Nobel Prize of what?

If you live in the American West and win a Nobel Prize, expect to receive a phone call smack in the middle of the night.

This is exactly what I thought happened to me last Monday night when my phone rang as I was lost into a bottomless slumber. I fumbled around my night table trying to reach for the phone, but only managed to hang it up in an awkward and zombie-like attempt to see who was calling.

Since it's the season, I thought it might be the Nobel Committee, alerting me that I had won one their prizes for, perhaps, common sense, since I haven't done much lately in physics, chemistry, literature or even peace.

I felt sorry I missed the call, but as the voice-message light began to blink, I had no choice but turn on my lamp, and check what all the fuss was about.

When I got there, I heard this: “This is an alert from the Park City Municipal Corporation. A mountain lion has been sighted at the 3000 block of Park Meadows Drive, please keep your pets indoors or supervise them when going outdoors...” Or something to that effect.

Just a pesky interruption and, as you might have guessed it, no Nobel Prize!