Offelinal (catfinition) – substances tending to have a medicinal effect on felines.
In use: “His determination to heal the cat led him to examine herbs for offelinal possibilities.”
Unfolding
Some days, when I sit down to write, the words flood out. Other times, they come with a gentle patience, like a flower’s petals unfolding, but with a little more speed.
They’re both enjoyable means to an end.
Monday’s Theme Music
Another loopback to my early teen years. Donovan’s music, with its psychedelic, flower-power, folk-rock influences and sounds. I stream several of his songs in my head, sometimes slipping into whole albums. Today, though, I’m stuck on “Hurdy Gurdy Man.” You can imagine how the repetitive words and guitars can mesmerize someone like me, who seems attracted to such noises. Such sounds were especially enticing to me when I was twelve, when I theoretically first heard this song on AM radio. I have no clear memory of the first time I heard it, only that I enjoy all those “hurdy gurdy” and “roly poly” lyrics.
So I’m posting “Hurdy Gurdy Man,” today, but not with an eye toward stopping its looping. It fits in well with my mood, and I’m pleased to have its company.
Well, for now.
Flooftatis Flooftandis
Flooftatis Flooftandis (catfinition) – changes made to a previous situation to address the cat’s needs.
In use: “Whereas the bedroom was elegantly designed and arranged, flooftatis flooftandis appeared in the forms of a litter box, food and water bowls, and a carpeted climbing tree.”
Jet Floof
Jet Floof (catfinition) – outflanking movement cats employ. Running a wide arc around the outside of others, they turn on the jets to get ahead of the situation.
In use: “Quinn hurried around the couch, and then, in classic jet floof fashion, he raced ahead to the feeding bowls.”
Makes You Think, Don’t It?
“I am not a crook.” (Nixon, on Nixon)
“I never had sex with that woman.” (Clinton, about Monica Lewinsky)
“It could last six days, six weeks. I doubt six months.” (Rumsfeld, about war in Iraq)
“I am a very stable genius.” (Trump, on Trump)
The Insights
Don’t you love it when you’re writing or working on a problem, and you stop because you’re uncertain about what to do next, and then, as you’re doing something else, it hits you, *bam*, and you get so excited about the insights that you want to immediately get back to it?
Yes, it’s a great feeling, but all too rare.
Infloofxicate
Infloofxicate (catfinition) – to excite or stupefy by a cat’s behavior or presence to the point where control and intentions are markedly diminished.
In use: “Rocky’s wild antics trying to capture the laser dot infloofxicated Mark, and he fell behind with his plans.”
Sunday’s Theme Music
They – the omnipotent, omniscient, slightly mysterious and ill-defined ‘they’ – say that the best way to rid yourself of an earworm is to pass it on. That’s what I plan to do today.
On the other hand, I said to myself, perhaps I’m part of a chain. I’m streaming an old song – hell, I was six years old when it became a hit – but the fates put the song there knowing that I’d post about it to rid myself of it. There’s no earthly reason for streaming this song. It just popped into my head. It’s not my sort of music, and I don’t own, and never have, owned an album by these performers.
But maybe someone out there needs to hear this song. I don’t know. How this whole thing called life works is almost as complex as “A Game of Thrones”, or the definition of a catch in the N.F.L.
Here we go, with the Lettermen, from 1962, with “Turn Around, Look At Me.” Others have done it and had hits with it, but this version is the one looping in my stream.
Michael Seidel, writer 