Monday, July 21, 2014

Sunday, July 20, 2014: A Whooping Cheerleader and Family Visitors.

Today began with several wake up calls from Tommy at 4:00, 4:45, 6:00, and finally 6:45 when I gave up and started the day. I wasn't sure if she was making up for yesterday’s bad mood or if this was revenge. Either way, she seemed in a good mood and wanted her usual morning petting and rubdown.  All seemed to be going well.
When we finished with the morning tasks I opened the balcony door and was “greeted” by a woman cheerleader who was whooping/encouraging runners and walkers in today’s event.  This is one disadvantage to living along the lakefront. Whenever there’s an event on the lakefront, there’s usually fireworks and a run/walk. Neither Tommy nor I appreciated this woman’s enthusiastic (loud?) cheering or the air horn that also kept sounding. I closed the door to mute the sound as best as it could.
I made French toast and Tommy enjoyed the new smells of the toast and the maple syrup. She sat on a dining room chair while I ate.  She seems to enjoy the smells coming from my food.  Yesterday I had a brat for dinner and she was all over me trying to get it. When she realized that I wasn't going to share, she gave up and just enjoyed the aroma much like she did this morning.
After playing with her dynamite stick she settled into her mid-morning nap. I’m sure that she wanted to be well rested before two of my sisters came down from Oshkosh to meet her. I did warn her that they probably would be bringing treats and presents so she had to be on her best behavior.  It seems that she got the message.
When my sisters arrived Tommy was every bit the gracious princess that I’d hoped she’d be.  She wasn't timid; she met them and was vocal and welcoming. She was attentive, making sure that she spent time with each of my sisters. She was gracious and played with the presents that she received.  She played, sat, purred, “vocalized,” allowed herself to be petted and held, and was just an agreeable little kitty.
The humans left for lunch and Tommy had a well-deserved respite from us. She stayed in the master suite and watched whatever was on television (or slept or looked out the window…who knows what she does when I’m away!)  When we returned she made sure that we all knew that we had abandoned her, something I had shared with my sisters and Tommy gave a good performance. After the chastisement, she reverted to her fun self. When they left, she was again of course gracious and gave the impression that they’d be welcome to return. We all had a wonderful afternoon together.
After my sisters left Tommy decided to take a well-deserved nap in the bedroom, then the living room floor, then on my chest, then her chair, and finally the sofa.   We both had survived the first visit and were ready to just lay back and chill. We watched some television and occasionally made an effort to play, but we were pretty spent and I realized that we still had to get through one more night of Festa fireworks.
Tommy was very weird in the evening. She played for a while and then decided to stop and just sit. After a “breather” she started some rather bizarre running around and acting like something or someone was chasing her. She would be sitting completely still and then would look to her side and take off running. I call this her frenzied time.  I just sit back and try to stay out of her way.
She didn't want to interact with me, but when the fireworks started back we went to the closet.  She again was rather calm but attentive to the noises.  When the fireworks ended, it was time for bed. She first again chose to go under the bed, but after a while decided that it was also her bed time and came up to wish me a good night and settled in next to me.

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