Photo has nothing to do with this post, but it is funny.

4:30 a.m.
Got up and out of bed after a half hour of trying to lie comfortably. My ribs are killing me. Arthur Writus has returned to beat me up.

4:35 a.m.
On the way from the coffee machine ON button to the bathroom I saw a white Police cruiser parked in front of my house.

4:39 a.m.
At the front windows I see another empty cop car up the block about three hundred feet, also with lights on and apparently empty. It is beyond the west alley, in front of a brick house converted to cheap apartments, most of which are rented by welfare recips. This is an occurrence that repeats about twice each week. No cops in sight.

4:46 a.m.
I walk out and back to my just repaired car, 130 feet to the rear of my house, just to check. Nobody in the alley.

4:55 a.m.
On the front porch with pipe and coffee I see a third police car. As he slows he illuminates my house and me with his bright spotlight. I do not give him the finger. He pulls into the alley and stops, gets out and walks toward the rear of the brick house. I can't see past my neighbors place so I have no idea what is going on.

5:00 a.m.
I retreat to my living room, open the newspaper, turn on Channel 5 Cleveland, and keep one eye on the west window beyond where the high crimes and misdemeanors seem to have occurred.

5:20 a.m.
I see a flash. Camera! So I go out on the front porch to gawk and investigate. A rather obese person not in uniform is going around the brick house taking flash photos. The person even walks onto the front porch, opens the screen door to one of the entrances, and takes several close-up pics.

5:30 a.m.
A fourth cop car arrives and also blocks the alley. A cop with Sergeant stripe exits the car, stares across the hundred feet of front lawn at me, then goes toward the brick house out of my eyesight.

5:45 a.m.
I turn on the computer and find that Hobbes has over two hundred emails related to his busy Facebook account. I decide it is time to delete some of his "friends" and begin the task. I start with anyone who sends Hobbes requests for those silly Zyngga games like Farmville, Yoville, Hugs, Hearts, etc. Hobbes complains, but I'm the boss here.

6:00 a.m.
After deleting a whole bunch of Hobbie's "friends," I go for my third cuppa and take my pipe out to the front porch. Cops are still there. Tomorrow's newspaper will have the details. It's very cold again. 34 degrees. Coffee gets cold and I go back inside.