that's entertainment

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

31 August 2020 - I can't help but notice that the shorter peep keeps her fingers well removed when we play this game of tug.  I do recognize the palpable difference between her and this stuffed animal, but when I am in full-predator mode it can be difficult to throttle back.  In this culture of built-in obsolescence, I do want to recommend the manufacturer of this fake meep:  its tail is still attached, despite my repeated striving to disconnect it from its body.  This picture also captures the sheer joy of being alive... evidently as one ages that feeling gets buried under the distractions of life's minutia.  It is good, or to quote ancestor Tony, "grrrrrreat" to be a kitten/cat who has found his peeps.  Just imagine having misplaced all one's favorite toys, then entering a room to see them arrayed on the floor... then raise that to the nth power (n >= 2, depending upon the luck of the peep draw).  So if the shorter one wishes to play chase or hide-and-find, count me in (as long as it doesn't disrupt my nap time).
 

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

If looking foolish makes

others laugh, so be it.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

phrase of the day - purr and skittles, fun times that await outside the comfort zone

the things we do

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

30 August 2020 - Can one ever have enough toys?  One way, supposedly, to avoid boredom is through variety:  when one grows tired of the orange sphere, one can hunt for the blue one... or the red or yellow one.  Before you utter the expected "tsk-tsk", I will clearly state that I asked for none of these things.  For some reason, not corroborated by us cats, peeps believe that we need... what exactly?  distraction, stimulation?  My theory is that peeps are reliving their childhoods vicariously.  Why else would my two hang around while I "play", squeaking their words of encouragement, bravoing my athletic feats?  I think it laudable that I am an enabler.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

It can be instructive to

watch the watchers.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - tchotchcat, that long-haired, smushed-in face feline that hypothetically reclines on brocade pillows and eats from crystal dishes

work it out

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

29 August 2020 - Moving into one's new office is a pill, especially when you're convinced it was formerly the supplies closet (and without a window, and totally without "charm").  But as company manager I don't foresee the need to hang out at my desk... rather I will be out amongst the cubicles, encouraging the drones to lift the bottom line.  Their hard rowing will keep our corporate boat above the water line.  And since the vast majority of my kind do not like swimming, not even the idea of, I will cajole and bribe and even bail in order that we may all make it to dry land.  And the without-a-doubt fact that I will be the first to leap onto the sand speaks totally of my fast-twitch muscles and energized youth (and nothing of my thalassophobia... offered as further on-the-job training).

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

It's fortuitous when your needs

and that of the community align.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - purrfessional, accomplished and masterly (there are no casual Fridays for tuxedos)

am-scram

Shamus on view

 Me-usings and Me-emories

28 August 2020 - Cats, at least before they experience middle-age spread (thank you, big-hearted peeps), are good jumpers.  My feats are mostly curtailed by a healthy slice of trepidation.  Even so I have caused the shorter peep's eyes to widen at least once.  And as I open up to my new environs, I may become further emboldened.  To have adrenaline surging through one's limbs is a feeling one could actively seek out... and may be why Bastet has granted my kind nine lives.  I am too practical to get hooked on the rush, but it is a lot of fun to race through a room, skidding around the corners, with tail held high.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

It's a bit late to ask,

"what was I thinking?"

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - purragmatic, sensible and realistic, meowstly

the meow behind the curtain

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

27 August 2020 -  Most of the portals in our abode look out, onto the outside world.  But there is an inner world as well on view.  I am not much of a plant-lover, but I do find the creatures they host fascinating.  When my eye catches the swaying of a leaf or bending of a twig, I give that spot my full attention... because an interloper is on the move.  Sometimes I can observe, unnoticed, a peep across the way, some that I recognize and others that bear watching.  Yes, there are many interesting spots in this house, only some of which I am willing to divulge.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Much can be learned

from the periphery.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - purrceptive, sharp-eyed and sharp-witted (we cats can add 2 and 2)

what next?

Shamus on view

   Me-usings and Me-emories

26 August 2020 - It was recently pointed out to me that we cats don't have the musculature for facial expressions.  Well, what is really meant is that we can't arch our eyebrows (like peeps and dim deeps can).  However that hardly qualifies as a handicap... truthfully it just contributes to our poker face, our enigmatic charm.  We have no problem expressing disbelief or disdain, at least to those peeps who appreciate subtlety.  When shown this picture one doesn't need to be a feline psychologist or a reader of paws, to suspect I am contemplating mischief.  That bit of information is all a peep needs to 1) take a step back from the edge, 2) firmly plant both feet, and 3) aim the camera.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Keep'em off-balance

and guessing.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - purrcarious,  having an edge of uncertainty and possible cat-astrophe

to whom it may concern

Shamus on view

 Me-usings and Me-emories

25 August 2020 - It is rare to see an ugly cat.  I take no credit for my species' photogenic qualities, but am pleased nonetheless.  There is a story, whispered beyond the ears of peeps, of one named Stubby who pushed the classic definition of beauty... but the rumor also clearly notes his well-adjusted and gregarious purrsonality.  Not having any control over what we are dealt, how we play our cards plumbs our character, and Stubby was smart and savvy and liked.  Yet, in our culture, being "easy on the eye" is an advantage that can balance out, even mask, weaker points.  The question of good looks is far down a cat's list:  we loners don't have much reason to seek out crowds, and certainly don't need their approval.  We do watch for kind faces however.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Be one of those

generous souls.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

phrase of the day - "purr favor", a hopeful request and affirmative response

love's labor

Shamus on view

 Me-usings and Me-emories

23 August 2020 - If one is unable to relax, due to external stimuli or internal jitters, then gazing upon someone in soothing repose helps assuage.  It is a theory I have taken to heart, a duty to add to my job description.  Besides, I am good at making myself comfortable.  One of the reasons I have moved my napping place from under the bed is that I was largely unnoticed there... and for this to work I must be seen.  So I have found a number of visible spots throughout our house where I can be a beneficial example, where I can practice deep breathing and cavernous yawns and stretching limbs.  All the while I am droning, "look into my eyes... you are getting sleepy."  Well, it works for me.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

"Do or not do.

There is no try."

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - dedicat, to commit oneself to a selfless (more or less) purrpose

over throne

Shamus on view

 Me-usings and Me-emories

23 August 2020 - Healthy living is all about balance, so a picture of my reclining on cushions is offered as ballast for yesterday's mania.  Frankly after large expenditures of energy, I enjoy an earned nap... and so does the shorter peep, although lately she has been ignoring my invitation.  She claims, without evidence I would add, that I am turning into a cat!  I am taken aback by such a statement, in that it suggests I have been "other" in the past.  I don't deny who I am... and wouldn't that be silly to even try.  Perhaps she is hinting at my growing confidence: rearranging the bed to suit my needs, meowing when lonely.  I would say, if explanation is required, that I am simply morphing from house guest to family member.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Can one be a leader

without followers?

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - purrity, the condition of being equal, especially in regards status (peeps do better when they have a goal)

whoops

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

22 August 2020 - I suppose every adult has left behind something incriminating, something that once discovered can be used to embarrass that trying-to-be-dignified adult.  However don't try that move on a cat, as we will either 1) waa-waa the loudest (don't underestimate a Cheshire grin), or 2) don that inscrutable Sphinx look.  Personally I favor option 2, as I have found it makes the viewer self-conscious and uncomfortable.  Why is a video of me expressing joie-de-vivre something to bury in the litter box??  I like having fun, and intend to keep doing it until it is no longer fun.

 

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Racing around

is good exercise.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - purrile, silly as only a kit/cat can be

is there room, mate?

Shamus on view

 Me-usings and Me-emories

21 August 2020 - My peeps spend a considerable amount of time on this level.  It does offer at least one good hiding spot, and the ambient temperature is warmer... both points that I appreciate.  The shorter peep can often be found seated here, her space cluttered with objects.  She has made it clear that I am welcome to hop up (and I have checked out the accommodations and certainly appreciate the invitation), but we cats don't really enjoy being secondary.  Don't misread this statement to be one of disapproval... rather disappointment.  Our decisions reveal much about the underlying personality, so I will continue to suggest a reorganization of her priorities... and it is up to her to make the better choice.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

If you don't speak

your mind, who will know?

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - purrspective, that tilt of the head where everything resembles a lap

it depends

Shamus on view

 Me-usings and Me-emories

20 August 2020 - Several days ago I mentioned the need in my job to stroll through the middle of a room.  And you're thinking, "what a cushy assignment".  Actually these patrols are never a straight line from one edge to the opposite, instead resembling that comic-strip kid's meander about his neighborhood.  To be thorough, and we cats insist on this, one must peer under things, insert a nose into crevasses, take the pulse of objects that have moved since last inspection.  And to rush this process is to miss the subtle signs of an interloper.  So forgive me for being a meticulous guard and a never-sleeps-on-duty sentry, and I'll try to overlook the snickers and rolling eyes.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

A kibbitzer is one who

hasn't been invited to play.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - compurrtent, reliable (at least until a stranger arrives)

wouldn't be prudent

Shamus on view?

 Me-usings and Me-emories

19 August 2020 - Reconnaissance would be much more clandestine if the carpet was herringbone, but part of being invisible is believing you are.  Even sheer curtains would enable me to remain hidden behind their screen, while watching for interlopers.  But my reality is that I must stealthily peer out for needed information.  It is true that my olfactory and vestibulocochlear nerves provide invaluable intelligence, but like most creatures I depend on visual confirmation for details such as precise distance and actual headcount.  The latter is particularly important, as I wouldn't want to jump out in ambush, ready to tussle, only to face an army of towering peeps.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Give a look-see

before leaping.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - purrovident, making thoughtful purreparation for continued existence