The Mezzanine

The useful thing about having a cat with white bits is that he shows the dirt.

Of course, were he a carpet or an item of upholstery, this would be a bad thing. But, in cats, him showing the dirt means I have a reasonable chance of detecting it before he jumps all over my carpet/upholstery. Like this morning, when he returned (contented) from his trip outside, with dark grey paws instead of his usual white. I managed to crashtackle him, and dunk his feet in the sink before he wandered through the house scattering dirt everywhere.

I did end up with a shirt covered in fur, and a ruffled, wet-pawed cat retreating behind the curtains to sulk... but that was hardly unexpected.

Cats don't just get annoyed.

And they don't just get revenge. Oh, no.

Cats stand around and watch, eagerly, waiting for that final triumphant moment when you will discover their revenge and TRULY KNOW THE POWER OF THEIR FELINE WRATH. MWAHAHAHA.



(I can't be certain that it was Elf who peed all over my bed this evening - but from the way he hung around my bedroom innocently, observed my full grossed-out reaction, and then sprinted for cover once I began to recover from the shock... I'm pretty sure it was.)

You know those green-friendly! shopping bags that you can buy so that you never have to get lots of plastic bags with your groceries?


I just found my cat running frantically around the house, because he'd stepped through the handle of the shopping bag and couldn't figure out how to get it off. He was dragging this bag around after him, and freaking out more and more because it was chasing him! The evil bag was chasing him!

He got very upset when I tried to helpfully take it off him...

- The locust plague is out in full force, happily suiciding into car windscreens all the way along the freeway. The latest trend in conversations among people who own cars: "How many did you hit? I hit at least three hundred this morning..."

- Spent several days in Mildura meeting the boyfriend's rellies. I have now met 6 aunts and uncles, 7 cousins, 4 significant others of cousins, and 3 kids of cousins. *is exhausted*

- Remembered to take my camera, but forgot to take any photos. I'm thinking of doing Project 365 next year, so I get back into the swing of photoing.

- One of the aforementioned cousins has a cook book (Womens' Weekly) that I really wanted to steal and smuggle home with me. Her mother has a cook book (home made) that I almost did steal and smuggle home with me. It's awesome! She gave me the "custard" page to try out...

- I'm sure I remember (and my family can back me up on this) being very outspoken about foods I simply could not eat because they were gross. Somewhere along the line I seem to have turned into someone who will eat everything that's put on her plate without complaining, will decide to at least seem to enjoy it, and then will actually enjoy it. Even the beetroot! Not quite sure how this transformation happened.

- Am very sunburnt from riding on the back of a ute. Still enjoyed the ute ride.

- Also enjoyed getting to ride on a humungous piece of machinery as it harvested lots of wheat. Hurrah!

- Melbourne has hills. I don't ever remember how many until I go to somewhere flat (like Mildura) and miss all my lovely hills.

- I also missed my cat! He's so wonderful! I came back and patted him, rang Mum, patted him, treated sunburn, patted him...


How was everyone's Christmas?

Cats are kind of weird.

A lot of visitors to my house see the two cats interacting with each other, watch as Smudge hurls himself at Elf, Elf snarls and swats him, Smudge kicks Elf in the face, and Elf pins Smudge down and starts biting his ears... and conclude that the two of them clearly hate each other.

Not at all. They're friends. They're being friendly.

When Elf was still getting used to the annoying kitten, and disliked him immensely, you could tell by the fact that he'd retreat into tiny hideyholes and sit there growling under his breath.

Random full-on attacks? Good sign.


(What's really funny is when Elf has Smudge pinned down in the aforementioned ear-biting position, and then suddenly switches to licking Smudge's fur instead. It's rather cute.)