Ho Hum…

I’ve got a problem; I don’t know what to blog about this week.  Sure, I’ve got a list of topics laid out that I can choose from but the issue is I don’t feel like writing about any of them.

Truth be told I feel a bit ho hum, motivation is a real issue at the moment.  This end of the year I should be making plans for the next, however with the client situation the way it is that’s not happening.

Did I tell you about our cherries? No? Right then we can talk about them… We finally have cherries!  I’m very excited, ridiculously so – let’s face it I’m telling you, a bunch of random (lovely, but random) people on the internet about them.

So why am I excited about the cherries?  Well, it’s a few things…

1. I LOVE cherries, almost as much as I love brie and that’s saying something
2. It’s something new; we’ve waited 7 years for them to grow on our tree
3. They are a welcome distraction* from the currently screwy work situation

I think #3 is most important.  It’s a reminder to me that regardless of the current uncertainty at work (click here if you aren’t sure what I’m rambling about) that things can grow and develop despite the apparent stagnation.

They have also given me something to talk to… I’ve been outside encouraging the bees as they buzzed about pollinating the tree using very Monty Burns/Gollum esque language and hand gestures.  I should point out that my conscious mind is aware that calling a bee “my precious” and tenting my hands while saying “excellent” and inspecting a tree is not healthy, I promise to get out more.

So I’ll leave you with a picture of our cherries and the cheerful thought that no matter how nuts you think you are you can’t be as crazy as the 40 something marketing professional wandering around her back yard giving constructive feedback to bees!

 * I know that sounds odd but when you work from home being able to walk outside and see something actually progressing when you feel like you have been treading water for months is very reassuring and oddly calming. 

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Morning Chaos – A Tale Of Daily Survival

Tap tap, tap tap… a gentle rhythmic tapping on my face wakes me slowly, groggily. It’s early, I can tell from the dim light filtering in. I can hear road noise, so it’s not insane O clock, that’s a good thing.

My eyes adjust to the darkness and I look up to see four sets of eyes staring intently down at me – I’m surrounded!

The Boy kitten resumes his gentle tapping just to make sure I don’t drift off again. The middle cat is on the pillow behind me stoops down and licks my eye ball for good measure. The big cat just continues to give me that long unwavering look that says “get up and feed me”; it’s been 18 years now and he never fails to greet me with this stare every morning.

I twitch my hand and the girl cat immediately jumps in the air and off the bed like a frightened gazelle, triggering a mass evacuation of cats from the bed trampling Crazy Cat Boy in the process and scaring him awake.

I haul myself out of bed and check the time (why I don’t know, it’s not like I can change it) and navigate the writhing sea of cats that are waiting to trip and kill as they triumphantly escort the food slave to the kitchen.

The boy kitten races ahead of me and jumps into the cupboard where the food is kept, waiting to help me select a tin that will meet his exacting tastes.   As always I show him the label and he nods approval before racing off to the kitchen bench where he will taste test prior to serving while I try and find a clean spoon.

Four cats, four bowls, the girl cat first… she sniffs it disdainfully and wanders off (I’ll need to put it up on the bar before she’ll condescend to eat it), the boy kitten paws at my hand excitedly as I dish his up, while the middle cat howls pitifully, concerned as he is every morning that for the first time in thirteen years I’ll forget to feed him. The big guy just stands at his bowl waiting, he knows what’s coming and he’s happy to wait while his medication is added to it.

Suddenly there is only the “silence” of chewing; peace descends on the house once more. The chaos of the feeding procession complete I fall back into bed and contemplate the day….

Five Things I Learnt About Myself This Week

One, I like falafel, who’d have thought it!

How did I even put myself in a position to find out you ask? Well a couple of times a year Crazy Cat Boy and I host a drinks party for our random group of friends. One of them is vegetarian and I am always paranoid that we won’t have enough “stuff” that he’ll eat, so we always wind up with a stack of food left over, this time it was the “I’m too drunk to bother heating them up” falafels. In desperation I pan fried a few and had them for lunch on the Monday – not bad!

Two, I am no longer able to drink with impunity and sometimes vitamin B is not enough to save me from the consequences of my irresponsible actions. Queue a nasty, dizzy, unproductive Sunday and commitment that I won’t drink in October.

Three, I break no drinking promises to myself with amazing ease… see point two.

Four, even when my old cat tries to smother me in my sleep I am still capable of loving him.

Five, I’m very lucky. Even with the punishment that I put my body through with a bit of TLC it comes good and keeps going, mostly without bits falling off.

I think I need to pay more attention to number five as I’m sure that one day my body won’t be so accommodating. A couple of things recently have been sure signs that I need to treat myself better. I’ll share my “wellness journey” such as it is if I keep it up.

So, what did you learn about yourself this week?