rARsh!

A new game

Kirsti has a new game.

She’s learned that she can get out of the house - although not back in - by jumping from the back bedroom’s window down onto the sitooterie’s roof (small thud) and, from there, down onto one of the bins (large thud).

I’m sure you can see where this is going.

There I was, dumping the latest load from yesterday’s Big Tidy when I heard a miaow. I looked around but didn’t see her, so turned back to emptying the load when BANG! As if by magic there was now a cat standing 6 inches from me. Jump? I nearly soiled myself.

M from next door witnessed this and didn’t stop laughing for 10 minutes.

Moral: If at first you don’t see a cat, look up.

A meeting of minds

There are times when I feel I am beginning to share Kirsti viewpoint vis a vis local avian wildlife.

That time was 3:28am when the massed chorus started up outside my window while I was still trying to get to sleep.

Knowing when I’m beaten, I’ve risen, abluted and have even done some webwork - just as well as there seems to be quite a bit of interest at the moment. How much translates into actual work remains to be seen, of course.

So tired.

So very, very tired.

Simon’s Cat + Kirsti = Hilarity

‘Im Oop Nawth told me that there’s a sequel to Simon Tofield’s excellent The Wake Up Cat animation -Let Me In!. As the part of the cat is ably played by Shrooty (who is, presumably, Simon’s Cat) what you effectively have - apart from an amusing pair of cartoons - is the soundtrack of a cat asking for assistance.

For added fun, cat people, play the animation with your feline in the room and watch them go absolutely crazy trying to find the other cat.

Laugh? I almost wet myself. Almost.

Bad daddy

I am, I’ve been told, a Bad Dad to Kirsti.

I was recounting an amusing episode to Woman (Kirsti’s “mum”) when the accusation was levelled.

Whenever Kirsti leaves the house it’s her habit to mark/claim the Copen. I have no problem with that - I knew the car would be a pussy magnet, after all - but over the weekend Kirsti failed to take into account the Copen’s smooth curves and the layer of snow which was sitting on the bonnet.

Yep, as she whacked herself against the car (”subtlety” is an unfamiliar concept to this cat), she dislodged a sizeable chunk of snow which slid down and covered the unfortunate feline.

What makes me a Bad Dad, though, is the fact that this made me laugh like a drain.

Training

Mandy from next door asked me at the weekend whether I minded her letting Kirsti in and out.

“In and out?” I knew she was letting her in, as I’d leave madam outside when I left for work but she’d be indoors by the time I got home.

“Oh yes. If she’s shouting at the door I let her in, then when I come out I go to see if she wants to come out again. She usually does.”

Bloody hell - she’s building up quite a retinue of tame humans!

In other news, we’ve agreed a leaving date for me of 30th April. 34 working days and counting …

Bits and, indeed, pieces

Well, I’ve told Tall Andy what’ll be happening once I get a financial cushion in place - my plan to hand over the resignation this evening to tie in with the new structure which falls into place in a month’s time was shelved. Soon, though. Oh yes.

Woman warned me about Kirsti and her preference for drinking straight from the tap. To my shame I’d assumed she was exaggerating but I’ve been proven wrong. In fact, on Tuesday evening, the silly madam sat in the sink as I was finishing brushing my teeth, so I left the tap on for a while for her to drink her fill.

When I returned I found she’d been sitting over the plug and was waist deep in water - quite happily so, I hasten to add. My, how I laughed. She ran off when I grabbed a towel so I assumed she’d sort herself out and went to bed.

Five minutes later I was joined by a soaking wet cat. It’s like one of those genie’s wishes that’s been twisted …

I have established that she’s not too fond of hot water, though, as she soon changed her mind after joining me in the shower one morning.

That’s one weird feline you’ve given me, Woman!

The N800 tablet is bloody marvellous. It makes me wish the bus journey from the Park and Ride to the bus station was longer. Who knows - once I’ve handed in my letter I may switch to the train for my last few weeks.

Tomorrow’s potentially Kirsti’s first day outside (not for a lack of trying on her part this week - both the postie and a meter reader had the front door slammed in their face before I’d ushered her to safety, opened the door and explained/apologised). I foresee an interesting time to be had by all.

One last cat post

I was back to work yesterday, so Madam was alone in the house all day.

She was so excited at my coming home (I wish all females felt that way) that she came bounding down the stairs … too fast … missed a step and ended up somersaulting the last few steps.

I’d like to say that I was immediately concerned for her health but I was laughing too hard.

She had her revenge later when she rolled on her back and I assumed that she, like Misty, wanted her tummy tickled.

Ow. In fact, bloody ow! I’ll not make that mistake again.

In the meantime she’s started chewing on cables - something Woman insists she never used to do. I’ll have to coat them all in pepper sauce to teach her not to (but there are already tooth marks in a phone charger cable. Bloody cat!

Anyway, there was another restructure announced at work today but I’m still too annoyed about it to post without going too far. More on this in a day or so, I suspect.

Toodle pip.

Kirsti the Kat

Kirsti the Kat stands guard over my armies

Isn’t she the absolute spitting image of Misty?