Visit the kelpforest....

I am going to post my own stuff soon, honest, as soon as my brain wakes up and starts working, but I just spent a few minutes looking at this, courtesy megthelegend:

Flying cats...

With the amount of fully extended claws in that slideshow, it's a wonder the photographer isn't sliced to ribbons! XD

Bob had a tail like the tabby in those pics. And he used to chase my brother's dog, an Italian grayhound whom he outweighed by about 10 lbs., with big spread-out paws like that. Before they knew each other well, she would yelp just to run past him as fast as possible while he was asleep on a chair in the living room. He would open eye, and look at her like, "What the hell is your problem, dog?" Later, after they got to know each other, she'd run up behind him and bark, then turn tail and run as he chased her. Looked like a deer and a tiger playing tag. Galumph, galumph. Heh.

How strange. Last night and this morning, I got a bunch of old LJ comments in my old inbox. I've already changed my address at LJ and most recent comments have been going to that address. One of them made my throat tighten - from someone wishing the best for Bob.

I think Stimpy must miss him too. John had always had the cat hierarchy pegged as Bob being the senior top cat, and Stimpy being his enforcer. Goldie and Spot, being newcomers, were on the bottom rung, with Stimpy throwing his weight around at them - mostly at Spot, since he's the most recent and male besides (I think - he's so fluffy it's hard to tell). Stimpy and Bob did hang out together quite often. Occasionally Bob would reinforce his seniority, in the way that cats do, but there was also quite a bit of companionable sitting side by side and every once in while, a mutual lick on the head (Goldie and Spot also do this). When outdoors, the two top cats surveyed our entire property - front and backyards and sometimes forays into the neighbors. Bob would even occasionally cross the street, but he was always very smart about it - I'd swear he looked both ways and then mosey across. None of that skittering across as fast as possible, belly nearly touching the ground, for him.

Last week, out in the front yard, Stimpy actually came over and got in my lap, and demanded some petting and scratching. He has a Siamese voice, so he's hard to ignore. However, Stimpy has never been a lap cat, at least for me. In the wintertime, he'll go in the den and sit in my Dad's lap when his feet are cold. When he's outdoors, though, he likes to pretend he's feral; usually the only person he lets pick him up is John, because John is his "dad."

While I was scratching Stimpy, Gareth was talking to me. He always starts out with "I'm worried about Bob." which I think is not quite what he means. But he heard me say it when I was sad about him, before he died, and now it's the thing to say when he misses him, too. He's really the only one of them who is putting it into words at all. We were talking about Bob, and I felt the tears start. Gareth asked why I was crying, and I calmly told him that Bob was my good friend and I missed his presence. He said he missed him, too.

When we go for walks around the block, I keep looking out of the corner of my eye for that furry shape trotting in the gutter slightly behind us.

talonsage, I am holding you in my thoughts, and will be for quite some time yet.

Someone in bookcrossing reminded me of this book, The Cat Who Went to Heaven. I think I read it when I was still in school; I must have checked it out of the library, because I don't believe I ever had a copy. It won a Newberry award in 1931, but it is still in print.

I have a sudden strong desire to read it again.

It's so hard to believe only three weeks ago he was jumping on the neighbor's dog and walking around the block with us. Bob's litter box is still in the bathroom.( ...this is the end...you don't have to read... )

All of these were taken during the last 8 months or so. Angus took the first and last images, although I cropped them a little...
( Read more... )

I was actually planning to go to Anime Expo today, but alas, my husband spent all the cash we had for the 4th, I don't have an ATM card right now, and the banks are closed today (since the 4th was on Sunday). Pooh. I was feeling a bit guilty about leaving Bob for that long anyway.

( ...about Bob... )

I had to turn off the kitty Office Assistant in my Microsoft Office programs because the meowing was making me cry.

I think an album of Viennese waltzes this morning is just the ticket. Soothing and yet somehow distant and not as emotional as some of the things I've been listening to lately. The Blue Danube makes me think of the scenes from 2001: A Space Odyssey. They must've gotten the year wrong. Here we are nearly halfway in time to the sequel (2010) and we're barely any farther than when the movie was made.

( Bob... )

In the meantime, I'm going to do a little reading on crosstab queries, to figure out how to run them. I not sure how I'm going to combine all my fish landings from different sources...

I dropped Bob off at the vet this morning. After sorting out payments (we already owed them money), they told me to call at 3 pm. That's an hour from now. He felt so light when I picked him up, but he was purring up a storm (yes, I know cats purr when they are injured or not feeling well, but let me have my illusions). He didn't fight going into the cardboard carrier, but refused to put his head down to close it. I felt terrible just leaving him there.

Crossing my fingers.

Edit 3:55pm: John phoned - he'll be staying overnight for observation. The Dr. says they will know by 5:30 (or better tomorrow) what the bloodwork says. She's felt a couple of lumps in his abdomen and they will be doing some x-rays to find out what they are.

And they gave him a flea dip. John says this is a good sign because why would they do that if he weren't going to make it? I think probably to keep them from getting on the other animals. I feel constant guilt about this.

How nice - I came in this morning to find a Krispy Kreme donut waiting for me on my desk; I remember on Friday AL saying she had coupons and was going to bring some in. I work with such nice people.

I am sad and worried this morning. ( I know I've been talking about my cat a lot lately, so I'll put this behind a cut in case you'd rather skip it )