Tag: cats

Monday’s Theme Music

The moon’s visit moved beyond normal to sublime. Sometimes a clear night hosts a moon that lights the night and finds something more primal and hopeful in the mind. Last night’s moon was one of these, romantic and inspirational, a moon with light that whispers, “the impossible is possible.” No wonder a moon like that is spoken of in sentences about magic, fairies, and spaceships.

It’s January 16, 2023. It’s Monday. It’s 30 degrees F and sunny. It’s calm. It’s a new week’s start. Happy New Week! Have you made any New Week resolutions? I have. Of course I have. I don’t do NY ones, but I do daily, weekly, and monthly resolutions. You only fail if you give up trying, am I right? Some people place the week’s start on Sunday. I consider Saturday and Sunday neutral ground. The week begins on Monday and ends on Friday.

The sun pressed its presence into our valley at 7:37 this morning, coming around like it’s nobody’s business. Daylight will light us up until about 5:05 this evening. Then the sun will set and bring on dusk, followed by night. The cold front will keep our high from getting much above 42 F. Some say that rain is due but the clouds for that job haven’t checked in. Snow is visible in far fields on high mountains, appearing like cake frosting on the ridges’ pines and firs. It’s a tranquil blue-sky sight.

News continues emerging about President Biden and the classified documents found at his home and office. This turn pisses me off more than Trump’s classified doc scandal. I thought Joe Biden was responsible and this oversight, this sloppiness, is infuriating. I was in the Air Force for twenty years. With high secret clearances and active in special access programs, dealing with classified material, including stuff that was Top Secret with special qualifiers, including nuclear war plans, launch codes, attack plans, and intelligence materials, I was frequently the Top-Secret Control Officer, the unit security manager, and also often the OPSEC/COMSEC and COMPUSEC manager. I took it seriously. My peers, commanders, and those we supervised all took it very damn seriously. I was appointed as an investigator several times when processes failed or people violated the governing regs and laws. Trump’s conniving to keep some classified documents ‘as his own’ insulted our efforts to keep the nation safe by properly protecting such material. Joe Biden’s sloppiness — or worse, as the investigations are only under way — undermines our systems as well. President Biden has at least acknowledged that what has happened is bad, unlike Trump, who dances and shouts, trying to deflect blame and responsibility, squeaking out ridiculous justifications for what he did.

Okay, off the soap box. Today’s music is “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”. I went with the Animals version of 1964. Besides being the version seared into my memory by radio play repetition, I’ve always liked Eric Burdon. I also enjoyed the band’s keyboard use and the gritty blues sound they brought to their performances. The Neurons decided on this song and put it in the morning mental music stream after conversations with the cats. They were asking for something and I didn’t understand what it was. The felines’ insistence was the final driver for Les Neurons. Listening to them, Eric Burdon’s voice just rose from the depths of memory to sing, “Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood.” And there we were.

Try to stay positive. I know it can be tough. I feel less than positive on many days. Right now, I’m positive that I would murder a cup of coffee so I’m heading to the kitchen for that black brew. I’m excited just thinking about it! Here’s the music. Hope your week takes you to new heights. Cheers

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UFP

UFP: Unexpected Floof Presence (floofinition) — Condition where an animal shows up or gets involved without any announcement or invitation.

In use: “Clipping his toenails was stalled by UFP when his cat, Tucker, came over and started rubbing against his hand holding the toenail clippers and then started rolling around on his foot.”

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Floofagogy

Floofagogy (floofinition) – The science and art of teaching animals.

In use: “After he was rescued, Buddy Guy, a big tabby Tom, acquired knowledge of floofagogy and started instructing kittens and ferals being fostered by his new human about how to be a cat living with people.”

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Superflooficial

Superflooficial (floofinition) – Of, or relating to, an animal, particularly a housepet or pet.

In use: “In many superflooficial households, ‘cat trees’ for their felines are prominent, and beds and special furniture, such as smal armchairs, is provided for the household’s cats and dogs’ comfort.”

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Proflooftism

Proflooftism (floofinition) – An attitude toward animals dominated by desires and efforts to improve animals’ circumstances and improve conditions for animals even if such activities diminish human’s control over animals or challenges cultural traditions.

In use: “With the advent and rise of proflooftism, nations are being urged to eliminate sport or trophy hunting, and cruel sports such as bullfighting and cockfighting.”

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Saturday’s Theme Music

Ah, rain, faded sunshine, and mild winds. Feels like another Ashland winter day, 2023 edition.

We’ve slipped Saturday, January 7, 2023, on. It feels a little loose to me, but it’s possible it’ll shrink. Hope you have a better fit. A loose fit isn’t bad, though. It allows greater movement and flexibility.

Sunrise was — again — at 7:40 AM. I believe the sun is stuck on that time. Maybe we need to turn it on and off or reboot it or something. That works with my Roku. Anyone ever have to deal with a stuck sun before? I might need to do some online searches to see what others have done when their sun keeps showing up at the same time.

Sunset seems okay, shifting back to 4:55. Today’s temperatures will flutter between 44 and 51, a narrow operating zone, with the present temperature wheeling around 47 F.

Today’s theme music comes from looking out the office window. The cats and I were admiring the sunshine flooding the western side from the sun’s southeastern position. I was telling the cats that it looked like a nice day out there, relatively speaking. Of course, on the cats’ side, one was looking at me and saying, “More food.” The other was watching a bird outside of the window and saying, “More food.” They weren’t at all interested in the weather from my POV.

Then clouds slid across the sun’s position, bludgeoning the light out of the day. I told the cats, “Did you guys see how that light faded?” Rain began falling. One cat replied, “More food.” The other said, “Where the bird go?”

Seizing the moment and the part about fading, The Neurons started the song, “(I Know) I’m Losing You”. Yes, this is a repeat; The Neurons aren’t very original, especially if they haven’t had coffee.

If you know this song, you probably also know that three excellent renditions exist by notable performers. First came The Temptations, making it a hit in 1966. Rare Earth covered it in 1970, and that’s a damn fine version, too. The Rare Earth performance felt like it had a lot of play time on the AM radio where I heard my pop and rock music. Rod Stewart and Faces covered and released the song in 1971, and it was more to my preference, so that’s the one I’m going with today, even though it was the Rare Earth version which The Neurons first released into the morning mental music stream today.

Okay, coffee is in the cup and ready for launch into my mouth, and then on down its caffeinating journey. Stay pos and test neg. Here is Rod and the boys. Have a fine one. Cheers

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Super Floof

“Away,” the floof cried with a flashing leap,

Traveling faster than their paws.

Their antics amaze us, they are so stupendous,

We literally drop our jaws.

They dash into the room and look around,

Then they’re off again with a single bound.

A super floof in their own eyes,

Super cat, super duper dog, they try to prove they can fly.

And when they wear out all their speed,

They bring their empty tummies to us to fill their needs.

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Friday’s Theme Music

Friday, January 6, 2023 barged in like a lion, gusting like March. Sunshine flickered in at – guess what, 7:40 in the morning, again – ameliorating the gloom, licking off the rain’s remains. Sunset comes at 4:54, just like a Chevy big block (yeah, that’s a 454). It’s 46 F now, gonna be 50 F before the sun’s remains drift away.

A lovely sky, striated and marbled blues, lords over the area. Winds keep coming and will keep coming till this evening, they inform us. Down California way, southwesterly of our location, it’s flooding, with trees crashing down, and rocks and mud slip-sliding away, as the atmospheric river wrecks havoc. I think we should name that river the Shitstorm. Then we can just say, “The Shitstorm is running fast again,” and the rest of us will nod and understand. “It’s coming our way.” Then we’ll all know to batten down the patio and get some books and puzzles and candles, and food that can eaten without being heated, and figure out how to keep warm. Been there in other life segments.

I wasted some of my morning singing to my cat. (What, you don’t sing to your pets? Animal.) I was singing to the tune of “Fell in Love with a Girl” by the White Stripes (2002). It was one of those songs I regularly heard while blitzing errands in that era, living in Half Moon Bay, dashing over the hill to go to work Monday to Friday and shopping on the weekends. The floof in question was Tucker, who was shadowing for attention, so I cheered him up with the song. That was the plan but the boy looked more like he was thinking, “That’s not what I wanted at all.”

Anyway, The Neurons of course delivered the real song by the White Stripes to the morning mental music stream, where Jack White still delivers chords and manic vocals to my head.

Time for coffee, isn’t it? Are you sure?

I’m sure, so here I go again, for the day’s first cup. Have a merry one. Stay pos and test neg. Here’s the Stripes. Cheers

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Ode to a Floof

A small floof,

Who liked to goof,

Was such a funny one.

She liked her people’s bed,

And being scratched on the head,

But really loved the sun.

Kibble was tasty.

And she never ate hasty,

Nor was other food shunned.

Then it was off to sleep,

Another day to keep,

And dreams about all that she’d done.

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