A Mountain and More Cats in Everyday Ramblings
- Nov. 23, 2014, 3:49 p.m.
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- Public
Mount St. Helens from the top of a public stairway a few blocks from my place last Sunday morning. We maybe see her one out of 15 days with the weather pattern here even though she is only 50 miles (80.46 km) away. It is kind of a game many of us play. Are the mountains out today?
They won’t be out anytime soon. We are back in a dark sodden winter pattern but at least we are above freezing. I have nothing to complain about here compared to the climate extremes other folks are experiencing.
Yesterday we had our annual computer system upgrade at work. It was my seventh year doing this and for the first time ever my part of it went smoothly and was easy. Two of the folks I interface with though had issues getting in and I had to deal with a bunch of frustrated anxious folks for a few hours. I was able to laugh about it.
That is a breakthrough for me. A dreaded experience, as in the past, the strange systems folks have shunned me in my department in the most peculiar dysfunctional way. We plan for this for months and months and bring all the financial systems for our large institution down and there is always some communication failure.
This year there was some indication that I might actually know what I am doing.
I am not holding my breath though. I am sure there will be some bizarre and inappropriate behavior on Monday. But oh well. My patch of the garden is humming and that is what I am going to focus on.
Afterwards Most Honorable and Kes came up to play with the boys and for us to have a family dinner out at our favorite raucous Mexican restaurant. Most Honorable was a cat in his most recent former life and had not met Carlo and Diego before and so we were all excited. He got to rub their tummies, something no one got to do with Stella and Sam.
Ever. Under any circumstances.
We played and chatted and played and did I mention we played? When we got back from dinner they had an opportunity to see the crazy mad way these two eat. They inhale their food as if it was going away any second: Diego, in particular, just wolfs his wet food down. If I can, I separate them in different rooms so they can each get equal amounts.
With rescue pets one expects neurotic behavior. This is most definitely where it is manifesting in them. My hope is, that over time, with consistency and love they will begin to relax and trust. After reading about the current thinking on the most appropriate way to train them to stay off the kitchen counters I am making progress.
Carlo only jumps up when I am dishing out wet food. And Diego is pretty much cured of the habit. I have a cookie sheet and pie tins and a roasting pan and empty egg cartons on the edge of the counters and dishtowels. So when they do try to jump up they slip off and make a lot of noise. And it isn’t related to me doing a negative unpleasant thing to them. It is environmental. I just think this is brilliant. A bit of a hassle but brilliant.
Other than the fact that Diego has a shaved spot and visible stitches you would have no idea the drama he went through earlier in the week. Everyday he gets calmer though. He was crazy mad hyperactive there from the anesthetic and the pain med.
I have chores and provisioning to do today because I worked yesterday but I may just blow it all off and chill.
Last updated November 23, 2014
Lyn ⋅ November 23, 2014
Love the pic. Also, very happy to hear the good reports about work and Carlo and Diego.
Right now it is nearly 60 degrees but Winter returns tomorrow. Ugh. But I am so glad not to be near Buffalo!
Zipster ⋅ November 23, 2014
How nice to hear that the boys are settling in so well. I am sure you are right, that over time, things will be even calmer. So glad they are so sociable.
seedys ⋅ November 23, 2014
Deleted user ⋅ November 24, 2014
So wonderful that you rescued the guys ! Most people just want kittens and there are so many beautiful cats desperately needing good homes !
edna million ⋅ November 26, 2014
That is a great way to train cats to stay off the counters. Eddie and Cayce have never been too bad about that (although once in awhile I do hear feet hitting the floor when I walk in, so I know they DO get up there when they think they can get by with it) but Simon is terrible-- he won't stay off them. We kept him for the last six weeks since he'd had surgery, and the day before we took him home he actually got into the cabinet above the stove.. I don't even know how that was possible.
Eddie and Cayce were both rescue cats, and they still flinch when I pet them unexpectedly. And it took Eddie ages to warm up to Baker B, although he adores him now. They do take a lot of special treatment, poor things.
Congratulations on the smooth upgrade!