Chores

Inspiratonal song: Spooky (Atlanta Rhythm Section)

When I went out to spend my afternoon tremendously wet from the standpoint of water (hot tubbing), I let the Pride out to play in the yard. The boy cats stayed reasonably close, close enough that they could hear the rattle of kibbles in bowls at dinner time to come home. As usual, the girls all stayed in the yard. Rabbit did laps of the hot tub, trying to dig her claws into the vinyl in two places (on the lid and on the cup holder) when she felt she wasn’t getting enough attention. I wasn’t taking notes when the door was shut again, other than registering that the boys were on the right side of the door at sundown. Late tonight, I went next door to put Hops and Barley inside while our neighbor was away from home, and I came back to cuddle with Alfred. It didn’t occur to me that the house was unusually quiet.

I wandered into the kitchen to get a late night snack, while the Mr was out driving. Harvey sat in the kitchen window, acting like he was witnessing some sort of activity in the dark. I heard what I thought was the screen door opening, and I turned to look at the front of the house, expecting Mr S-P to walk inside. When he didn’t, and I kept hearing rattling in the dark, I got a little spooked. Was someone lurking outside my house, watching me through the windows, about to enter my house without invitation? My heart racing, I came around the kitchen peninsula and looked out the back door. There was a little white cat dangling from one paw, stuck in the screen of the sliding door, wondering why no one ever let her inside. Sitting next to the irate Rabbit was a fat dark figure. Jackie was also fuming about being left outside. I opened the door, and leaned down to have one hand ready to keep the boys back in. Naturally, both girls dithered at the door, reluctant to come inside. Really? After being left in the dark for hours? I had to go get a cupful of cat foot and shake it loudly in the doorway, only to discover that Athena was also on the wrong side of the door. How did I not notice that I had been left alone for hours? I should have done.

When plans to go work on the cabin fell through, I thought great, I’ll get a ton of stuff done around here instead. I did next to nothing. My big accomplishment was repacking my weekly pill container, which to be honest is the most onerous of chores. I dread refill day. But I failed to check the specific gravity of the wine in the fermenter. I didn’t put away yesterday’s clean laundry. I did no paperwork. The only time I left the house was to bring in the neighbor dogs. I feel like I should find something important to do tomorrow as penance. But then, if it’s another chore that fills me with dread, I probably won’t do that one either.