Go Get A Coffee- Kind Of A Long Dad-post

I know everyone likes to think their cat is the sweetest, cutest, most cuddly, etc., but I have to say- everyone should have a cat like orbit.  In these, his "golden" years he has turned so soft and mushy (though he still has his crusty moments), and provides my wife and I with more head butts, conversations, evil stares, and overall entertainment than we ever expected.  We can't even have a private moment together.  Orbit can be asleep in the living room, and in the time it takes for us to get under the covers at bedtime and open our books there he is, popping up onto the bed.  

     I know the head butt thing is getting old, but we'll never get tired of them.  Orbit's gotten to where he automatically walks up to my wife's face and goes right for her nose or forehead, sometimes two and three times.  Once he's received our approval in this way he turns and settles himself onto the comforter right between my wife's legs (don't say it!).  Occasionally, he'll come to me for the head butts and ignore his mom, which I find extremely amusing.  

     Just about every day, when I get home from work he jumps down from wherever he's been sleeping and walks up to me, his meows growing louder and louder.  He's learned that, by doing this in any situation he'll get the attention he feels entitled to.   We usually sit on the loveseat at the coffee table for our meals, and he's gotten into the habit of jumping up onto the loveseat before we actually get to it, and settling in just behind one or the other of us.  As soon as we finish eating he gets up and immediately gets onto our lap.  I know some people say cats can't be "trained", but he's gotten to be such a creature of habit.  

     I had given orbit up several years ago when I couldn't have him where I'd been living, and when I first got him back after that I was concerned that he and my wife wouldn't take to each other.  Boy, was I wrong!  They are inseparable.  She treats him like a child, which is a great comfort to me, and she's said she's never seen a cat quite like him.

     I know orbit won't be here forever, but we're going to make the remaining years of his life the best any cat could ever want.  He deserves at least that much.  He is, after all, the sweetest, cutest, most cuddly.......

UPDATE

Dad's harmless.  Really.  Honest.  Wouldn't hurt a flea.  Don't judge a book by its cover.  It's only makeup.  It comes off.  I'm serious.  In case you're really scared, I'll post one of his many "nice" photos he's taken around Wilmington.

    See?  Isn't that pretty?

Trick Or Treat!

     Yesterday was Halloween, and mom and dad had a handful of visitors last night, mostly pint-sized, who came to our front door, mumbled "Trick or treat", then turned and left for the next door after trying to empty the bowl mom had filled so lovingly with little bundles of sweets neatly wrapped with orange and black ribbon.  Mom loves holidays, and really gets into the festiveness of the occasion.  She's even gotten dad (old fart that he is) into it.  Dad had a real shitty day at work, but mom, done up in her best attempt to look like my kind, couldn't help but nudge him, without pushing, into the spirit of things.
     They also carved jack-o-lanterns the other day, making a huge mess on the kitchen floor.  Again , if it wasn't for mom, old fuddy duddy probably wouldn't participate.  He used to, for the kids' sake, but they're all grown now.  Dad says sometimes it's like having a kid around again.  I think that's a compliment.  I'll know once mom reads this.

     Mom likes to greet the kids at the door, and she was pretty sure that at least a couple of the tiny visitors were repeat customers, having knocked on the door only half an hour or so earlier.  Things quieted down by eight or so, and they shut off the lights, brought in the pumpkins, and sat down to enjoy what was left of the candy.  Okay, maybe they left a few things. Mom made a pretty cute cat, but dad, in his attempt to imitate a jack-o-lantern, just plain scared me.  I'm thinking serial killer...