Dad's Back Again- A Mishmash of Stuff

     Well, dad's safely back from working in Wilmington all this past week.  We were fortunate to escape Florence's wrath up here, but out there so many others weren't as lucky. Many homes and businesses were damaged, lives were lost, and some roads were still closed, with piles of limbs and debris littering many streets.  Life was trying to return to some sort of normalcy, but it's likely going to take a while.
     Dad says he's never seen such scenes as what he saw out there.

     Last Sunday mom was getting dad's clothes all laid out for the week and was trying to fill his duffle bag.  As you can see, I needed to leave my scent on it so dad wouldn't forget me (or you just wanted to lay on it).

     
   Yesterday mom was working on some things on the floor, and I knew she needed my help with that as well, so I planted myself firmly atop a file folder next to her (or you just wanted to lay on it).  

     Shut up, dad.  Wait, I think I hear work calling.  They need you to work somewhere else again. Anyway, while dad was out there he snapped a picture of someone he saw in a closet in an apartment and sent it to me and mom.  

     Is that not awesome?  Dad is blathering on about a doppelganger or some crap.  Whatever.

     So dad usually leaves mom a note every day on the laptop for her to find when she wakes up.  Apparently he thought he was feeling creative one recent morning after a playful encounter with yours truly, and this was what he wrote:

She's an odd one this cat, her quirks and her ways,

The things that she does, the things that she says.

Remember last night and that odd way she cried?

She was doing it again, so I crawled from my side

Of the bed that we share, to see what made her sing

And she was sitting there meowing in front of her string.

I'm not sure what she wanted, though it seemed to me

She merely wanted attention from you or from me!

So I picked up that string, swung it to and fro,

She swatted and clawed and it pleased her so.

She then walked away and her food did attack,

While I patted and rubbed o'er her shoulders and back

As if she were starving and hadn't eaten in days,

She's an odd one this cat, her quirks and her ways!

   Don't quit your day job, dad.

Getting Some Mom Love

     Mom is always making fun of me because of my need to lay atop articles of clothing, bags, papers, etc.  Yeah, the bed is comfortable enough, but her beat up sweatshirt adds a certain something I just can't describe.  Whatever the reason, it gets me some extra attention from her, and that's all that matters.

     On a side note, we made out okay after the storm, unlike so many others who weren't as fortunate.  We pretty much stayed on the northern edge of the worst of things throughout the weekend until Monday arrived, when we saw the heaviest rain of all, and even some flooding nearby.
     Dad is going to be working in Wilmington this coming week, where they need lots of extra help with post-storm cleanup.

Be Safe

Another one for the "Where's Cleo" file?

This is me practicing for the next day or so down here.  But seriously, I sure hope y'all make it through this storm if you're in its path, and this goes for humans and animals.  Mom, dad and I are sitting tight and keeping an eye on the forecast, and sending out our thoughts to those of you in the direct path of Florence.  No one wants to go through something so devastating, so lets all say our prayers.
     The wind isn't too bad right now and the rain hasn't really even started, but just as dad and I made our way to the living room to start today's post the lights flickered briefly.  A little soon, don't you think?  Not a good sign...
     

The Girl in the Sun

Yeah, it's rough here.  Working hard all day,

coming home, doing the cooking and cleaning, paying the bills- you know, all the important stuff we hard-working beings must do on a daily basis.  No rest for the weary, they say. Toiling away, every day, never getting a chance to truly relax.  I'm telling you, life is not fair. I need some R 'n R.

Umm, excuse me, little Miss Southern Belle Lazypants.  You do realize where you are and what you're doing, don't you?  You know you're not fooling anyone, right?

Whatever...

Payback Jab

 This is me and dad, hard at work on a future masterpiece.  Notice how I tell his hand which keys to strike.  Notice, too, them damn sexy shiny blue shorts. And if I'm not mistaken-and for all his annoying teasing about my allegedly immense midsection- one can't help noticing that protruding little ridge of forested spare tire peeking out from the bottom of this picture.  Ha ha, gotcha Mr. Man-of-a-Thousand-Nicknames-for-Poor-Innocent-Plus-Size-Kitty!