Boo Boo the comedian...

Any of you that know me--and I'm thinking that would be anyone reading this--knows that I'll talk about my cats sooner or later. They're my first kids, and such an interesting addition to my life! Wulfgang was formerly known as "Lumpy," because he slept so much that I used to ponder: "Gee, if only he would get up! He bears such a lifelike resemblance to an actual living, breathing cat, that might get up and do something..." Okay, I used to have two cats. Wulfie is now my husband's cat--he actually goes to him more than to me these days. Well, since DH is in Chicago, the Wulfman has kind of adopted Princess #2... There may be round one of WWF in our house for the cat-rights when he gets back!

Then there's Binky. (Beaujolais, aka Boo Boo, aka about a hundred other "pet" names, no pun intended, but it's there so just go with it) She came to me when she was about a week old--her eyes were only beginning to open. Needless to say, I am her Mummy, and she thinks (well, I don't try to convince her otherwise) that she is my baby. Just over a year ago, she developed a new technique for laying down. She uses this most interesting technique no matter where she is--outside on the concrete, on the floor under the window--pretty much anywhere. She's very vigorous in her getting lazy: DH has affectionately coined her technique the "stop and plop." She pretty much throws herself over or down--sometimes quite forcefully! She's quite the bully when she wants some affection too--she'll throw herself on me when I'm in bed, because for some reason, that's her favorite place to snuggle. Anywhere else, and you gotta watch out for those razors--it could be playtime with little or no warning!

Okay, so, my cat and I have a morning routine. I generally don't like to get up in the morning, and so when I have to (which is most days), I generaly like to do so slowly. I don't recommend being awakened by the house alarm going off--that kinda jolts a body out of comfort in a rather rude fashion. I also remember as a kid my dad waking me up by pouring a little water on my neck as I was sleeping--wow, did that put me in a good mood. Anyway, I'm a "snoozer." You know, the alarm goes off and so you hit the snooze button. Well, if you're like me, you're a "multiple snoozer" and I find that I actually have some great naps and extremely vivid dreams between snoozes. That is, when Snuggle Chunks isn't around. Generally, she hears that alarm go off, and before I can settle back in, she's right up next to me, asserting her wet nose on the closest hand. I generally comply with her demands for attention, because if I don't she'll verbally command the hand to come to life--not an annoying yowl, but quite the cutest little "heya, I'm here!" noise. And of course, the infamous stop and plop--it's quite an irresistable combination.

Well, this morning, our routine took a slightly different turn. I don't remember ever waking up laughing, but that's pretty much what happened. No, not at the alarm clock, and not because of a dream, but because as soon as I hit that snooze, there she was, affectionate as ever. Now, she's not as polite about her claws as her compatriot is, so I have one of those fuzzy acrylic blankets that serves as a great barrier between her kneading and my ... uh... pyjamas (don't want to snag them, you know!). She has, for as long as I can remember, loved on that blanket (but only when I'm around and loving on her) with her claws; she even takes a piece of it in her mouth and sucks on it as if she was nursing. I had heard about cats that "suck wool" (I guess someone had a sweater that some Fluffy enjoyed tasting), but had never experienced it. Anyway, it's pretty cute, and if we get it just right, she'll lay there and look at me while she snuggles. Except for this morning. She decided to try a twist on the old stop and plop after I had hit the snooze button after she jumped up to join me. If a tree falls in the forest and nobody's there, does it make a sound? Well, if there's bear poop in the road but nobody saw the bear make a deposit, does that mean a bear didn't put it there? Oh, wait... getting off subject. I tend to ramble sometimes...

Okay, so here's me, getting settled in for the a.m. snuggle--it does help me wake up. Pulling the "magic" blanket up in a protective manner, squishing it in all the right places, I prepare for a comfy snuggle. And that's when I started laughing. It's like she thought she was plopping onto the pillow and didn't have far to fall or something, but it was less like "plop" and more like (picture the aforementioned tree falling in the forest) "TIMMMMMMMMMMMMMM-BERRRRRRR!!!!" I cracked up laughing, and could only laugh harder when she gave me the dirtiest look! Poor thing (oh, yeah, she's so abused and neglected), she gave me the "I meant to do that" look for which cats are infamous, and then sauntered off. If it helps, she's over it now.

Oh, and I never hit the snooze button again this morning! We'll see if we have a similarly amusing story tomorrow... Sorry if this one bored you, I just had to get something in there about Monkey Chunk!

Catcha all later!

(I MISS MY HUSBAND!!!)