Science fiction, fantasy, mystery and what-not
Flooftoon (floofinition) – Drawings of animals depicting them expressing funny views or in humorous situations. Cartoons may be a series of drawings or animated.
In use: “Christmas trees and ornaments prompt many flooftoons about pets’ reactions to the holiday decorations, i.e., a dog complaining that he’s not allowed to have a stick in the house but people have brought in an entire tree, or a cat plotting to attack and destroy the tree and its decorations.”
Infloofture (floofinition) – To be emotionally or spiritually in debt to an animal.
In use: “She was inflooftured to the small rescue dog, a white thing of uncertain breeds with a perpetual smile, for he calmed her son whenever he was frightened, anxious, or upset, going to the boy before anyone else even knew what was wrong and then just sitting with him, leaning against him, reassuring him that someone was there.”
And yea, verily, snow did come unto the valley, kissing all with fat white lips and leaving its imprint. But lo, clouds parted, and the sun did see the snow and said, let me shine on the scene, and thus most of the snow was melted away, although remnants remained as a mark of what hath transpired. Or something like that.
Today is Thursday, December 16, 2021. Yesterday was a snow battle arena here. Snowed and rained alternatively throughout the daylight hours with the temperature darting up to 35 and slinking down to 31 during the same period. Darkness would stretch hands over us and the lights would come on. Then the sun managed a mild breakthrough and sunlight dazzled us.
That’s down here. The story on the upper elevations, say over 3,000 feet, had a solid snow onslaught. A boon for the snowpack but a curse on the Interstate. Siskiyou Pass on I5 was closed, and the California side remains closed. Stopped cars and trucks snaked alongside the Interstate for miles. Online videos show harrowing scenes of sliding and spun-out vehicles. Onramps were blocked by emergency vehicles sending their blue, red, and amber marks into the night, signs, and orange pylons. Winter was here.
Now it’s 36 F. Sunny with bloated and uneasy clouds crowding in like shoppers on the last shopping day. A mix of rain and snow is expected with highs in the lows 40s. Daylight began at 7:33 AM and will cease at 4:40 PM.
A Peter Gabriel song featuring Kate Bush is hovering over the morning mental music stream. I’ve featured it before and am disinclined to dub it this day’s theme music. Fortunately, Simple Minds song was recalled. I told the cat — Papi, who keeps trying to believe that the weather is gonna improve at any second, but is then driven back in by the mean elements — “Come in, get out of the rain.” Also, come in, get out of the snow. And the cold. And the wind. Anyway, these exhortations triggered memory of the song, “Waterfront”.
Hope you enjoy it. Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the booster and vaccine jabs when you can. There’s a new variant in town, you know. We’re all watching to see what they’ll do.
Hey, look at that. Time for coffee. Cheers
Floofersonic (floofinition) – An animal who appears to be faster than sound, a deception animals can foster by utilizing quantum motion to travel, one of many methods which animals employ to keep humans confused.
In use: “Trying to find where her dog was by following his manic barking, Brenda mused the beast had become floofersonic. By the time she found him, he was in the sofa seat that she’d vacated to go search for him.”
Wind chuckles and snarls. Snow rides gravity and wind in helter-skelter frenzy. I pet the cats and watch out a window. The cats turn happy faces up to me and purr.
Today is Wednesday, December 15, 2021. The sunrise fingered the valley at 7:32 AM and the world’s spin will take its influence away at 4:40 PM. It’s 31 degrees F. The snowman cometh. The city opens up the Grove as a no-frills shelter for the homeless. Churches cautiously invite the homeless in from the cold, too.
With the snow falling, I squandered time trying to remember snow-themed rock songs outside of holiday offerings. “Snowblind” and “Snow Blind Friend” answer the neurons. “Yellow Snow”. “Sand Castles in the Snow”. Oh, yeah, the Moody Blues one, “December Snow”, too sad and mellow for now. Of course, the first two songs are about drug addiction, so. Not really the spirit sought.
I started thinking about change, seasons, and the nature of 2021. Half-remembered lyrics engaged me.
One summer never ends
One summer never began
It keeps me standing still
It takes all my will
Ah. The Motels. “Suddenly Last Summer”. Not exactly fast paced nor uplifting, yet here it was in the morning mental music stream.
The wind has tired out but sings a higher, steady note. One cat remains in the window perch, weather gazing, while the others have surrendered to naps. Temperature has climbed to 34 F, close to today’s high. Snow still falls but it’s melted off the streets. Suddenly, you know?
Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vaccines and booster shots. Cause suddenly, things change. Not so suddenly, I need my morning cuppa. Here’s the tune. Cheers
Floof Fever (floofinition) – Relaxed, euphoric human state caused by concern or love for animals.
In use: “People with advanced floof fever are happy to stay at home with their pets, very often passing the time napping, reading, writing, baking, or eating – or some combination of these things.”
Orifloofi (floofinition) – Process that animals use to contort themselves to fit into small places or to snooze.
In use: “Doing orifloofi as part of their development, the five kittens managed to fit themselves into one small bowl for a nap.”
Happy Lundi, you lunheads.
Yes, today is Lundi, December 13, 2021. It’s raining. The temperature sits at 37 with plans to go lower, bringing snow, our first of the year. Been a long time, been a long time, been a lonely, lonely, lonely time. Snow is part of our December festivities. It used to snow lightly, just enough to elicit oohs, kindling holiday spirits as the snow dusted the decorations. It was especially wonderful during the parade of lights, when Santa visited town. Don’t know if that’ll happen this year. COVID, you know.
Sunrise illuminated the gray wet scene at 7:31 AM and the sun will pass on at 4:39 PM. Today’s high temperature will be 45 and the low will be 25 F.
The morning mental music medley stream includes songs about rain and dreams, just like yesterday, but also Monday songs. Overpowering them all is a cat-inspired song, “I Smell Trouble” by Buddy Guy from 1994. Yes, we’re feeling the blues. The cats have been disliking this whole rain, wind, cold temperatures going on outside. Forced to stay inside, they’re inspecting new ways to annoy one another and new places to go. Some of those places include the verboten areas of the dining room table and the kitchen counters. Of course, once one goes up there, the others are like, “I didn’t know we could go up there,” even though the first was scolded and chased down.
So the cats are singing “I Smell Trouble”.
Lord, knows I’ve tried
To do what’s right
One whole year of stayin’ home
Both day and night
‘Cause I smell a mean trouble
Way over yonder
You know I heard a mean, yeah
Always in trouble people
Lord, they just won’t let me be
h/t to Songfacts.com
Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the jabs when you can. I’m getting coffee when I can; I’ve got the jabs. Stay chill.
Floofdamentalism (floofinition) – A twenty-first century movement emphasizing animal rights as being fundamentally equal to human rights.
In use: “Market floofdamentalism emerged after companies realized that supporting animal rights and protections would create another revenue flow, a cynical ploy that many floofdamentalists use to further their agenda.”
Yea, verily, the sojourners did come to Saturday and proclaimed it to be December 11, 2021. And the wind did blow after the sun rose at 7:29 AM, gusting through the trees with a fierce bark, whereupon the people, seeing this, did declare that they were happy to be behind windows, doors, and walls, though the cats, being contrarians, did demand that they experience this weather for themselves. And so, the cats went out into the wind, and the day was not as bad as the house-dwellers feared, because it was 46 degrees F. Sunset is at 4:39 PM, the cats were told, whereupon, they replied, “We don’t care. We’re cats.”
“Feelin’ Alright” by Joe Cocker rides the morning mental music stream. A friend shared this Ed Sullivan Show Joe Cocker appearance from 1969 on her FB. I was 12 when this aired. The fashion, dancing, and colors all ignited memories of that era. Then came the thoughts, look how young Cocker looks. Appreciation for the song and its lyrics was rekindled. Interesting interaction between musicians and dancers can be observed, too. It’s a happening scene all around.
Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, bludgeon COVID-19 when you can, and get the jabs. I’m getting coffee. You read me? Here’s the music. Cheers
Michael Seidel, writer 