So I'm listening to Ofra Harnoy's Brahms Cello Sonatas. I love this disk. I've listened to Yo Yo Ma, and I like his work, but there's something passionate about Ofra Harnoy's playing that keeps me coming back to it over and over again. I don't care how skilled a musician is, I don't get drawn to the work if it's not done with a little bit of drama. There's another thing you'll learn about me. I'm a hedonist. I love chocolate, passionate music, great food, and very soft sweaters. I love what's made to be comfortable.
Did I tell you that my lungs are still bubbling? It's really uncomfortable. Everything is hard work - doing a load of dishes, helping to core and peel apples in the classroom, making meatloaf. I'm resting as much as I can in between, but I'm sure my pneumonia isn't gone. Something's definitely not right in there yet.
I'm trying to get on with it ...
The other day, Nick told me that he loves his cat the way I loved my dog when I was a kid. I can see that. Seth comes running when Nick and his best friend, Adrian, come in the room. Buddy, my baby-kitty, runs and hides. Buddy likes Nick, but only when he's by himself and very, very quiet. Sometimes, when Nick and Adrian set up a fort in the living room, they use Seth's feather toys to play 'robot laser cat.' They use the toys to fish for Seth, but when he looks at them, his laser-eyes burn through their shields. It's a great game, but not every cat would do it. Later, Seth stands in the window and cries when the boys go to play outside or when Adrian goes home and it gets too quiet.
Seth doesn't let Nick pet him too roughly, but will nip just a little. It has never broken the skin, and Nick knows when he's done too much these days, so it hasn't happened in over a year. I used to squirt Seth with a water bottle when he did that, but shouldn't he have some way of letting people know when it's too rough? I figured the water bottle wasn't a bad way to tell Seth to be gentle too. The problem with that is that Seth doesn't mind getting wet. When Nick was a baby, Seth used to stand knee-deep in the bath tub with him. It was a funny sight, but no less so than when he jumps up onto the toilet to watch the water go down with a flush.
Seth goes into Nick's room at night and sleeps on the foot of the bed until Nick falls asleep. He doesn't stay, because he's much too awake and plays with Buddy at night, but he's very patient and stays about an hour or so until Nicky is asleep. I like that.
About a year ago, my sister-in-law came to visit for the first time since Nicky was a baby. It was a great trip and Nicky loved thinking of things to show his aunt: the Space Needle where you can eat in the revolving restaurant, putting messages on the outside banister to see them come around with answers on them; the ferries where you can sometimes see Dall's porpoises swimming in the wake; the waterfront with the museum of oddities (including a mummy), beautiful views of Puget Sound, and a fish place where they encourage you to throw french fries to the sea gulls. It was great for Nick to get to know his aunt.
Still, what he remembers most is the day they were on the couch and she was tickling him too much. We always stop the minute he wants to stop or even when he sounds like he's a little out of breath. Her kids are grown and she's a little out of practice with kids. He told me that she'd gotten him to a point that he couldn't breath and he was starting to panic. Watching them, I didn't realize this, though I did think it was a little much.
Suddenly, Seth jumped up on top of my sister-in-law with his fur standing straight up from his body. He was growling and staring her in the eye as if he was going into battle. I'd never seen him like this. Even when a dog came into the house, it was more fear that aggression that I saw and then, only his tail and spine fur would stand up. She stopped tickling Nick, looked at him, and laughed. As quickly as it came, Seth's fur relaxed and he rubbed his head against her hand. Seth is the strangest cat I ever knew, but I wouldn't trade him for a million dollars.
Thank you for listening, jb
Did I tell you that my lungs are still bubbling? It's really uncomfortable. Everything is hard work - doing a load of dishes, helping to core and peel apples in the classroom, making meatloaf. I'm resting as much as I can in between, but I'm sure my pneumonia isn't gone. Something's definitely not right in there yet.
I'm trying to get on with it ...
The other day, Nick told me that he loves his cat the way I loved my dog when I was a kid. I can see that. Seth comes running when Nick and his best friend, Adrian, come in the room. Buddy, my baby-kitty, runs and hides. Buddy likes Nick, but only when he's by himself and very, very quiet. Sometimes, when Nick and Adrian set up a fort in the living room, they use Seth's feather toys to play 'robot laser cat.' They use the toys to fish for Seth, but when he looks at them, his laser-eyes burn through their shields. It's a great game, but not every cat would do it. Later, Seth stands in the window and cries when the boys go to play outside or when Adrian goes home and it gets too quiet.
Seth doesn't let Nick pet him too roughly, but will nip just a little. It has never broken the skin, and Nick knows when he's done too much these days, so it hasn't happened in over a year. I used to squirt Seth with a water bottle when he did that, but shouldn't he have some way of letting people know when it's too rough? I figured the water bottle wasn't a bad way to tell Seth to be gentle too. The problem with that is that Seth doesn't mind getting wet. When Nick was a baby, Seth used to stand knee-deep in the bath tub with him. It was a funny sight, but no less so than when he jumps up onto the toilet to watch the water go down with a flush.
Seth goes into Nick's room at night and sleeps on the foot of the bed until Nick falls asleep. He doesn't stay, because he's much too awake and plays with Buddy at night, but he's very patient and stays about an hour or so until Nicky is asleep. I like that.
About a year ago, my sister-in-law came to visit for the first time since Nicky was a baby. It was a great trip and Nicky loved thinking of things to show his aunt: the Space Needle where you can eat in the revolving restaurant, putting messages on the outside banister to see them come around with answers on them; the ferries where you can sometimes see Dall's porpoises swimming in the wake; the waterfront with the museum of oddities (including a mummy), beautiful views of Puget Sound, and a fish place where they encourage you to throw french fries to the sea gulls. It was great for Nick to get to know his aunt.
Still, what he remembers most is the day they were on the couch and she was tickling him too much. We always stop the minute he wants to stop or even when he sounds like he's a little out of breath. Her kids are grown and she's a little out of practice with kids. He told me that she'd gotten him to a point that he couldn't breath and he was starting to panic. Watching them, I didn't realize this, though I did think it was a little much.
Suddenly, Seth jumped up on top of my sister-in-law with his fur standing straight up from his body. He was growling and staring her in the eye as if he was going into battle. I'd never seen him like this. Even when a dog came into the house, it was more fear that aggression that I saw and then, only his tail and spine fur would stand up. She stopped tickling Nick, looked at him, and laughed. As quickly as it came, Seth's fur relaxed and he rubbed his head against her hand. Seth is the strangest cat I ever knew, but I wouldn't trade him for a million dollars.
Thank you for listening, jb
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