2 a.m.

Isn't there a song about it being 2 a.m., still being awake, writing a song?

I thought so.

I forgot to tell my mom good-night tonight before I left her house and came to mine so she called me to tell me that. Only I missed her call because I was in the shower. But it was in the shower that I had this massive brain explosion and when I saw I'd missed a call from her, it gave me an excuse to call her back.

"I was just calling because I didn't tell you goodnight before you left."

"Mom, I had a brain explosion!"

"Are you okay?"

After I explained that it wasn't a literal brain explosion but was just a metaphor for light bulbs going off in my head, she asked if I wanted her to come over so I could share.

Um, yes! How can this woman read my mind?

So she did and she sat here at my kitchen table with me while I scrambled around looking for my little plastic map of the United States, and a Sharpie, and then I forgot where I put the map and then saw it laying on the table, right where I'd put it.

We brainstormed together for a little bit and then I started writing names out on our tablet of paper.

"I'm going home," she said and added something about how she couldn't see inside my brain, which basically just meant that she'd helped me brainstorm to the point where now it was up to me to start putting it on paper.

"I'll bring coffee in the morning because I'm pretty sure you're going to be in the same spot as you are now."

Again, how does she know?!