Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Tommy has gotten really good at not waking me up until about 6:15.  I remember when I first got her, she would start waking me up at 3:00 and would want to play. She’s really adapted well. She spends more time awake during the day and spends more time at night sleeping. As is our usual routine, she got fed, fresh water and a litter box free from “offerings.”

Morning chores accomplished I made coffee and came out to find Tommy waiting on her tissue for our first round of play.  Play time over we moved to the study to print and post.  Tommy stayed for a while, but got bored and went to the living room to wait for me. I hadn’t opened the blinds, so she couldn’t enjoy the sun. That quickly changed once I came out and saw my mistake. It had been quite cold during the night so I also turned on the auxiliary baseboard heating near the windows to help combat the cold.

We spent most of the morning on the sofa. I was reading and Tommy alternated between sitting next to me, above me, or on top of the sofa on the sunny side. At one point I had to go into the study closet to get something and it seemed that Tommy snuck past me. I closed the door and went to put the small cookie plates together.

A few minutes later when I returned to the study I heard the closet door. I opened it and out flew Tommy, upset that she had been left inside.  I comforted her and apologized. Usually she lets me know when she’s around and usually I check before closing a door. I was glad that it was only a few minutes, but I need to be more vigilant when I open the closets.

Tommy spent a little time alone. I’m sure that she was upset that I had left her in the closet. Later when she jumped up on the sofa my hand and her body collided ever so slightly. That didn’t help matters and she sat on the opposite side of the sofa for a while. Once she calmed down, she came over and sat next to me to let me know that all was forgiven.  We spent some time just sitting with me petting her while I read and her purring.

Enjoying playtime among the papers.

At lunchtime Tommy didn’t want to eat her grass. She sat on her pile of tissue paper and called to me. It seemed that we were going to have another game of find the fleece in the tissue. There are times when she’s getting ready to pounce that she is so cute. She will stick her butt up and then wiggle it back and forth before propelling herself into the pile of tissue paper in search of the prey, the tail of the fleece. She sometimes just dives into the pile that she gets lost in the heap. 

Tommy hadn’t taken a morning nap and after eight hours of being awake I knew that she needed to nap. She was getting a little feisty, so I gave her some hugs and petting and went to read on the sofa. A few minutes later I looked up and didn’t see her on her pile of tissue paper.

I found her curled up in the bedroom, so I went over and bunched the fleece throw around her to help keep her warm. She had done that to the fleece on the sofa, so I knew that she liked it, but the fleece on the bed was much bigger and heavier and she couldn’t manage it alone.  She stayed curled up in her bundle of fleece, so I knew that she liked it. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about my girl, it’s that if she doesn’t like something, she won’t tolerate it. (except maybe tolerating my behaviors!)

I was going to an early movie with friends, so I said good-bye and left, knowing that she’d probably sleep the entire time I was gone…and she did. When I returned home (with gifts) Tommy was glad to see me, but more interested in the fresh grass. As she ate some I got out her dinner from the refrigerator. My girl has sharp hearing and heard me getting out the food. I put it down knowing that she probably wouldn’t eat it right away because it was cold.

We instead played with the new tiny mouse teaser. She seemed to enjoy hunting for it in her tissue paper pile. She also ran after it. It will be a good addition to the toys. After a while she tired of it and we used the fleece teaser again. Having spent a lot of energy, it was time to try to eat her dinner again. This time my little “not Goldilocks” found it just right and ate more than half of it.  She always seems to eat her dinner in shifts taking about an hour to finish.

We played a little more, watched some television, and then it was time to crash. I got ready and Tommy supervised. Once I was in bed and her snack was put out, she jumped on the bed and ate it.  Since the lights were still on, as was the television, she retreated to her rug, but if she was following her recent routine, she would sleep on the bed once it was dark and quiet.

Monday, December 29, 2014: She Naps, I Work, We Play

Tommy again didn’t wake me until almost 6:15 this morning.  We (I) completed the morning chores and then Tommy let me know that we should continue to spend time in the study. Rather than play with the tissue paper and teaser like yesterday, today we were going to play with the shadows on the desk.

After we played with the shadows Tommy went to lay in the sun while I worked reorganizing the study closet and getting rid of boxes. Tommy came in occasionally to check the progress and explore the areas of the closet that had been previously blocked by boxes and bags. I broke down some of the larger boxes and put them near the condo entry door.  Tommy went and sat on her tissue paper pile, looked up at me and “cried.” I guess it was time for a break.

 We played with the tissue paper and fleece teaser for quite a while and then it was time for Tommy to enjoy the sun while I finished the closet.  Once the closet was done and the vacuuming finished, I went to make the bed and find Tommy. Making the bed must have been her cue that the vacuuming was done because she went to the study to check out the changes.

I had put her grass down by the window to get some sun and Tommy took advantage of the situation.  She also spent time sunning herself in the study and joined my on the desk when I returned to finish tomorrow’s diary entries. During one of Tommy’s moments on the desk, she flopped down right in front of me as if to say that it was time for her to receive some petting. I, of course, obliged.

The rest of the day was spent with Tommy either napping on the bed, sitting on the desk as I worked, or playing on her pile of tissue paper with me using either the fleece teaser or the laser pointer. We tried several other toys, but they just didn’t work as well. Whenever either one of us tired of playing, we’d move to one of the other activities.

After the 10 P.M. news, I closed up the condo and moved to the bedroom. Tommy snoozed on her rug while I watched the news and read for a while.  She did look up a couple times to check out what I was doing, and I’m sure to see if I’d put out her snack yet. Once the snack was out she jumped up and ate it only to return to the rug. Once the lights and television were off she waited to make sure that I was really going to sleep before joining me up on the bed to sleep.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Tommy came on the bed to sleep sometime during the night, but must have been quiet enough not to wake me.  In fact, she didn’t wake me until almost 6:15 this morning.  She spent most of the time before we got out of bed near my head on my left side.  That’s her usual place to wake me and make sure that I get out of bed.

The morning was spent doing my morning Tommy chores and some general cleaning in the kitchen. Just one more room (the study) to do and then the whole condo will be clean and organized again.  As I was cleaning, Tommy came into the kitchen and called for me to stop, I guess and play because once I started moving she went right to her tissue paper pile and sat there.  Of course I felt obliged to take a break and play with her, so out came the fleece teaser. We as always had a great time.

Play time done, I started some laundry and then Tommy’s dreaded tooth brushing. I got everything ready and went to pick her up.  She didn’t squirm, but did “talk” to me. She wasn’t yelling, but it almost seemed like pleading that I shouldn’t do what I was about to do.  I put her on the table and she didn’t try to jump down.  There was a minimal amount of squirming, but she readily let me open her mouth and give her teeth a good brushing. The brushing went quickly because she cooperated and she got her treat right away.

She then went to sit in the sun, so I went to work on postings. It wasn’t long before Tommy came to get some attention.  Once she had gotten as much attention as she wanted, she jumped down and went to the living room to await another round of hunt for the teaser among the tissue paper. We played quite a few rounds of this throughout the afternoon.  Tommy occasionally would sit on the teaser and then wonder why it wasn’t moving.

I was meeting friends to watch the Packer game at a local establishment, and since Tommy was taking her afternoon nap (she isn’t into sports) all was good. When I returned Tommy was happy to see me, perhaps because dinner hadn’t been served. I got her dinner ready and even though it was still quite cold, she ate some of it.

We spent the rest of the night relaxing. When it was time for bed, Tommy was already resting on her rug in the bedroom. I got into bed and put out her snack. She stayed on the rug and I thought I might be in trouble for being gone at the usual dinner hour. I short time later though, Tommy jumped up on the bed, ate her snack and curled up on the bed. It seemed that all was well.

Saturday, December 27, 2014: Encounters with the Vacuum Cleaner

Tommy did sleep on her rug in the bedroom last night. I’m not sure if she just needed some space or I was thrashing about in my sleep. Either way, when 6:10 rolled around Tommy jumped up on the bed to check to make sure that I’d be ready to feed her soon.  She impatiently waited, at times pacing on the table across from the bed, until the heat pump came on and I got her breakfast ready.

Having had her fill (for now) of breakfast she came in and sat on the desk while I finished the posting. I didn’t work quickly enough (kind of hard to type when someone’s butt is in the way!) so Tommy left to wait out in the bedroom. I quickly finished and joined her there where we played a game of catch the refracted (from my glasses) light on the wall.

When I left the room she jumped down and followed/led me into the study. We sat for a bit, but then she again left and went into the study. Just when I thought it was nap time, and I was seated and drinking coffee and reading, Tommy came out, sat one the tissue paper and beckoned me to play. 

We had a rousing game of fleece and tissue paper. I love how she attacked the fleece and then sometimes got tangled in the tissue. It almost looked like she was wrapping herself as a gift. When the fleece was under the tissue, but it could be seen Tommy would attack it, but not quite capture it until she tore at the tissue. We played for quite a while until I needed to get ready to quick run errands.

When I got back, Tommy was napping on the bed.  Since she wasn’t in a very active mood, I thought that this might be a good time to continue cleaning.  I dusted and straightened the living room.  Tommy came out and noticed that vacuum cleaner, but since it wasn’t running she got very bold and stayed and supervised my work.  As I reached for the vacuum cleaner, she high-tailed to back in to the bedroom.

Having finished vacuuming in the living/dining area, I moved to the bedroom to dust. Tommy always enjoyed my dusting because items that are usually not on the floor/bed are momentarily there for her to easily explore. At one point I moved the grooming glove on the bed so I could dust the table and Tommy went and sat on the glove. I wasn’t sure if she was trying to tell me that she had already been groomed and she was hiding the glove, or she was sitting on it to let me know that it was her glove and I should leave it alone.

Dusting done, it was time to bring in the vacuum cleaner. Tommy kept moving farther into the room and soon became trapped.  I help up the cord and watched her scurry out of the room before I turned on the dreaded machine.

I went to put the vacuum cleaner in the study and there was Tommy. She gave me a look like “Are you going to bring that machine into every room in which I seek refuge?” She ran back to the bedroom. I went and tried to explain that I was done for the day, but she wasn’t going to trust my word.

As she napped on the bed, I went back to the living room to read. I thought that perhaps she’d join me, but she instead drifted off to sleep on the bed.  Since she was asleep, I went into the study to work on postings. When she woke up she’d see that I was in the study and would join me since the vacuum cleaner was over by the window and there was a clear path to the desk from the door…and with only two dates to go in the March, 1951 postings, Tommy arrived and helped me finish the month’s posting. She also licked my hand while I was trying to type which of course got me to stop completely.

As we went out to the living room, Tommy sat on the tissue paper pile that she had and called to me. It was play time. We started with the laser pointer and tissue paper and finished with the worm teaser and tissue paper.  She always goes full force and just seems to enjoy diving through the paper to capture her toy. 

 I left the room to attend a personal need and wouldn’t you know it but Tommy came a short time later to use her litter box. She’s such a girl. So often when I’m on the toilet, she will come in and use the litter box, sticking her head out as she does her business, like we’re going to have a conversation or something.

She finished first and when I returned to the living room she wasn’t there. I read a magazine for a while and then went to the study. There she was sitting right next to the vacuum cleaner, what a brave little girl! I sat at the desk and she joined me there for some attention, and then it was time for dinner.

I asked Tommy if she wanted to eat and she just sat on the desk. When I left she stayed on the desk until she saw me heading for the kitchen. She jumped down from the desk and “flew” out to the kitchen, almost beating me there even though I’d had a head start. Once her dinner was served, she sat and enjoyed it.

She ate some of it and then took a little nap on the bed. She spent the evening either resting, eating, or playing with me and her fleece teaser and the tissue paper.  At one point while I was watching a movie, I heard her calling me over by her tissue paper. I assumed that she wanted to play, but when I got near her she flipped over on her back. She just wanted a tummy rub and some attention.

When I started to close everything down for the night, Tommy followed me around to make sure that I did everything and didn’t forget to have one last bit of fun on the desk with the lights and shadows. That finished we went into the bedroom. After I got in bed, Tommy jumped up the bed on my left side and just sat for a minute. I guess that was her way of saying good night and thanks for a good day with lots of play time. She then crawled over me to get to her snack, finished it, and jumped back down. She went to the living room for one last play time and would probably come up to the bed to sleep later.

Thursday, December 25 – Friday, December 26, 2014

There’s not much to report about Christmas Day because Tommy was “Home Alone.”  We got up at our regular time and I took care of her needs. After that was done I started packing up the presents and food. Tommy could tell that I was leaving and made it her duty to make me feel guilty (and also hard to leave).

When she was done eating and I was done packing, she moved to the study and did not want to leave.  I picked her up and hugged her as we moved to the bedroom. She got her treats and lots of loving before I left.

One of the topics of discussion at the family Christmas was Tommy.  The consensus was that my relatives never thought I’d get a cat, but it was a good thing and Tommy was the perfect match.  Tommy’s “Meowy” Christmas chocolate bars was a hit with all the children although a few parents needed to do some quick cleanup of hands and faces. While it was a wonderful Christmas with my family and I enjoyed every minute, I also missed having Tommy with me and luckily I didn’t get a speeding ticket on the way back home.

When I came home she was glad to see me and also let me know that she had been waiting for dinner.  We played while her dinner spent some time losing its chill.  After she ate, I was exhausted and knew that I needed to go to bed. 

Tommy joined me in the bedroom and jumped up on the bed. Even though she had recently finished eating her dinner she probably figured out that if she didn’t remind me before I went to sleep, there would be no snack for her.  She got the treat and went and curled up on her rug. This has become her intermediate stop before possibly playing in the living room and joining me up on the bed to sleep.

Our second selfie, taken during our reading time.

We woke up at the normal time and took care of business. I needed to do some laundry and start cleaning the condo, but I needed to get motivated with some coffee. While drinking the coffee I read my library book that is due next week.

Tommy joined me up on the sofa and spent most of the morning either right next to me on the sofa or on the back cushion/pillow behind me. This was an opportune time to finally get a new selfie of us and miraculously Tommy cooperated. It only took a couple shots and most of the problems were with me having my chin up too high.

Tommy stayed awake all morning.  Usually she takes a midmorning nap, but today she kept a close eye on me.  Once I started cleaning the bathrooms which needed major cleaning, Tommy went and took a nap on the bed.  This also meant that I could work on postings without and interference, I mean, “help” from Tommy. I was able to catch up on the postings and still had time to stop in and check up on Tommy during her siesta time. When I went to get the mail I found a Christmas card from Tommy.  I’m not sure which human friend helped her, but it was a wonderful surprise and greatly appreciated.

Dinner time came and after Tommy and I ate, she had a short respite before we played.  Tommy seemed to enjoy playing with the fleece teaser when I pulled it through the tissue paper. It seemed to give her enough variety to make it interesting.

When playtime was over I decided to read my book on the bed. Tommy joined me up on the bed, but took up the entire bottom of the bed.  She started grooming, but kept trying to lick areas that she couldn’t quite reach. Every time she did that, she stopped and stared at me until I looked back. It was time for her brushing. I got out the grooming glove and began brushing her fur. She even raised her head to let me know that I shouldn’t forget her neck. 

When I think back to our first attempts at brushing, I have to laugh. She originally hated the grooming glove and would try to bite it. The first few times, I almost gave up, but kept trying. She finally accepted the grooming glove and now she enjoys it. By the time we finish, she’s always purring and stretched out.

After grooming I continued reading for a while and Tommy continued laying on the bed. When it was time for bed, Tommy moved to her rug while I removed pillows from the bed. Once that was done, I put her treat in her little plastic “plate” and she jumped back up to enjoy it.

I got into bed and Tommy laid down for a few minutes before returning to the rug. She hadn’t play much, so I assume that sooner or later she’ll go amuse herself and then sleep on the sofa or rug. I do know that sometime before 6:45 A.M. she will be up on the bed giving me my early morning wakeup call before it’s time to actually wake up.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014: Santa’s Little “Helper”

During the night I woke up and saw that Tommy wasn’t on the bed. I went to the bathroom. When I went back to the bedroom, Tommy was standing in the doorway probably wondering if it was time for breakfast or play. It was time to go back to bed and once I got in bed, Tommy jumped up and curled up in her usual spot.

Tommy didn’t wake me again until after 6:30. She had her breakfast and ate most of it before wanting to move to the study. We spent some time there doing all our usual activities; petting, playing with shadows, “helping” me type and post entries, and just enjoying our time together. Whenever Tommy would leave to have more of her breakfast, I’d keep typing so I could give her more attention when she returned. 

Tommy helps with wrapping by guarding the tissue paper.

The rest of the day was spent wrapping presents, baking cookies, and packing up for tomorrow. At times Tommy was curious and would “help” wrap the presents or sit on the box of tissue paper and watch from a distance. When she got bored, she took a nap in the bedroom.

I finally finished around 11:30 and was really tired. Tommy had tried to be a trooper and I felt so sorry for her.  A couple of times I got really frustrated with paper, or bags, etc. and I said some bad words. Tommy would immediately run out of the room and get out of my way.  I’d then find her and calm her down, reassuring her that it was my problem and she was my good little kitty.

 I went to bed exhausted and Tommy was right there on her rug in the bedroom waiting for me. When I got into bed, she jumped up on the bed and looked around for her snack. I got it out right away and she finished it quickly. She then went back down to her rug and watched Animal Planets Cute Ones with me until I turned out the lights and television. It had been a trying exhausting day, but we had gotten through it.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

I slept through the heat pump coming on, but I was awakened by something wet on my nose.  When I opened my eyes, there was Tommy pushing her nose against my nose. Now that I was awake Tommy let me know that I was shirking my duties and that she was hungry.

After feeding her I went back to bed and turned on the Today show. Tommy came back on the bed to investigate why I wasn’t in the study.  I spent the next hour trying to sleep and being interrupted about every 5-10 minutes by my concerned little girl.  Once the phone rang and I talked to my mother I knew that it was time to get up.

I completed the morning posting with some occasional supervision. Tommy would either sit up on the desk or down on the floor and watch me while I typed.  Of course when she was on the desk, she expected me to stop working and give her the attention that she deserved which I did.

I had to go The Spice House and grocery store to pick up supplies. When I returned Tommy was napping in the bedroom. I tried to coax her out into the living room to enjoy the few minutes of sun. I finally picked her up and took her to the living room. Once she was there she lounged in the sun for the little time that it was out.  She went back to the bedroom once it was cloudy again.

I worked on baking the pfeffernusse cookies and when I finished I went to the study to work on the diaries. I barely got started when Tommy came in and joined me at the desk. After receiving some attention, she went and sat at the front of the desk and stared at either the lamp or out the window.

After a while Tommy got bored and went to nap for the remainder of the morning and the early afternoon. Whenever I came into the bedroom/bathroom area and she was awake, she raised her head up to let me know that either she wanted attention or that I’d disturbed her nap.  Either way, I went over and made sure that I talked to her and petted her.

Once I finished the afternoon baking, I went to take a shower. Tommy knew that I was leaving and just kept watching me. Because I was going to a late afternoon movie, I decided to feed Tommy a little early; better to be 1-2 hours early than 1-2 hours late.  I left some lights on and made sure that she had plenty of food and water before I left.

When I got home around 9:30, Tommy was glad to see me, but let me know that she had missed her time in the study. (It wasn’t my fault that she had napped for so long!) I showed her the gifts that she would be giving the youngest members of our family, but she didn’t seem interested.  We spent some time with her pushing her head under my hands and arms. She also got to munch on her grass since she hadn’t had any during the day.

I went out to the living room to watch the news and Tommy stayed in the study. I tried to stay up, but I needed to go to bed. I went and turned off everything in the study, but Tommy wasn’t ready to leave. Once all the lights were out, she finally decided to “move toward the light” in the living room.  I finished shutting everything else down and got ready for bed. Tommy stopped in to see what I was doing and then went and sat by the bed. I got into bed and she jumped up before I had a chance to get out her snack.

Once the snack was out and eaten, Tommy went back to the living room and I went to bed. I know that sooner or later, Tommy will be back on the bed to sleep.

Monday, December 22, 2014: More Baking, More Napping!

When I woke up during the night, there was Tommy curled up in her usual spot on the bed. When it was time to get up, Tommy came up by me to let me know that my sleep time had ended and my daily duties as her man servant were about to begin.

She ate her breakfast and joined me in the study. She watch as the printer gave up the morning puzzles. She stayed in the study for quite a while, but did use the litter box right after I removed her “offerings.” She was in and out of there rather quickly and I wondered if that was because I left and she didn’t want to miss any of the action. Once I went to take out the garbage and return, she went back and used the litter box again.

When she went back into the study I quickly made the bed. Lately we’ve had a race to see if I can get the bed made before Tommy decides to take her morning nap on the bed.  Lately she’s been beating me to the bed and it goes unmade. Today I was lucky and completed the task before she got tired.

Upon returning to the study we played a lively game of Catch the Light only because my glasses had come between the desk light and the wall. My neck gets a good workout whenever we play that game, so I seldom suffer from a stiff neck any more. All played out, Tommy went to play with her tissue paper and bag in the living room.

I went to get dressed in the closet and Tommy came in and jumped up on the shelf of shorts. This time she ducked her head, so she had remembered that she had grown and needed to put her head down. She had a slight collision with the upper shelf last time she had jumped up there. 

As I typed on the keyboard in the study Tommy raced around the condo finally coming to rest on the floor next to the wall on the opposite side from the desk. I took off my glasses and put them in front of the desk lamp. Tommy watched and flowed the huge light refraction and moved closer to see if she could find more light. When she made it to the desk, I moved the glasses to give her some light on the desk, but she jumped back down.  Apparently she didn’t like the smaller option and went back to the front of the desk to look for that big light down by the opposite wall.

Tommy decided to take a late morning nap, so I went to the grocery store for missing ingredients.  When I returned she was still napping so I put out her hairball treat and started to make a batch of cookies.  She woke up and ate her treat, but continued to lounge on the bed while I slaved away in the kitchen. I’m sure that she didn’t care since I was baking something that wasn’t for her.

After Tommy’s afternoon snooze, she went to the living room for her salad/grass, a little something to tide her over until dinner. When I finished glazing the cookies, she let me know that she had moved to the table. When I came over by her she jumped down and scooted to the study. She walked around to the front of the desk and came up that way. I think that she’s still wary of the lamp, although she did join me on the other side of the desk for a short time before moving back to the front of the desk where she sat and enjoyed the warmth.

She slowly inched her way toward me until I was able to reach her and pet her. She then came over for a hug before going back to her spot.  I turned off the light so she wouldn’t be tempted to get too close again. Once the lamp was off, she jumped down from the desk and stared at me form the floor. I guess she was just waiting for me to get up and get her dinner ready.

Dinner eaten, Tommy then went back in the bedroom for a short nap while I continued baking. It was funny how once the bread was in the oven Tommy appeared and wanted us to play up on the desk. She played with the shadows and nuzzled up for attention and petting. As I’ve said before, it’s one of my favorite times of the day whenever she wants some attention up on the desk. It is also great that I don’t have to try to get up and down from the floor.

With all the baking done and the kitchen cleaned up I watched the news while Tommy relaxed in the study. I was really tired, so once the news weather ended I started getting ready for bed.  

After getting into bed I was “reminded” that someone was waiting for her snack. I opened the drawer and got out the bag. Tommy jumped up on the bed and sat right next to me.  I put the treats in my hand and held them out to show Tommy. She came up and ate some of them from my hand. She had never done that before. She left a few and sat next to the small plastic lid where I usually put them. She finished them off and then jumped down and went into the living room.

I heard her playing with her ball in the living room and running around. After I turned out the lights, I finished watching a program and then turned off the television.  A little while Tommy came back into the bedroom, jumped up and curled up in her usual spot on the bed. We were both ready to sleep.

Sunday, December 21, 2014: I Bake & Work, She Naps!

During the night I needed to get up and since I was already up I looked to find where Tommy had slept. I found her laying on a pile of towels on the table.  I went back to sleep and didn’t wake up again until the heat pump came on and Tommy came in to check to see when I was getting up to get her breakfast.

I got up and fed Tommy, but because it had been a late night went back to bed. When Tommy was finished eating, she came in to investigate why I was back in bed. For the next half hour Tommy came in about every five minutes to check up on me.  I finally gave up and got up. I figured that sooner or later Tommy would take a nap and I would just join her.

As I moved toward the living room, Tommy went right back to the study and up on the desk.  She helped me get the daily posts out and then left while I was finishing. She went to rest on her rug in the bedroom and came back in to check on me, but then again lost interest and left.

Tommy spent much of the afternoon and early evening napping with occasional visits to wherever I was to check things out or to see if there was a treat or meal waiting.  At one point she jumped up on the table and I took advantage of the situation and brushed her teeth. We didn’t have too much trouble, but she did eat some grass and look for her treat after we finished.  As always she was rewarded with praise, petting, and her treat.

When The Sound of Music “Sing Along” started I of course sang along and Tommy chose to vacate the living room.  Later I went into the bedroom and not wanting to miss any of the program, I turned it on in the bedroom. Tommy ran out and I found her in the study (the only place without a television).  I guess that she doesn’t appreciate anyone’s singing, even Julie Andrews.

There were also other times during the day when Tommy “abandoned” me. When I was baking and transcribing the diaries, she was napping. When I was working on separating papers, organizing files, and searching for a letter written in February from the bank about my escrow account, Tommy was right in the middle of the papers. She makes a great paper weight, even when there are papers that don’t need to be weighted down.

Bed time came and Tommy went and curled up on her rug in the bedroom until I put out her snack. She then jumped on the bed to eat it. By that time I was ready to get into bed, so as I got in, Tommy jumped down and went back to her rug.  I think that she prefers dark quiet places, so she’ll probably curl up on the bed once the lights and television have been turned off.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

We were awakened at 6:00 by the garbage truck’s noise.  Although we were awake neither of us was moving very fast. Tommy wasn’t up and moving until about 6:20 and I of course waited for the heat pump to kick in at 6:45. Once Tommy ate most of her breakfast she went by the study door and let me know that it was time to work on the computer.

At first Tommy sat up on the desk and helped, but then she moved to the floor to sit on the piece of wrapping paper that she had commandeered several days ago.  She likes sitting on paper or piles of my folded clothes. I think it’s funny that she doesn’t like to sit on my clothes when they’re warm and just piled in the laundry basket, but will jump up on the table and sit on the same clothes after I’ve folded them and they’re in neat piles on the table.

Tommy went out and finished her breakfast before returning to the bedroom for her usual morning nap. This time she chose to nap on the bed. It hadn’t been made yet, so she could snuggle in against the fleece throw. I went in periodically to check on her and give her a little attention if she was awake.

I was going to Chicago with friends for a concert, so I needed to get ready.  When I finished my shower I came out to find Tommy sitting on the table. As I got closer, she jumped down and went into the study; it appeared that we were going to have some play time before I left. We played with the shadows while I caught up on emails. 

At one point I must not have been paying attention to moving my hand to make the shadows move, so Tommy tapped my hand with her paw.  I immediately again started engaging her in the game.  Later, Tommy stopped playing so I said that perhaps she needed me to tap her paw with my hand. She started playing again. I think it’s strange that sometimes I say something and it’s almost as if she understood exactly what I was saying.

 Once Tommy grew tired of playing she jumped down and went into the bedroom.  I went to get dressed and saw that shew was on the bed and checking out where the covers were bunched up. She never goes under the covers, so I wondered if she had finally gotten bold enough to check out that dark area.

I was going to be gone for several hours, so I also got out her dinner and let it warm up. I’d give it to her right before I left so she wouldn’t’ have to wait until late at night. She also had plenty of dry food and water, so she’d be okay.  I left on a light and turned on the radio so she could hear human voices.

When I returned a little after 11:00 P.M. Tommy was glad to see me and I spent quite a bit of time giving her lots of attention.  She went right into the study and jumped on the desk. This time she didn’t want to play, but just wanted me to keep petting her which I was happy to do.  I also made sure that we had a long play session to make up for being gone all afternoon and evening.

Around 12:30 I was dragging and needed to go to bed. Tommy came in and got her snack, but then left.  I’m sure that having spent most of the day in the bedroom she wouldn’t be sleeping there.  She went to the living room to play while I quickly fell asleep.

Friday, December 19, 2014

Tommy continues to be confused (as am I) by the heat pump coming on so often. Today I finally found out that when I cranked the heat up a couple days ago when we got up early, the thermostat didn’t revert to its program, so we’ve had the condo at the morning (Gotta jump in the shower!) one hour setting. That’s changed now.

Last night I put out Tommy’s carrier in preparation for going to Petco to have her nails trimmed.  She has been occasionally checking it out. Today after breakfast which was moved out of the cold air draft (another revelation!) Tommy jumped up on the dining table. I thought this might make it easier to put on her collar. When she saw the collar she tried to leave, but once she knew that she was “stuck” on the chair, she let me put it on her without too much resistance.

She spent several minutes trying to find a way to get it off, but she was unsuccessful. When she came by me on the desk I again thought “opportune time,” so I picked her up and took her to the carrier. She didn’t try to squirm out of my arms and escape while we went to the carrier. She also just sat in the carrier when I put her in it.  This was a new (and much appreciated) behavior. She of course was lavished with lots of praise.

The trip to Petco was very uneventful. The only time Tommy cried out was when we were on the elevators. Once we were in the car she settled down. In fact, at one point she was so quiet that I thought that she had fallen asleep. She also was very good for Stephanie. Her only issue was that she wanted to get back in her carrier after Stephanie trimmed her front paws. Stephanie, being the professional (and quite a trooper) just finished trimming Tommy’s claws while Tommy was in the carrier. 

The ride home was again quiet and Tommy was relatively quiet on the elevator. Once home she let me take off her collar and finished her breakfast.  She also got her hairball treats and lots of praise. She stopped to see me at the desk, but then left the room. Nail trimming is such an ordeal (traveling and getting nails trimmed) that she usually takes a long nap when we get home. When I went to check on her before starting, I found that she was wide awake in the living just quietly sitting there. We spent some time with more praise and petting.

I started the laundry and Tommy took the opportunity to explore in the closet. She found her old friend/toy, the “Dynamite” stick and played with it for a while. She then decided to take a nap and jumped up on the bed. The fleece on the bed was lying flat, so I “smooshed” it around her like she’d done on the sofa.

The rest of the day and evening Tommy spent either sleeping or occasionally getting up to check that all was well or get something to eat.  She’s been eating more of her dry food lately. For a while she wouldn’t touch it and probably thought that I’d put out more canned food than she’s supposed to have. It took her a while to figure out that she was supposed to be eating the dry food when she was hungry and there wasn’t any canned food out.

Before bed I made sure that we had a long play session. When I turned out the lights and closed down the living room, Tommy went into the bedroom. I found her sitting up on the top of the bungalow. When I put her little plastic “plate” on the bed she quickly came up on the bed. The girl knows the routine. I put her snack on the plate and as she ate it I went to bed.  With the snack eaten, she went back up on the bungalow, but when I turned out the lights she jumped down and came back up on the bed. Since the lights were out there wouldn’t be any more shadows or lights to play with, so I guess she figured that she might as well go to sleep too. She curled up in her usual spot and we settled in for the night.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

I woke up a couple times during the night when the heat pump kicked on and each time Tommy was asleep on the bed.  I guess she had gotten enough exercise during the day and evening to tire her. When the heat pump again kicked on at 6:39, Tommy thought that this one was the regular 6:45 schedule and was quite adamant that I get up and get her breakfast ready. This consisted of coming up by my head, “yelling” at me, jumping off the bed and leaving the room. This happened about three times before I actually gave up and got out of bed.  By that time it was almost 6:45.

Once Tommy was fed I went into the study and sure enough, I was only there a couple minutes before Tommy came in to check out what I was doing and get her morning attention.  Having received enough attention, Tommy went back out to finish her breakfast.

She returned after breakfast, but when I left to complete the morning cat chores, Tommy remained on the desk. Later she came into the living room and saw that I was working on the puzzles, so she went into the bedroom to take a nap on the bed.

I was going to lunch with friends and Tommy watched form the bed as I got ready. Before I left, she got her morning hairball treats. She stayed on the bed as if to say, “I’m going to continue napping; see you when you return.”

When I got back, Tommy came out and sat in the living room waiting for me remove my coat and shoes and then expected (and got) the attention that she’d let me know that she deserved. Once the petting was over, Tommy went to the study and jumped back on the desk. This really has become one of her favorite spots.

I put her grass in the living room and she ate a little. While she ate her snack I had my snack of cookies and coffee. With snack time over, it was time for some fun. Tommy ran around and finally settled at the end of her box tunnel. I dangled a ribbon at the other end and Tommy came and played with it for a while. Once she tired of the ribbon I went back to the desk and Tommy bounded for a game of shadow chase.

Once the game was over Tommy came and plopped down at the edge of the desk right against me for some attention. When she had enough petting, she moved to sit quietly on a stack of papers. The girl does love a good stack of papers for a makeshift bed. While we were in the study I got out her carrier since we’d be going to see Stephanie at Petco in the morning to get Tommy’s nails clipped.

I put it in the living room and Tommy spent some time checking it out and also checking to make sure that I wasn’t trying to put her in it. It was time for dinner, Tommy was ready and as usual ate about half of it before going to take a quick nap.

After her nap she came out to eat more of her dinner, but hardly ate any. I felt the bowl and it felt really cold. To remedy that I took it to the study where Tommy was and put it on the desk where it was warmer.  After about ten minutes Tommy started eating it as I left the room.  When she was finished she went back to the bedroom. I was catching up on American Horror Story and I know that she doesn’t like all the noise.

When I finished, I went to the study and found some little pieces of her food on the desk and keyboard. I’m not sure if she was trying to type while eating or what happened, but we’re going to have to find a different solution to where to put her food so it doesn’t get too cold and doesn’t get on the keyboard and desk.

We spent a quiet night. Tommy spent some time running around the condo and some time sitting up on the top of her bungalow. We also had some play time with the fleece teaser which had been a neglected toy for a while.

When it was time for bed I turned off everything and got ready for bed. As I got to the bedroom Tommy watched to see what I was doing. I put her snack on the bed and got into bed. Tommy jumped down and came on to the bed to eat her snack. She then moved back to the bungalow, but once I turned off the lights and television she moved back to the bed and curled up in her usual spot near my feet.  Having her there always makes me thankful to have had another great day with her.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014: A Surprise at the End of the Day

I woke up early to get the morning buns out of the refrigerator to warm up and rise before baking.  Tommy was sound asleep on the bed. I know that she was there most of the night. I tried to be quiet, but Tommy knew that if I was going into the kitchen, she could probably have breakfast.  Since it only took a minute to get out the buns Tommy got an early breakfast.

I went to the study to print the puzzles and do the postings.  Tommy came right in with me. I couldn’t believe that she was leaving her breakfast, but after several minutes of petting (and warming up under the desk lamp) Tommy jumped back down to go eat some more of her breakfast. Of course she came right back ready to play with the shadows after finishing her meal.

After a fun filled early morning, Tommy needed a nap and went into the bedroom to snooze on the bed. I took this as an opportune time to work on transcribing Grandpa’s diaries. I worked on the diary until it was time to get ready to leave for lunch and a visit with a friend.  Tommy never moved while I got ready but just kept watching me. Before I left I put out her hairball treats and gave her lots of attention.

When I returned (about six hours later) I found that the bit of breakfast that she still had in her bowl when I left was still there. The treats on the bed had been eaten, but it looked like she had spent the time while I was gone napping. I put away the groceries and the minute I was done Tommy went to the study even though I had put out her grass for a snack.

We spent considerable time in the study just sitting with me petting Tommy and Tommy purring up a storm.  After our extended “missed you” time, Tommy suddenly jumped down and yelped. I hadn’t heard that sound for some time so I knew something was wrong.  I saw Tommy’s stomach/body churning and knew what to expect. She didn’t throw up much, just some liquid and a couple blades of grass.  I comforted her and then cleaned up the puke.

I wasn’t sure if she just got overstimulated or if it was from her trying to eat a little of the dried up breakfast when I returned. I hadn’t picked it up right away when I returned and when she started to eat it I grabbed it as it had been sitting out for several hours and the can says that unused should be refrigerated. Whatever the problem, I’ll keep an eye on her since she hasn’t had any stomach issues for quite some time.

Once she felt a little better she came back up on the desk for a couple minutes just to get some lovin’ and reassurance that all was well.  Reassured she went and saw on her new “rug” of Christmas wrapping paper that she had commandeered when I was wrapping a present this morning. She sits on the paper and occasionally rips it a little. It was already in sad shape and couldn’t be used, so I’m glad she found a good use for it.

When it was time for dinner I got out her food and she ate a little, but then went right back to the study and up on the desk. Since she needed to get her teeth brushed I figured that we could move to the desk to do it. She stayed on the desk and I was able to clean her teeth a little better although she still doesn’t like to have the front teeth brushed. She ate her treat and then ate more of her dinner.  I’m sure she just wanted to get the taste of the tooth brush and paste out of her mouth. After a little more petting she played with the shadows created by my hands. I’m glad that she was getting a bit more active.

Once she had enough play time Tommy went to the bedroom to rest. I went to the living room to watch television for a while and then went into the bedroom to watch the rest of a program and the news while reading during commercials. Tommy jumped on the bed and examined one of the books. She went back up on her bungalow while I watched the news.

After the news, it was time for bed. I put Tommy’s snack on the bed and she came down and ate it.  The difference was that she didn’t leave to go to the living room. She instead curled up on the bed and went to sleep. I didn’t know how long it would last until she went to the living room to play, but I was glad that I would at least (hopefully) fall asleep while she was still on the bed with me.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Tommy again spent the night on the sofa and only jumped up on the bed to wake me after 6:00. She did scratch on the wall near the television to wake me. I’m not sure what’s on that wall, but she’s going to catch it some day! Once the heat came on I got up and gave her breakfast.

While she ate I went in to the study to print the daily puzzles and do the postings. Tommy came in and joined me for a short time. She played with the shadows and then just sat above the keyboard since there was room between it and the screen. Usually she has enough room to squeeze in between me and the keyboard and push my hands away while I’m trying to type.

Today she just sat above me and watched me type until I moved the keyboard a little. She saw an opening and came between me and the keyboard. I love the way she purrs when she’s up on the desk. It doesn’t matter if we’re playing or cuddling or she’s just watching me type. When she saw that I was going to finish, she jumped down to the chair. She rubbed her face against the cardboard tunnel and then began her morning grooming.

While I did the puzzles, Tommy took her morning nap on her rug in the bedroom. After I went in and made the bed, Tommy took that as I sign that I was ready to play. When I went to the kitchen to get more coffee while making a DVD from the DVR, Tommy came and let me know that it was time to go in the study. Fortunately I was making a DVD of a basketball game and could listen for a buzzer when I needed to pause the recording. That way Tommy was able to get her P & P (playing & petting) time, with some of the other P (purring) on the side.

After a morning of fun and play, Tommy was wiped out and spent the early part of the afternoon sound asleep on the sofa. I used this time to catch up on some work on the computer since I wouldn’t be interrupted or “assisted.” Wouldn’t you know it, the minute I start transcribing on the computer, Tommy comes to join me. I tried to continue dictating into the computer and somehow it works. After Tommy had enough play and petting, she went back to finish her afternoon nap on the bed.

Later in the afternoon I had to run to the mall to pick up the last part of a present for a friend that I needed for tomorrow. Tommy hardly missed me; she was too busy finishing her nap. I got back and she decided to come out and see what I was doing.  She ate some grass and her hairball treats and then it was back to the desk. We stayed there until it was time for dinner.

After dinner I had one more recipe to complete. The dough would rest overnight and in the morning, I’d bake it and take it to my friend.  Tommy expected that we would continue playing and pouted at the end of her cardboard box tunnel until I came back to type and play. At times she wants to play with the shadows, and other times she likes to sit next to me and watch me type. When she’s had enough, she just gets in between my arms and pushes my hands away from the keyboard to let me know that it’s time for a break. 

She smelled something on the back of my hand and licked it. After a taste she wouldn’t go near my left hand. I smelled it and could tell that there was a faint odor of brown sugar. I had washed my hands several times, but I guess sometimes the scent lingers. At least now I know that she doesn’t like sweet things.

While I rolled, cut, and placed the breakfast buns in the pan and put the pan in the refrigerator for the morning, Tommy sat and brooded. Once I finished I heard about how upset she was, but she got over it quickly when we went back into the study for more play time on the desk.

As it neared time for bed, we transitioned to the living room. Tommy originally stayed on the desk even with the lights out, but she finally came out and we played with the fleece teaser for a while. I was getting really tired, so we moved playing into the bedroom. Tommy watched as I got ready and went to bed. She hung around long enough after lights out to eat her treat before moving back to the living room for more play time and possible another night on the sofa.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Tommy spent the night on the sofa and only jumped once on the bed to wake me at 5:00. She didn’t make enough noise to wake me again until around 6:30 and then she didn’t come in the bedroom but called from the bathroom and then the living room. I got up a little early and gave her breakfast.

I went in to the study and we spent the next hour with me working and Tommy coming in and going out. She would sometimes just sit next to me or in front of my between the keyboard and me. At other times she would nudge my hands with her head. Her head fits perfectly under my hands when I’m typing, so it’s an easy trick for her to get me to stop.  

Waiting for Santa (Hey sweetie, you're livin' with him!)

I finished the transcribing early in the afternoon and started the task of addressing/labeling/writing out the Christmas cards. This year I needed to add notes about Tommy and this blog, so it took a little longer. Tommy napped next to me on the sofa while I worked.  The photo from the card is shown on the right. Once I was finished and put them in the mail, I went back in the study to work on this blog. I barely typed one sentence before Tommy came running in and jumped up on the desk. A lively period of chasing the shadows, nudging my hands as I typed, cuddling and purring followed.    

We took a break to brush Tommy’s teeth which we’re getting better at accomplishing quickly and efficiently. After that Tommy ate some grass and her treat and then stood near the study letting me know that she had earned more play time on the desk.  I, of course, obliged until Tommy left to let me know that the session was over.

We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening just hanging out. At one point I was reading in the bedroom and Tommy jumped on the bed to check to see what I was doing. Since she doesn’t read, she jumped down and went to chill out in the study.  Whenever Tommy needed attention she would find me and let me know. When I’d get up she’d start running ahead of me until we reached the study and then she’d be up on the desk. If one of us left, the other would stick around until the first one either returned or the one who stayed got bored, gave up and went to find the missing being.  

When it was time for bed, I turned off the lights and electronics and went in to the bedroom. Tommy followed and sat on her rug waiting to see what I was doing. When I put out her snack and went to bed, she jumped on the bed, ate her snack and then went to the living room for some alone time. She’ll probably sleep on the sofa again. I thought cats looked for the warmest place to sleep. It seems like Tommy likes a cooler place.

Sunday, December 14, 2014: Tommy, My Furry Little Helper

Tommy came up on the bed sometime during the night. My hand came down near her and she warned me that I should be more careful. Tommy jumped down to eat some of her dry food, but jumped back up near my head when the heat pump kicked on.

We went out and got her breakfast and this time I was able to go in the study alone for a few minutes since it was Sunday and with only one new puzzle I solve it online rather than waste a piece of paper. My curious little girl needed to see what I was doing, so she jumped up on the desk. She thought it was play time, so I made sure to move my hands around as I worked on the puzzle.

She wove her body around my arms as I worked and at one point hit the keyboard with either her tail or butt and that caused all the hints to appear in the Sudoku puzzle. It took a while for me to maneuver around her to hide the hints again.  We continued playing and solving. Once I finished and was working on the daily posts, Tommy nipped my hand. I barely had an “Ouch!” out of my mouth and she was already sitting up in the corner of the desk. I guess she was giving herself a time out.

When she felt that she had served her time (I guess) she jumped down from the desk to work on her grooming. With grooming done, she went out to finish her breakfast, but returned to sit patiently by the study entry in hopes that I would return. When I went in to open the blinds, she quickly entered and jumped up on the desk, another short play session ensued.

Waiting for Daddy to come back and play

I left to make coffee, but Tommy remained on the desk waiting for me to come back and play again which of course, I did since I did need to accomplish something during the morning. At times, Tommy would just lay under the lamp since it was probably one of the warmer spots in the condo. If I was typing she would either nudge my hand with her face when she wanted attention, or would come and lay between my arms and cuddle. It was a great way for her to get attention while I got some work done.

One of my sisters called and during the long conversation, Tommy spent some times up on the desk making sure that I knew that she was being patient. She finally gave up and went to rest on her rug in the bedroom. I had to get ready to go and get my hair cut. When I went to look for Tommy, I found her on the sofa.  When I returned, she was still napping on the sofa.

We had a quiet evening. When I watched television, Tommy hung out on the dining table. Usually when I got up, Tommy would run to the study and wait for me on the desk. If I didn’t go into the study she would go back and wait on the table. Somehow we got through the February, 1950 diary transcriptions.  Since I was dictating, I had a free hand, so Tommy could play with my hand shadows. The only difficult/awkward times were when I had to type over or around Tommy.  She would sometimes stick her head under my left hand as I typed which made it a bit harder to type. One other time she jumped down only to reappear on the front of the desk when she jumped up and startled me. That would teach me to pay attention to where she was! Once I finished, we used the magnifying glass as another object for her to chase.

While I watched the news, Tommy rested at the end of her “tunnel” in the study. When I came back in she jumped back up on the desk ready to play. When I started typing she nudged my hands away from the keyboard and when I still continued, she licked my hand. I surrendered and started playing.

We went back out into the living room for a final play session. We played with the fleece teaser and the laser pointer, but Tommy was pretty played out as was I. I closed everything down/off and got ready for bed. Tommy came in and jumped on the bed for her snack and then left to burn off the last of her energy before going to sleep. Lights out, time to sleep.

Saturday, December 13, 2014: Tommy, the Blogger

Tommy spent some time during the night coming up on the bed and checking in on me. She’d usually lay down for a while, but then move to another location. When it was time for breakfast Tommy was up and ready to go.

After breakfast as I headed for the study Tommy shot past me and jumped up on the desk. It was play time and I didn’t know it. Tommy spent the majority of the morning up on the desk. I needed to get a diary transcript done and it took about three times as long because Tommy wanted to play and chase my shadow on the desk.

Even when I left to start making soup, Tommy stayed on the desk. When I went to change clothes, Tommy came into the closet to check things out, but when I went into the living room there she was sitting and crying. When I went to comfort her, she ran into the study and up on the desk. I could see that I would be able to work on the desk only with constant supervision and distraction.

There are times when Tommy will put her paws on the keyboard as I type or totally block the keyboard with her body.  There are other times when she’ll fgvvvvvvvvvvvvv (Tommy contribution) just sit up by the lamp and enjoy the warmth or will roll onto her back and expect to have her tummy rubbed which of course always gets done. She also has started 65555555555555555555555555555555555555555555t         (Tommy contribution) to push her head against my hands and in between my arm and body while I type.                              

We did get some good news yesterday. I saw a notice that the unit right above us would be available to rent starting in February. That means that the early morning and evening exercise sessions will end. I don’t think we’ll miss the jumping up and down above our beds at 6:00 A.M. at all.

I’m going to stop typing and leave this post open. We’ll see if Tommy decides to contribute and more during the day. Update: After leaving I opened the living room blinds and Tommy came out to check on me. She followed me around as I watered the plants and jumped back on the desk when I went to water those plants.  When I went back into the living room she came out. I tried rolling balls to her but after chasing the first one down she didn’t want to continue. She went into the bedroom and I followed her so I could brush her so maybe there wouldn’t be as much of her hair on the keyboard.

After we finished the brushing she bounded out of the bedroom and headed right back on the desk where I joined her to type this and let her have some play time. Later when I was working on the soup in the kitchen, Tommy came out to chastise me for not being in the study. She then left and when I left, I found her sitting on the desk awaiting my return. When I came to type and play there was much purring! ZA (Tommy contribution)

I went to sit on the sofa and watch some of the programs on the DVR to make some space. After a little while, tommy realizing that I’m not returning, comes out to the living room, jumps up on the sofa, curls up, and falls asleep. Either she’s very tired after all our play time, or she’s bored. Either way, I have some time to do some transcribing if I can wait until she’s fast asleep and I can quietly get to the study.

I changed locations for writing this blog to the laptop so I can actually write it. When Tommy woke up I was already done with the diary transcribing and had moved on to doing the dishes. When I couldn’t find her after I finished I knew right where to look, on the desk in the study and that’s where I found her. We played for a few minutes and then I needed to shower and change to attend a concert. Tommy followed me to the bedroom figuring she might get to play with the shadows and refractions on the wall, but she was wrong.

I thought that I should give her the treats for hairball control before it got too close to dinner. When she heard the cupboard she came running. She probably thought it was dinner time, but once she saw that it was the treats, she hightailed it back to the study.  I went and picked her p and shut down the room. She ate her treats while I got ready.

When I came back into the living room, there she was sitting by the study door.  When I went to work on this blog on the dining room table she jumped up. Maybe she thought that the shadows would also magically appear around this computer. I needed to get up to fetch the remote, and tommy jumped down heading for the study door. When I sat back down at the table she “cried” and then came back and sat on the dining table again.

When I got up she looked at me as if she was thinking, “What you’re moving again!” Once she realized that I was coming over to give her attention and petting she got in a position that let me know exactly where I should be petting her head and neck. Once that it done, it was time for grooming and then I prepared her dinner and left for dinner and the concert.

Tommy was sitting on the sofa when I returned and still had quite a bit of her dinner to finish. I fluffed it up with a fork to mix it up and she finished most of it. She then went over to the study door and cried. I guessed that our play time would take place on the desk.

As Tommy played with the shadows I also got out a magnifying glass so she could play with the light, being very careful where I put the concentrated light form the glass. She played and purred for quite a while, but since I was the one who didn’t get to nap during the day, I was ready for bed.

Tommy followed me in to the closet when I changed and then jumped up on her bungalow when I went to the bedroom. She jumped on the bed as I removed the extra pillows, but once she saw that I was going to bed she jumped down and headed for the living room to play. Now that my schedule was clearing up I knew that we have many quality days ahead of us.

Friday, December 12, 2014: Daddy’s Little “Helper”

I’m not sure where Tommy slept last night. She jumped on the bed at 5:00, but her snack was already eaten, so I’m not sure what occurred while I slept. We started the morning in our usual way.  The routine now includes on and off times on the computer. I get about 15 minutes time on the computer before Tommy comes in for about 15 minutes of “her time.”

Today we had a fun time with her trying to catch my hand’s shadow on the desk in addition to the usual petting/cuddling time. At one point she also starting playing with her own shadow although I don’t think she realized that she was making it. She also noticed my glasses refracting on the desk, but couldn’t figure out why they disappeared whenever she got close and would block the light. I left a few times to get coffee or do something else and each time Tommy just stayed up on the desk awaiting my return (or just enjoying the light without my annoying presence).

She finally came out when I went to fold a load of laundry. I opened a bureau drawer and she came bounding into the bedroom as I closed the drawer. I was reminded that she liked to jump into the open drawer and rearrange the clothing, so I reopened the drawer. Once she jumped in and checked it out, she left to wait in the study, but again came bounding into the closet when I went to put away other clothes.

That done, it was back to the study and again, she came bounding up and helped my work. This time she was all business, using her head and paws to direct my hands while typing. I guess that I had mistaken typing time for petting time. She’s also getting good at pressing the Caps Lock key.

Although I left to iron some clothing, Tommy never left the desk. The desk light really keeps the area warm.  When I went to shower and get ready for the concert, she finally decided to leave the desk and see what was happening. It was also time for dinner, so I found that she would leave do eat.

Before I left, I knew that I needed to brush her teeth.  As always, Tommy let me pick her up and put her on the table.  Although she squirmed a little at first, once we got started she sat still and open her mouth slightly.  This was the best that she’s ever done and she was of course rewarded for her efforts.

I closed the study right before I left because that’s also where the toxic plants live. She usually doesn’t bother them, but I never like to leave the study open for exploring and experimentation when I’m not around. She moved to the sofa for what I was sure was a long nap since she had played quite a bit this afternoon.

When I returned from the concert I was met at the door by Tommy. We spent a few minutes getting attention and then it was time for bed. When I got into bed, Tommy jumped on the bungalow and then the bed to check things out. She didn’t eat her snack right then, so I knew she’d be back later.