get my mind to shut off long enough to sleep well. I got up around 2:30 to use the bathroom, then attempted to fall back asleep. Piva jumped up on the bed and curled up next to me... our white noise machine was set to "thunderstorm," which is just the sound of falling rain accompanied by an occasional sound of distant thunder... as I started to get comfortable -- with a purring cat curled up next to me and the calming sounds of the white noise machine lulling me to sleep -- I was startled (actually, "startled" isn't a strong enough word... more like "forcibly ripped from my peaceful state) by a huge BANG somewhere outside. It was like a cross between a loud clap of thunder and the sound of a bowling ball falling into a dumpster from a five-story height.

Piva shot off the bed to find a good hiding place, and Rick and I both got up and searched the cityscape outside for clues to the origin of the sound (an explosion? Did a transformer blow up? It definitely wasn't thunder -- too cold and clear... Did someone literally drop a bowling ball into a dumpster outside???), but everything looked totally normal -- a few random middle of the night cars on the streets... nothing on fire... nobody screaming or running... no sirens... all the electricity seemed to be working.

But after hearing that mystery sound (and how is it possible for a mystery sound to be so loud?? A sound that loud should have some kind of OBVIOUS source...) it was impossible to fall back to sleep very quickly. I was wide awake for the next half hour, anxiously waiting for another loud bang... eventually, I started to think that it may have been some sort of isolated incident, and perhaps it was safe to stop listening so intently to nothing in particular. But it was at least another half hour before I finally dropped off again...

And of course I woke up about fifteen times after that... I told Rick this morning that he should walk up and down the halls of our building and ask anyone he sees if they know what the loud sound was last night. I mean, honestly, I'm not only seriously curious about what could've caused that noise, but I'd like to know if I should ever expect it to happen again. If last night was "Drop Your Old Bowling Balls Into the Dumpster Five Stories Below" day, I'll have to remember this date so I can expect it next year...

But for now, I'm off to finish packing... and to find coffee... lots and lots of coffee. See you with Las Vegas pictures soon!