The clock read 3:30 am when my brain decided it was time to wake up Saturday morning, a mere 3 hours after going to sleep.  I huddled under the covers half heartedly trying to get back to sleep but mostly doing research on my phone trying to weigh my options.
Luminosity
If I get out of bed now, I can be in the mountains and maybe get some star shots in before the sun rises. 
Nah, it’s -30 outside, it’s hardly worth the trip when I won’t be able to stay outside more than a few minutes at a time. Besides, it’s extra gas money and I’m going snowshoeing in the mountains tomorrow anyway. 

I could just try to go back to sleep.
Come on, it's silly to waste a perfectly good sunrise when I’m clearly wide awake and at this rate I won’t be able to fall asleep anyway.  

What about that place to the North? 
Let’s see, shower time plus coffee time plus driving time minus the amount of time before the sun will rise plus 30 minutes for safety equals best save that one for another day.

Maybe I should try to sleep more? 
Well, I think I feel fine, I got 3 hours of sleep, I can probably keep going until midnight with enough coffee.

Should I make another run out to the location that refuses to cooperate?
No, not today, I’m getting sick and tired of looking at that place and I have plans to visit it in a few weeks already.

Hey, that place to the South looked promising…..
All the way down there? Are you crazy? (As if this blog post doesn't make it painfully obvious....) I'll end up falling asleep at the wheel.  That's an overnight trip, you should plan that soon though. What are we doing tomorrow?

Is sleep still an option because it sounds like a pretty good one to me.  
No way, it's almost 5 am, don't want to waste a perfectly good opportunity. Besides, it's -30 out and the frost on the trees will be great this morning.

Well fine then. Get out of bed!

So I did.

And it was cold.

And it was dark.

And it was kind of grumpy.

And it wasn't very creative.

And it was uninspired.

And it was still cold an hour later. 

And I didn't go very far from home even though I drove around a lot thus foregoing any attempt at saving gas money by sticking close to home.

And did I mention it was grumpy?

But then as the sun was starting to make its presence known and I was in yet another debate with myself over where I should be standing when the light was getting good, I remembered an old standby location right in the middle of the city that I've been visiting for years, pulled into the parking lot and once the camera was in hand the rest fell into place.

And it was still cold, but it was also a little more inspired, a lot less grumpy and overall pretty good.