The Green Chair

Above – Scheckter (on ottoman) and Pogo on the green furniture.

Well, the green chair is gone.

I know, it was just a chair. An ottoman and love seat originally went with the chair. Made of a textured green material, the furniture had straightforward lines and were without embellishment. But they were comfortable and sturdy, and they fit our little study.

The little study was in the first home that we bought in Half Moon Bay, California. It was right off the breakfast nook, by the dining room. Sounds fancy, right, but it was small, yet elegant. It’s where we ended up spending a lot of time. With the windows open, we caught a cooling ocean breeze diluting the sunshine. Fog horn often sounded above the sound of Highway 92 traffic. We could watch television, read, and listen to music in there, and be very cozy. Our living room furniture was too large for the little study. Besides, if we put that furniture in there, we’d need to replace it. More furniture was needed, an exasperating decision.

The green chair with the ottoman supporting my legs is often where I sat. That’s where the cats would join me. We had three then. The elderly Queen, Jade, had joined us when we were stationed on Okinawa in 1982 and was twenty-year when she passed away in our HMB home. The sweet, affable Rocky came from our Germany assignment in the late eighties, the sole survivor of his litter. Later came the black long-haired, handsome fellow, Sam, as direct and unpretentious as his name, abandoned at Moffett NAS when some family moved away. Each gave me happy hours of purrs vising with me in the green chair before passing away.

The orange boys, Pogo and Scheckter, (Chubbosaurus Orange) found their way to us, joining us on the green chair and the green love seat, stretching out in the sunshine. They moved up to Ashland with us in 2005. Between cancer and a car, Ashland is where their story ended.

As we moved, the green furniture dwindled. First, the love seat went, because there wasn’t room in our newest house. The green chair and ottoman ended up in the master bedroom. Alas, though, besides sleeping on the chair, the cats found the green furniture to be excellent scratching posts. After Rocky, Sam, Jade, and the orange boys made their marks, Lady and Quinn took up the task of shredding the chair and ottoman. The ottoman was finally defeated and tossed. Tucker and Boo joined Lady and Quinn to work over the chair. All had floofnesia about not scratching the furniture. Lady and Quinn found their way over the rainbow bridge, but then along came Papi, aka Meep. He found the green chair quite comfortable.

Now the final piece, the green chair where I shared their company, is gone. It was just too shredded for my wife’s tastes, so out it went.

Stupid chair. Makes me tear up and cry just remembering it.

June 18, 2019 3

Floofnesia

Floofnesia (floofinition) – a condition where housepets forget instructions, guidance, etc.

In use: “Opening the front door, they walked in and saw their Great Dane sprawled out on the sofa. He’d clearly suffered floofnesia about not being permitted on the furniture.”

June 18, 2019 6

Floofquest

Floofquest (floofinition) – 1. A housepet’s arduous or determined journey to achieve something or reach or capture an object, such as a red dot on the floor or a buzzing fly. 2. People’s efforts to find a new housepet. 3. Rescuer’s efforts to find and help animals.

In use: “The new young dog discovered treats after he’d arrived in his new home and came out of his shell. Within days, he began a floofquest for treats whenever a human went to the kitchen. And with those big eyes of his and his happy grin, it mostly worked.”

June 17, 2019 0

Floofball

Floofball (floofinition) – A broad set of games involving housepets and round objects. Balls may be used, but blueberries and peas suffice, as do lids, buttons, and pens. The rules vary, usually dependent on species. Generally, cats like to play, “Knock It Off” and dogs enjoy fetch.

In use: “She wasn’t large, but she was smart and playful, particularly enjoying floofball games. While an expert at “Knock It Off”, which she played on the bedroom dresser at one in the morning every day, she also starred at knocking down bouncing ping-pong balls, and was a champion playing fetch with plastic jingle balls.”

June 16, 2019 0

Floofpet

Floofpet (floofinition) – 1. A floor covering dominating by lounging, sitting, or sleeping housepets or their shed fur. 2. One animal that seems to be another animal’s personal pet.

In use: “The front door was open but it wasn’t much use trying to go that way, as the sleeping cats and dogs had created an impassable floofpet, leaving no paths for people to use.”

June 15, 2019 0

Floofnut

Floofnut (floofinition) – 1. Someone obsessed with animals, especially housepets such as cats, dogs, and rabbits. 2. A housepet with silly, erratic, or unusual behavior that’s often humorous and endearing. 3. A kibble treat for animals shaped like a doughnut or nut. 4. A doughnut that looks like an animal, such as a cat or dog.

In use: “With twenty-three housepets, he was beginning to wonder if he’d become the floofnut that his friends always accused him of being.”

June 14, 2019 3

Floofatorium

Floofatorium (floofinition) – A large building or hall used for animal gatherings, typically to witness speeches or stage performances, or to have very large meals.

In use: “Walking through his house and spotting multiple food bowls and feeding stations for their thirteen cats and seven dogs, he thought that his house was beginning to resemble a floofatorium.”

June 14, 2019 0

Astfloonomy

Astfloonomy (floofinition) – 1. A practice held by animals of gazing at the night sky; 2. Branch of science devoted to finding the shapes of animals in the stars.

In use: “A professor emeritus of astfloonomy, he pointed and said, “If you connect those stars, you can see a small mouse.” He looked down at the cat. “See it?” The cat did not reply, which was a reply.”