Things that go bump.

And no, I don't mean my driving skills (if any).

I watched Panic Room last night. Good movie; Jodie Foster always gives a good performance. On the other hand, probably not the best choice of something to watch immediately before going to bed.

Almost asleep, I hear something from my backyard. Sounds like the trash can being blown over, or the lid from the can being dropped on the concrete pad. Probably wouldn't have bothered me had the wind actually been blowing. But with no rustling leaves or other wind noise, that clearly wasn't it. So I got up, checked out the window at the back yard (and saw nothing unexpected), made sure the doors were locked, and went back to bed, unclear whether the noise had been made by a neighborhood dog, raccoon, or Forest Whitaker.

Once I did drop off, I had bizarre dreams - one, introducing a speaker at some conference, and my introduction lasted longer than the speaker's talk - and in another one, the phone started ringing - buzz-buzz, buzz-buzz - so it sounded like the double ring of an "outside" call. It then woke me up, and I could tell it wasn't the phone, but sounded like four quick applications of an electric screwdriver (just like in Panic Room, natch). So I lay there, wondering what to do next - call the police, get up and find the noise, pretend I didn't hear it - and wondering why someone would be trying to break in - to take my bags of cans I haven't put out for recycling? - when I heard it again. Three quick screeches from some sort of bird. Ah: not a sneak thief, after all, so I could safely go back to sleep.

And yet - When I went outside this afternoon, I checked on the trashcans - and they were safely where they were supposed to be: not knocked over, not missing lids. I have no idea what the sound I heard last night actually was.