The Cat’s Decree
Lovefloof
Lovefloof (floofinition) – An animal or pet who enthusiastically give or receive love.
In use: “The pit bull cowered in the corner for the first week, trembling whenever someone approached him, but slowly, with love, patience, and food, he became a sweet lovefloof who enjoyed cuddling, walks, and playing fetch with a ball.”
Saturday’s Theme Music
Good morning. Welcome to the day after the previous day. Today is Saturday, March 13, 2013, which means it’s SATURDAY THE THIRTEENTH. That aside, Solup was at 6:26 AM in Ashland, and Soldown is expected at 6:15 PM. Then we’ll spring ahead in most parts of ‘Merica, losing an hour of sleep but putting soldown an hour later. I’ll welcome that, as I can take early evening walks.
Clear skies, cold nights and bright sunshine currently rules these parts. A cold 32 degrees was the low last night but it’s already mid-fifties now. Got to use this good turn of weather now because it will change next week. Of course, it’ll then change again the day after that.
Stone Temple Pilots, aka STP, provides the music in the stream today. “Trippin’ On A Hole In A Paper Heart” came out in July, 1996. I contemplated that a bit: that song is a few months short of being a quarter-century old. Now I’m trippin’ on how much time has slid since that song first broke the calm.
The song was in my stream for the lyrics, natch.
One more trip and I’ll be gone
So keep your head up, keep it on
Just a whisper, I’ll be gone
Take a breath and make it big
h/t to Genius.com
The lyrics came as I finished re-arranging the hairs on my head and gave myself a final look in the bathroom mirror before sliding out to brew the day’s first cup of coffee. So, why? Why that song today? It’s the frequent question, is it not? There’s no answer on this day.
Get the vax, wear a mask, test negative, and stay positive. Cheers
Back with Jeff Dream
Jeff and I were together. We ran together back on Okinawa. Had a good time. Haven’t seen him since then, so that’s thirty-seven years ago.
In this dream, Jeff and I were civilians but tasked with working on what seemed to be military plans. We were each given fat folders of information. A global map dominated a wall. A few older men sat along the edges of the room. I was ready to get to work, eager for the task, but others reminded us that it’s classified and we need to be aware of our environment. Yes, the room was open on one end and other people, who might not have the clearance, were walking and milling. Most were female.
We were told there were a few training meetings about protecting information and ethics that we needed to immediately attend. Carrying our enormous folders, we headed for the meeting rooms with others. Getting there required climbing a wall. That seemed to be optional but I decided I was going to do it. A woman noticed me going up and asked, “Who’s that going up? Why, that’s Michael. Good for you. I didn’t think you had it in you.”
Shaped like the letter U, covered in red, yellow, or green rubber, the holds were loose. Many fell out when you grabbed them. I had one arm pinning my folder to my body. With the other arm and hand, I pulled myself, support myself and then find holds for my feet. When I reached the top, I threw the folder up, then used both arms to leverage myself up the final few four to five feet. The top was flat. Getting down required me to jump down three large steps. Picking up my folder, I descended and hurried on.
The rooms were already almost full. I wasn’t certain which one to go to. A woman told me where to go. I saw Jeff by the front so I went to that room. Only two seats remained at the front. I took one of them by the podium. Jeff then gave a short talk. When it finished, we were given a beer break. I went over with others and asked someone at the front of the line to bring me a beer. They did that. I drank some of it before I was told it was time to go to the next meeting. Still carrying my folder, I headed for the assigned room. When I reached it, I was told, no, go work on your new assignment. Another man then showed me where to go. I entered a room where Jeff was waiting. We sat down and began to work.
The Flooftenders
The Flooftenders (floofinition) – Alternative Flooftish-Floofmerican flock band, known as a floo-floo-floo band in the biz, formed in 1978. The band’s sound straddled punk’s rawness and new wave’s bouncy offerings. Inducted into the Hall of Floof in 2005, the group remains active despite the deaths of several original members.
In use: “The Flooftenders’ first Floof K number one single was “Treats in Pocket” in 1978, which also reached the top forty in the Floofnited States.”
Kilofloof
Kilofloof (floofinition) – A collection of one thousand animals.
In use: “Although there were ‘only’ fourteen puppies and kittens (from four mothers), on some days, it felt like a kilofloof running about underfoot.”
A Coffee Shop Dream
A pleasant and sunny day had emerged. In shorts, I was out walking through some thin woods and arrived at a stone and wood building I knew. Pausing on some steps, I cleaned off my shoes. Cat hair was just coating them. As another couple — strangers — passed, I briefly attempted to explain to them that I was cleaning cat hair off my shoes — but why would it matter to them? Stopping, sitting down, I removed my shoes to better clean them. At last, I continued, in socks, shoes in hand, up into the building.
This was a cozy book store-coffee shop combo. I visited the book store section first. A white male with glasses was behind the counter. I told him I was looking for fiction books. He asked for more details. I then asked, “Do you have a McCall’s? It lists every fiction book ever written.” He went off in search of, then returned with a red book with white lettering.
I moved to the coffee shop. It was a tight place — large counter dominating one corner, a waste can and several small, round tables taking up the rest of maybe a twelve by twelve foot space — and busy. I took a tall chair between two male customers at the counter. The woman behind me was a pale, slender redhead. She said, “Everyone was here dancing last night, Michael. You should have come. You would’ve had a good time.”
I thought I recognized her. She knew me but I didn’t know her name. Stalling, I replied, “Who was everyone?” She began reciting names as I wondered what her name was. Then a large man threw the remains of a scone and hit me in the chest. He began a string of earnest apologies. I realized that he’d been trying to get the scone into the trash can behind me but it was so tight and crowded, he’d instead hit me. It bothered me not at all. I took the scone and turn to put it into the trash.
I struggled. The trash can was carved out of a thick and twisted tree trunk. Two holes were there. An upper one was for recycle and the lower was for the waste. I figured this out along with other people who were attempting to use the trash. We all talked it through out loud. Then, scone dropped in trash, the dream ended.
Friday’s Theme Music
TGIF! Thank God It’s Friday! Am I right?
Not really. I was a shift worker for many years. Friday had no significance except for which office chores were required. The weekends were a better work period because fewer were around. It was a good time to read as we sat, standing by — hah! — waiting for something to happen. Well, that depended on the command, theater, mission, and crises du jour. Such was the life of an Air Force Command Post controller.
In later years, working for civilian companies in the SF Bay Area/Silicon Valley, Friday was like the starting gun for a race through the weekend, running errands, doing chores, shopping, and eating out. In those days, yeah, TGIF definitely had its place for a while.
Anyway…
Today is Friday, March 12, 2021. Sunup was at 6:28 AM and sundown is 6:14 PM in southern Oregon. Temperatures dropped into the upper twenties last night. The sun has staked a bold claim under the day. Encouraged by it, unencumbered by clouds, we’re at 42 degrees F now. We’re expecting a high in the upper sixties. That’s some lovely yard work and walking weather.
Seeing that sunshine after I tumbled out of bed called out a 1995 song. See, I felt good, so I started singing “Good” by Better Than Ezra. Although its foundation is a break up song — he comes home to learn she’s gone — it ends on thoughts of change and looking forward to what might be. So, I thought, yeah, let’s look forward to what might be, once this pandemic runs its course. Maybe we’ll meet on the fourth of July.
Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask when you’re asked, and get the vax. Cheers
