7:30 in San Francisco

I overslept last night and woke greatly confused.

Had I been transported to an alien planet?

Captured in a half-dream?

Slowly, recognition seeped into me.

I was on the sofa in my daughter’s San Francisco apartment.  Sunlight was already exploding against the blinds covering the bay windows overlooking the narrow street two stories below.

When I checked my smarter-than-me-phone, I was shocked to see I had slept in until 7:30 AM.  Something near 8½ hours of sleep.  Much more than normal.  After rubbing cobwebs from my eyes, I dragged over to the bench seat at the bay window and drew up a blind.

Now I sit slouched back against the seat…feeling like a slug struck helpless in exacting sunlight.  City sounds murmur in my ears.

—Mitchell Hegman