Worrier

Speaking of worrying... Last night I let Kurbie out to do his business. He wasn't out long- probably less than five minutes- but it was extremely cold out (low temps bitter windchill). I noticed him plopping over in a bank of snow- struggling with his footing.

I called out in concern and with a little effort he limped back into the house. He was shivering uncontrollably so I held him close to warm him up. Later he climbed on my lap underneath a blanket.

He doesn't seem to be showing any ill effects but it taught me to keep an eye out when it's this cold out and they have to go outside...

Who Me Worry?

I wonder how much animals worry. Thompson's natural look is one of a worried soul. I wonder if Kurbie and Torii wonder where there real house person is and when she'll be back. (Hopefully they aren't wondering if she'll be back.)

Similiarly I wonder about my own boyz and if they sit there in the empty house wondering and worrying if this is the way it's gonna be from now on.

A Visitor

Went home to see how my boyz are doing. Everything was fine. The only one who seemed to have issues with my absence was Diego-san who spent the entire time I was there avoiding me until I began packing up some more clothes to bring with me. That's when he howled and came over and rolled on the ground by me. That's a sign that it's time to comb him so I did.

Thompson and Theo seemed oblivious to any change.

Kurbie

Kurbie is a senior citizen in dog years. He's a bit crochety and set in his ways but the expectant look he gets in his eyes- all the while as his little tail makes his entire back end wiggle- is irresistable.

Torii

Torii is full of boundless energy. He's constantly running from here to there to grab a toy, chase a ball or chew on some rawhide. yet at the end of the day, Torii is a master snuggler- clawing his way underneath the covers and plopping himself down.

He seems grateful to have a safe and healthy environment to call his home.

House Party

Woo hoo. We've got the entire place to ourselves!

The Chaotic Adventure Begins

My two house pet sitting duties begin today. It was hard leaving the boyz this morning. Thompson and Diego-san figured out something was happening when I started packing.

Theo figured out something was up when I left two whole days worth of food out (it's probably already gone).

I won't see the boyz again until Saturday afternoon. I have a friend who is gonna help feed the boyz a few spread out days over the next few weeks. This hopefully won't be too trying an adventure for any of us involved...

Sweet Side

Thompson was in a sweet mood last night. He climbed up next to me in bed and lie on his side purring away. This isn't the side of him most people get to see- he tends to run and hide from visitors.

Even with me he'll often wait until we're alone and the other two boyz are off doing something else somewhere else in the house. That's when Thompson will display his affectionate and I'm glad you're paying me attention side.

If Kitties Ran The World (or Do They Already?)

After Mr. Bush was done presenting his state of the union address, I asked the boyz for their evaluations. Thompson was contently watching me watch the prez and he seemed eager to field my question. But instead he went about cleaning himself.

Theo and Diego were off down the hallway wrestling displaying one life approach- just go about your business and don't worry too much about all the stuff that goes on beyond your own walls.

Needy... Loving... and A Good Heat Source

Ever since my return from my trip to Washington DC- Diego-san has been a lot more needing of my attention. More than ever he has taken to sleeping right by my side (usually on my arm) underneath my covers.

He more and more is spending hours in this position- no doubt to take advantage of the warmth from my down comforter and from me. It's been really cold out most of the past two weeks so I'm sure with his above average intelligence Diego realizes that the best way to stay warm is either to lie in front of a heating vent or by my side.

I don't mind this at all since he is such a soft cuddly fellow. Despite some ongoing differences- Diego and I put things aside at the end of the day and take advantage of what the other has to offer.

Survival of the Fittest

Over the next few weeks because of my dog sitting duties- my boyz will be spending a lot of time on their own.

I'm a little concerned about Theo getting his fair share of food. Diego has now taken to always trying to steal Theo's food if I'm not paying attention. Theo allows this standing behind Diego with a completely blank look on his face.

I have a feeling if I just dump out a bunch of food and take off- Theo will starve and Diego will get plump. Someone's got to learn to stand up for what is his.

Split Duties

I'm going to be dogsitting at my friend's house starting the end of next week. I've committed to doing it for about 10 days and her house (and dogs Kurbie and Torii) are far enough away where I really can't easily go back and forth from my house. Fortunately her house is very close to where I now work so that drive will be easy.

I'm not sure yet how I'm going to take care of my boyz. I'll probably end up having a friend (or friends or my dad) stop by and leave them food. I'll swing by whenever I can but they are going to have the run of the house for awhile...

It's OK

Last weekend's snowfall has seemingly made the commute to work messy all week long. It's taken me a good 15-20 minutes longer to make my way home at the end of the day. My theory is that because neither Minneapolis or St. Paul called a snow emergency- people left their cars parked on the city streets and thus there are still piles of snow that make the roads more narrow and cause people to drive more slowly.

Thus I'm much more stressed when I get home. I think Thompson for one senses this because he has been much more patient in waiting for his dinner. I still get the message loud and clear that there are empty dishes to fill when I get home- but he doesn't seem to mind that I check my mail and change clothes first. What a smart little fellow.

The Flood

Both Thompson and Diego have learned that one method of relief from Theo's relentless need to play is to hop up somewhere high.

Theo was brought into the cat shelter with damaged back legs. The story told was that a kid had sat on him and crushed Theo's back legs. I think the time he couldn't use them led to Theo losing confidence in his ability to jump up on anything higher than he could pull himself up onto with his front legs. I notice that often when he is jumping down from something- he'll do it very gingerly by placing his front paws on the ground and gradually lowering his back side down.

So Thompson and Diego will often run away from Theo's pursuit- and jump up on a chair or a ledge and thus thwart the pursuit even though Theo has proven he can get up almost anywhere. In all likelihood this method of escape is temporary has Theo regains the belief that his legs will do almost anything that he asks them to do.

Prance Prance

People who see Diego-san either in person or in a picture often remark how handsome of a cat he is. It's my belief that Diego knows this. His walk is somewhere between a strut and a swagger- with his behind wagging and his impressive tail held high in the air.

Diego expects to be the center of attention whenever he walks into a room- and the three of us he lives with- that expectation is usually granted.

The Race

Every morning after I take my shower and dress for work- the boyz excitement over the upcoming breakfast gets them pretty worked up.

Theo alternates between licking my legs and running back and forth down the hallway as if that will speed things up and his morning meal will be delivered sooner.

Thompson meows away, edging himself closer to the stairway. Diego tries to act cool but an occasional bellow gives him away.

The routine has become so pat that we have developed it into an unofficial race with specific rules. The foremost rule is that none of the boyz can run down the stairs before I begin my descent. If they do- they are disqualified. Theo breaks this rule almost every day and thus takes himself out of the race. Thompson usually gets a head start on Diego by standing at the top of the stairs. Diego usually waits until I start walking down the hall and then will prance in step behind me.

Usually Diego- even starting with a further distance to go- can beat Thompson down the steps. It's much easier for Thompson to run rapidly up steps where his momentum helps him keep his balance- than down steps where he has to carefully place his lone front paw on the next step before he lowers the rest of his body.

Thus I like to assist Thompson as much as I can- setting up my body as a screen to a clear path down for Diego. Whoever ends up downstairs first gets a hearty pat on the head from me and a vocal congratulations. That morning's loser likewise gets a pat of sympathy and encouragement. I swear the boyz understand all this competition but that probably isn't likely...

MLK Day

Had a day off due to it being Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The timing was perfect as we got 4-5 inches of snow the night before. I'm glad I didn't have to shovel in the wee hours of the morning and slip slide my way to work.

One Hisser

It occurred to me today that I've never heard either Diego or Theo hiss. Thompson on the other hand hisses daily - usually when he has had enough of Theo doing something. He's also quite the growler- in fact Thompson is far and away the most vocal of the trio. He meows/grunts when he's moving, getting ready to eat or drink, and sometimes on his way down to the litter box. I love his voice and miss it when I'm not around him.

I just wish he wouldn't hiss so much...

Brrrr

Winter has finally really arrived in these parts. The past two days the temperatures have hovered around zero with a biting wind chill. The downstairs of my house can be somewhat drafty so the boyz have taken turns lying on my stomach and chest benefitting from my body heat. Theo of course usually ends up getting this choice spot.

Meet the Boyz

One of the inherent things about starting a new job is that my new colleagues naturally want to get to know me. One thing I think I'm already known for is that I am a "cat" person. I'm amused at the reactions I get when I share the fact I live with three kitties. Other cat people tend to smile knowingly. Non-cat people tend to get this look in their eyes as if they are not sure how to judge my eccentricity/normalness quotient.

I do know that if all these new colleagues could actually meet the boyz, that they'd understand that my craziness only partially has to do with my roomies.

Settling In

It's been a whirlwind few weeks but now the routine of the new job begins. I've worked at my new location five days now and the challenge of learning new tasks (not to mention putting names to all the new faces) has left me coming home plenty tired. It's extra nice therefore to come home to three familiar and curious faces.

Snuggler

For the first time ever Diego-san spent all night sleeping by my side. He likes to crawl just underneath the covers, facing me, and lie with his paws on my arm. Usually this lasts for about half an hour and then he moves to the end of the bed. Last night he crawled underneath the covers with me and stayed there all night. I guess he might have missed me.

Back Home

And the boyz seem glad...

Jefferson Memorial

The U.S. Capitol

FDR Memorial

Japanese American Memorial

The Smithsonian

DC Bound

I'm off to DC for four days to attend a conference. I waited until the last possible moment to pack my bag because at least two of the three boyz know what follows when I pack my bag.

The third boy got a clue when I dumped a day's worth of food in his dish.

Resolutions

Since the boyz didn't complete their New Year's Eve assignment of coming up with one resolution each, I thought I'd do it for them:

Thompson: Resolve to be nicer to Theo.

Diego-san: Resolve to quit trying to go behind the TV set.

Theo: Resolve to fight for my portion of the food and not let the others push me to the back.

Batter... I Don't Even...