the gamboler

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

30 November 2020 - After learning about the cat that ascended Mt. Everest (I suspect there is more to that story), I have been practicing my technique.  Crampons and additional oxygen obviously aren't needed for any elevation Florida has to offer, but I find the challenge fun.  I am thankful that there is no documentation (at least none that I have seen) of what transpired immediately after the shorter peep pointed that silver cube in my direction.  In fact, since peeps have a difficult time with coincidence, I will suggest that her presence impacted the outcome.  But, halfway up this slope, I lost purchase and skidded backwards down the isosceles, like a little peep descending a park slide.  And that was enjoyable as well.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Because the future is hard

to plan, remain flexible.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - catvort, to jump and play, to capurr

haughty boy

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

29 November 2020 - Sassy moments do a fella good.  I don't recommend strutting or bragging or any other bluster as a habit, or even encourage the occasional indulgence if to the wrong audience.  But among friends or in a private moment, a bit of egotistical nonsense lifts sagging spirits and rejuvenates weary outlooks.  A cat's need to shed claw sheaths is a fact, akin to peeps' trimming their nails.  How we do it can be controversial... at least if one is caught in the act.  In a pinch I have snatched off the spent casing with my teeth, but when the entire body can get into the act it is quite satisfying.  So choose your spot wisely, your company carefully.  And don't push your luck, or you'll be thought insufferable.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Plead the 5th amendment

as a last resort.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - catsure, confident in actions and thoughts (what else would you expect from a cat?)

cold shoulder

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

28 November 2020 - Now that I can no longer rely on the sun to make me toasty, I have had to thicken my coat (but I'm still sparse on the side and belly regions).  I am not certain if the majority of new hairs are white or black, but vanity takes a rumble seat to warmth.  And it isn't just moi who thinks that summer is behind us:  I have seen the taller peep wearing multiple layers inside our abode (but no shoes yet), and the shorter one begins the morning with a sweater.  Now there is local chitters about some really cold weather heading our way.  I will beseech Bastet, even offer treats, to deny Boreas entrance... failing that I will assume a fetal position on that warmed towel I expect to be provided.  (It's in the fine print of my contract with the peeps.)

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

About some things you

can only complain.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

clothing of the day - winter purrka, an extra layer, purrferably of fur, to retain body heat

ok sera

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

27 November 2020 - Naturally I am opting for a Black & White Friday, which means making my rounds, putting in some zzz hours, hanging with my peeps.  I trust that your day will be as satisfying and relaxing as mine.  I acknowledge these arbitrary time demarcations because it simplifies life with peeps, but we cats recognize day and night, but otherwise have no need for distinguishing.  What transpires today is largely what occurred yesterday in my life, and is a guideline for my tomorrow... not that I find the sameness boring.  Familiarity is comforting, and allows me to focus on details that could be overlooked in the fray... such as this small interloper taunting me just outside the screen barrier.  If it is smart, it will stay "out there".

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Step out of the rush.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - purrticular, fastidious in appearance (but otherwise "lazy"-faire)

pleased to meet ya

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

26 November 2020 - Sometimes I feel the need to join my peeps at the table.  It certainly isn't for the food, so why am I drawn there?  For one thing it is an opportunity to find both of them in close proximity and not engrossed in something on a flat screen... which means that I get more head pats and am included in the conversation.  But there is something less tangible, but as important, that brings us together.  There is a sharing of time, that finite commodity, that emphasizes our friendship and admits our need for the other.  We cats aren't good at buddy-buddy stuff, but nonetheless experience emotion and form attachments... so I just want to say, "it's good."

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Return a smile.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - appurreciate, to acknowledge the impurrtance of little things

I herd ya

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

25 November 2020 - Here I am, between two clear barriers that give me an extra-wide view of the surroundings.  That there is this handy, and comfy, piece of furniture at my selected guard post is fortuitous... I would be a dummy to ignore the chance to lie down on my job.  Although at this distance you can't swear if my eyes are open or closed, I would say that it doesn't matter because my ears are on alert.  Based on the delay between our reaction times, I gather my hearing is better than either of my peeps.  My fast-twitch muscles are quicker too.  The end-result is that I see their unaware countenances in my rearview mirror as I bolt away.  In a real emergency must I herd them out?  Does the definition of sentry mention shepherd?

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

"After you" is a courteous gesture.

 (But can you not be so slow?)

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - catsiderate, being purrlite to peeps (the offer valid for about two meows)

purr-esto

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

23 November 2020 - I like to think that I am king of the jungle, but tuxedos really own the night and deep shadows.  Perhaps if a hard freeze (may I never experience it) blackened our garden I could walk undetected among the dead stalks, but otherwise my movements are noticeable.  But after long moments of stillness I can often convince a not-too-bright interloper that I am part of the background or, failing that, inconsequential... which is exactly the turn of events I desire.  It is a very satisfying denouement to prove cat-egorically how wrong the "no threat" assessment was.  I am more than happy to teach the clueless.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Ignorance is a liability.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

great minds of the day - Sir Isaac Newton, one of the most influential scientists of all time (who was assisted by a tuxedo)

abracatabra

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

23 November 2020 - Many times I have wished the ability to slip through these clear barriers, to turn sideways and slide past the molecules or to temporarily shrink to the subatomic level and saunter through.  Undoubtedly it is a case of "the flora is always greener on the other side", but I can see the interlopers over there and my empty threats are not getting the desired results.  My ESP with the shorter peep is still frustratingly unreliable... or perhaps, for reasons of her own, she doesn't wish me to have access to "out there".  I will continue to ask for her help:  like water over a rock, with time her resistance may be smoothed away.  Meanwhile I have a screen to stare at and no handy zapper.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

You can only work

within your sphere of influence.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

feline of the day - Simon, who sailed with the British Royal Navy in 1949 and was awarded a medal for protecting the soldiers’ food rations

on air

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

22 November 2020 - Denying my hunter instincts is not a good way to expend energy.  Instead I do lots of play-acting, stropping my stealth, perfecting my pounce, crowning the coup... rehearsals for opening night and the real thing.  If I haven't imagined the situation, how can I nail it?  And aren't we all junkies to feel-good endorphins?  Those chemicals undeniably pull our strings, even when we think we're in control of the show.  But other than muting their voices with sleep (and then they try to direct our dreams) or with more chemicals, we are stuck with these ancient manipulators.  The only consolidation is that by knowing of their behind-the-scenes existence, we can soft-shoe the impulses.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

You'll never make the big-time

if you don't practice.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - catsher, genuine and the real-deal... you can't expect more than cat-sure

the right to a speedy trail

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

21 November 2020 - Balancing work and play is important in maintaining health and sanity.  Cats certainly know how to rip-snort, practically caroming off the walls when the mood hits.  The shorter peep tells me that when I am zipping around, I hold my tail aloft and crooked like a shepherd's staff.  What my fifth appendage is doing during a dash I can't say, since my focus is on the 80° straight ahead... but I believe her.  It may be hard-wired behavior, passed along by those ancestors who managed to keep their tails attached to their bodies.  I don't aspire to being a member of the Bobbed Club.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Progress is made

one step at a time.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - mewteoric, on the way up (the house beam or the barn ladder?)

quiet down out there

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

20 November 2020 - Life, you may have discovered, is not one smooth ride.  Someone who has escaped upset and misfortune didn't hang around very long.  Although stepping out of the line is one way to avoid the roller-coaster ride, it is an unappealing option, one in which all the exhilarating moments are missed.  And it is those joyous times that lessen travail's pangs.  There is also the unpopular recommendation of the boring life, what so many of us crinkle our noses at.  True, not much of note happens in the boring life, but that is entirely the point.  When not being assailed, one can actually pay attention to the small things that normally go unnoticed.  Introverts will find this suggestion more palatable, I suspect, but even the most exuberant sorts can periodically inject stillness into their busy schedules.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Listen to your breath.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - catemplate, to ponder purrfoundly

red in tooth and claw

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

19 November 2020 - The white-eyed beep and I definitely are acquainted, but don't go so far as to call it friendship.  A cat's ancient wiring sees these tiny creatures as a buffet item, so it is fortunate, at least for my prey and for my rather squeamish peeps, there is an obstacle that prevents our actually meeting.  I have butted my head numerous times on this clear separation, rational thought neutralized in a chemically heightened craze to "get him".  There is no use denying the instincts of a cat.  However peeps are likewise flesh-eaters, cunning ones in fact.  "Four and twenty black beeps baked in a pie"?  France outlawed its songbeep delicacy, yet peeps continue to drape their heads and eat.  And what is the traditional centerpiece of a Thanksgiving meal?  Yes, in the upper end of the food chain there are no innocents.

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

Please chew with your

mouth closed (and use your napkin).

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - purredatory, always looking for a dinner invite, "see meow, feed me"

po-tay-to, po-tah-to

Shamus on view

Me-usings and Me-emories

18 November 2020 - I haven't conducted an extensive study, but so far peep food & drink do not interest me.  I suspect they actually disappoint my nose, since one's appetite is largely tied to the sense of smell.  However I am curious, so I can't pass up another piece of data.  Both of my peeps regularly consume this brown liquid, but I find room-temperature water much more palatable.    It isn't the only thing on which we have differing opinions.  We disagree on the thermostat setting, general housekeeping (I am in favor of totally banning that noisy contraption that appears each Friday morning), catnip allure, IQ measurement (of course everyone prefers the model on which one scores high),  the definition of scary, and many others that by voicing aloud seem trivial.  Obviously we share lots of things in common, things of more important concern, and that is the basis for our friendship.
 

clipped notes

                             Today's Catechism 

                            (for the autodidcat)

It is boring to be

like everyone else.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - incompurrable, without an equal (at least among mere mewrtals)