Grouchy Not Grouchy

 One of dad's regular duties each week is dropping off packages for shipping, and one of the places he frequents the most is Popcorn Packers right across the river in Lambertville, NJ. Dad apparently looks forward to going there because there's a resident 4-legged old fart who's usually curled up in his bed on a shelf at the back of the store.

This is Oscar, and as dad tells it with an intense glare in my direction, he is anything BUT a grouch and is just the sweetest, most loving, cuddly 16- or 17-year-old ginger man cat. He's a former feral who has apparently learned over his many years to relish human attention and dad says Oscar eats it up like it's going out of style. When dad walks over to him he stretches his weary old bones and steps out of his bed, craning his neck down so dad can give him scritches and rubs. Of course, I don't see any proof of all this hooey, and dad's most likely just trying to make me feel bad since I'm not exactly what one could call "cuddly".

 We're all different, you know? Whatever. So yeah, this is Oscar. Yay. I must be softening in my old age 'cause I didn't give a rhinoceros's butt when dad said he wanted to share about Oscar. Smudge out.

The Christmas Gift Follow-up

 refusing to surrender in defeat and accept that ol' smudge just wasn't the playful type and had no interest in her new toy, one recent evening the dad removed the circular scratcher from the toy, flipped it over, sprinkled it afresh and set it in the middle of the living room floor. After Smudge approached it and gave it a cautious initial sniff, the dad bubbled over with joy as he watched her plop herself atop the thing and lick it like a crazed lady cat. as she rubbed her chin and cheeks into the 'nip scented cardboard, the dad smiled, pleased with himself, snapping photo after photo like a proud pop.

Pleased with herself for making her dad happy and somewhat worn out after showing her playful side, smudge did what her dad says she does best.

Final Footnote: This last photo has nothing whatsoever to do with this post. The dad simply has an overabundance of pictures of Smudge sleeping and decided to use one here.

January Doldrums

In rare moments of something as close to tenderness as she can muster, Smudge nestles herself between dad's knees atop the sleeping bag that covers the bed in wintertime. 

And this is how I wish to remain as long as these effing temperatures linger...

"The Christmas Gift" Footnotes

 After opening a large, colorfully wrapped Christmas gift with her name on it, Smudge jittered with anticipation and could not be held back as she leapt towards her new toy.*

*Smudge lazily sauntered toward the toy many days after Christmas as if only just then discovering its existence, cautiously stepping onto it and sniffing it.

Smudge’s excitement could not be contained as she swatted the small red and white ball 'round the outer track first one way then the other. *

*After being shown how to swat the ball in its track, Smudge simply sat and looked off in the distance.

Back and forth the ball went, back and forth with the force of Smudge’s paw. Oh, how she swatted; the poor, helpless plastic orb couldn’t have known what hit it. *

*Smudge yawned once and continued looking off in the distance.

She swatted the ball again and again as if possessed and out of control. Cat mom and cat dad swore they could hear Smudge’s heart beating with joy as they looked to one another, happily, silently acknowledging that they’d done well.*

*The cat mom and cat dad were the ones who by now were acting possessed and out of control and continued flicking the ball 'round its track as Smudge yawned again.

And then Smudge discovered the catnip-laced scratching surface at the toy’s center. Sniffing and frolicking and buzzing like crazy, Smudge clawed and tore at the helpless, scented cardboard. *

*Smudge sniffed the 'nipped scratcher once, twice, then resumed her bored stare.

She rolled ‘round atop the toy, twisting her head this way and that, coating her ears and whiskers with the fine, flakey herb and by now higher than a kite. *

*High only with indifference and suddenly feeling the need to bathe.

Displaying an until-now unseen energy and spirit, Smudge pleased her cat mom and cat dad to no end with her youthful antics and boundless energy. *

*If youthful antics and boundless energy mean sitting, bathing and sitting some more.

“Smudgey, oh Smudgey!” “Just look at you play!” Overjoyed and near tears, Smudge’s cat mom and cat dad laughed and hugged each other as she rolled around, zooming with delight atop her precious new toy. *

*Cat mom and cat dad just stared as Smudge merely sat, staring back at them.

“Oh, just look at her go,” said cat dad. “She’s truly out of control,” added cat mom. They’d never, ever seen her so overflowing with kitten-like vigor. They knew they’d chosen the perfect gift for their old girl.*

*After sitting for a few minutes more, Smudge walked off her toy and hasn't been seen anywhere near it since. The cat mom and cat dad sighed, realizing they'd picked the wrong toy.

Footnote footnote: Sorry folks, I tried telling dad he wasn't funny. He's just mad because he thought he was being clever making fun of me. I told him it wouldn't work.   

The Christmas Gift- A Short (facetious) Story

In a far eastern Pennsylvania borough, there lives a special kitty named Smudge. Though enjoying her golden years and quite set in her ways, Smudge would occasionally display a rare playfulness. 

After opening a large, colorfully wrapped Christmas gift with her name on it, Smudge jittered with anticipation and could not be held back as she leapt towards her new toy.

Smudge’s excitement could not be contained as she swatted the small red and white ball 'round the outer track first one way then the other. 

Back and forth the ball went, back and forth with the force of Smudge’s paw. Oh, how she swatted; the poor, helpless plastic orb couldn’t have known what hit it. 

She swatted the ball again and again as if possessed and out of control. Cat mom and cat dad swore they could hear Smudge’s heart beating with joy as they looked to one another, happily, silently acknowledging that they’d done well.  

And then Smudge discovered the catnip-laced scratching surface at the toy’s center. Sniffing and frolicking and buzzing like crazy, Smudge clawed and tore at the helpless, scented cardboard. 

She rolled ‘round atop the toy, twisting her head this way and that, coating her ears and whiskers with the fine, flakey herb and by now higher than a kite. 

Displaying an until-now unseen energy and spirit, Smudge pleased her cat mom and cat dad to no end with her youthful antics and boundless energy. 

“Smudgey, oh Smudgey!” “Just look at you play!” Overjoyed and near tears, Smudge’s cat mom and cat dad laughed and hugged each other as she rolled around, zooming with delight atop her precious new toy. 

“Oh, just look at her go,” said cat dad. “She’s truly out of control,” added cat mom. They’d never, ever seen her so overflowing with kitten-like vigor. They knew they’d chosen the perfect gift for their old girl.

note 1: Although you can't see it, there is a ball. 

note 2: This last photo, which the cat mom and cat dad think is hilarious, was caught at the right time either just before or right after a yawn. It is not doctored in any way except for Lunapic's Scribble at 50%. 

Seasonal Siesta

 Been a busy couple of weeks. Gonna catch 40 or 50 or 100 winks and be back ASAP.