Tag Archives: cats

Procrastination–

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Jack gets over the line just in time again – –

Yes – given the opportunity I’m a terrible procrastinator, or maybe I’m just lazy!

It was our cats, today, that convinced me – cold and raining outside — so instead of going out or chasing each other round the house, they curled up on the bed and went to sleep. I was seriously tempted to join them…

…but they wouldn’t have approved!

When I was still working full-time at the community college in my home-town in Scotland, I worked to a schedule and got things done with enthusiasm. Even after I retired from there I continued with contract work and hit my deadlines.

When we ran our bookstore in Big Stone Gap, I was usually on top of stuff – fixed things as needed, converted the car port into an enclosed garage and the basement into our living space, complete with two rooms and a toilet.

Maybe it’s just something to do with aging and finding many physical things harder to do. On the other hand, it might be that I’ve learned that I’m not very good at some things: I hate anything to do with plumbing or electrical work!

Now that we’ve moved from a 1903 house to one that was built in 1890 but with many additions and modifications over the intervening years and a much larger backyard, I’m presented with many more reasons to avoid things that wait to be done.

Or maybe I am just lazy – – –

Come back next Wednesday for more from Jack

Dammit–

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Jack gets in over the wire again in time – –

The latest member of the household is beginning to make a nuisance of himself. When ‘Wee Dammit’ first arrived, he lived in our guest room before getting a full medical examination to be sure he was safe around other cats. When he got the all-clear, we left the door open, but he was very reluctant to come down to join us. After all, we had kidnapped him from his happy street life….

That has all changed now. We can’t get him to leave us alone. Which is funny, because at first, he only would interact with us when we were lying flat, in bed. That’s how he learned to get along with Wendy the first week he was in the house; she slept upstairs to socialize him, and he grew accustomed to playing with her feet. When she stood up, he would dive for the nearest dark corner.

So when he first came down, he just slunk around, staying away from all of us and hiding in corners.

Then he discovered Bruce!

With two female cats in the house what’s a guy going to do? He wants to play with the other guy, but the other guy is a dog and is BIG. So wee Dammit runs around the house now trying to play tag with Bruce! He runs back and forward, tapping Bruce’s tail and paws, but Bruce is the most laid back dog on the planet and can’t be bothered. He’s very patient and gives Dammit a weary look now and again—just before Dammit bops him on the nose.

So now Dammit finds Wendy’s balls of yarn and carries them all around the house as though they were captured mice. Eventually I find them, soggy with saliva (we hope), and return them to their original place.

But I can hear you asking – why is he called Dammit? A few months ago Wendy was heading to the store and saw a small kitten wandering around an intersection. She happened to have a cat carrier in the car (well, of course) but couldn’t get it in. She came home and got a can of cat food. While he was eating she snatched him up and said, “Dammit, get in the car.”

We had agreed to not have any more cats for a while, so when she brought in another one I said, “DAMMIT.”

And she said, “I totally agree.”

When I took him to the animal clinic to get checked over they asked what his name was – – –

Come back next Wednesday for more from Jack