In comes Guiness. Click click go the nails on the hardwood. Then there is the face staring at my face and breathing hot doggy fumes into my space. On the bed. One down, several to go.

Usually the cat comes in next. He eases the door open and then pounces up beside my head where he settles down. My head is now on 1/3 of the pillow, but things are OK. I am now awake however, because I hear another dog headed up the stairs. Word has obviously gotten out that I am upstairs and in need of some company.

Here comes Molly. She stands by the bed on the side that I am laying on and stares at my head until I invite her up. If I don't invite her up she paces the room back and forth, click click click go the nails until I invite her up. She will only jump up on the bed by my head, which entails me moving the cat out of the way, and me having to scootch over so that she has room. NOW she will jump up, over me, and lay along the pillow next to me.

Now everyone has to resettle and get situated. Less room now but we figure it out. I am pretty wide awake by now because Julie has now entered the room and is trying to figure out how to get on the bed without Guiness or Molly growling at her. It is a delicate operation and demands a lot of coaxing and making room on the last little corner of the bed.

I am now laying on a bed with three 45-60 lb. dogs on it, and a very uptight cat right by my head. There is now no room for my feet, so I twist and lay sideways and try to shut my eyes and relax. AAHHHHH....

Now the scratching and licking commences. First one then two dogs will start licking over and over again, or scratching some itch which makes their tags clang together. Then the cat decides that he too desperately needs to give himself a bath. The one dog that isn't doing this is now growling at the other dog who has accidentally kicked her in their zealous effort to lick parts that are hard to reach.

I yell STOP IT!!! and everyone freezes. They stop. It is quiet. It is so quiet that Julie can hear a strange noise downstairs now that she couldn't hear before with all the commotion. It is such a strange noise that the only way to deal with it is to use her screaming bark. Over and over to scare it.

It is now 1/2 hour later and my "nap time" is officially over.

"Why" you ask, "don't you just shut the door and not let them in?" To that I say HA! Because if I shut the door on them, I am subjected to A. scratching of three dogs outside the door B. Crying of three dogs outside the door C. Dust-ups between three frustrated setters crammed in a small hallway trying to figure out how to operate a doorknob, and sometimes a hapless cat that gets caught in the crossfire.

But, if I had to choose between naps and my wonderful animals, I would choose the animals every time. No contest.