Metal Meredith

It’s been one year since my big fat cat died.

I don’t like to think about last year this time. It was full of uncertainty and heartbreak. I spent a week watching him deteriorate until it was time to make the ultimate decision. I don’t regret doing so, just that it took me so long to do it. He was so thin and frail, so I am making the decision to let those memories go and to only remember the scoundrel that was my huge cat.

Griffon was so very cool. Even at his worst times, he was such a huge personality all tucked into this gigantic mushy cat. He laid spread eagle on his back when he napped. When he was spread out on the floor, he looked a lot like a walrus, stiff whiskers and blubbery belly. He had this tiny little head perched on this massive body. He was all ears, belly and tail.

Griffon would lay on the floor in the hallway. When we walked by, he would give us a little swat. Sometimes, he gave us a ‘warning nibble’. It was the precursor to an all out play biting war.

If we were in the kitchen, so was he. He would be right where we needed to be. I suppose this is the reason he seemed so much larger than he was, he was always underfoot. He liked to lay down right in pathways and almost dare us to step over him. One swipe and he would snag a pant leg or sock.

Griffon had this massive purr. It was so loud, it could be heard immediately when he entered a room. When I was pregnant with Vivienne, I always knew she would know Griffon as soon as she came home from the hospital. He spent many an evening curled up half on my belly purring away. Vivienne would kick from the inside until he moved. Even then she was bossy.

His 25 pound body would also attempt to walk up us when we were in bed. He would sit on my stomach as I adjusted my breathing for this giant purring fuzz ball on top of me. If he was particularly needy, he would slowly crawl up to my face and sniff me. Then, as if to demand MORE attention, would rub his nose on my face and make me sneeze.

I miss Griffon a lot. I have thought many times about getting another cat. I suppose even after a year, it doesn’t seem like I am ready to open my heart and home to another cat. Besides, as all of us were mourning the loss of ol’ fatty, my eldest cat is reveling in being the only animal in the house. I suppose I shouldn’t mess with her happiness for a while longer. She is so rude like that.

Everyone, please give Griffon a memorial virtual high five today. I am sure he is still loafing around here someplace.

or How I Procrastinate

I think I have it down to a science now. I think I have truly mastered the art of putting things off until later.

It goes something like this:

*Take a good long hard inventory of what needs to be done. Make mental or even physical lists. Decide what gets done first and proceed from there.

*Decide to check email first. It is good to get it out of the way. Check all the links sent to you in retail store emails, go check out sales of furniture you can’t afford, clothes you can’t fit in to and baby items that are way past your toddler’s range of need.

*Since you are already in a web browser, check your message boards. Make sure you have read all the new posts since your last visit. Click links within boards and see where they take you. Go to click on “Mark All Posts As Read” link, but decide to check ONE MORE TIME if you missed any since browsing just now. Click link and close page.

*Decide to check Blogs as well. Open your bloglines and sigh loudly as you notice 20 blogs have new posts to read. Get to it. Check all gossip sites first. Check what Angelina and Brad are doing, what Paris is wearing, what K-Fed is up to. Then move on to the writers, with kids, without kids, with jobs, without jobs, political and just plain stupid.

*Check eBay auctions, check counter visits to my auctions, see you has paid and who I need to give feedback to. Check Paypal account to get warm fuzzy feeling because of the amount of money I make selling Madonna stuff. Make mental list of all the other things I need to put on eBay.

*Close all windows and programs and close my laptop. Open it, check email one more time. Close it again. Jump off sofa.

*Go into kitchen and get a piece of candy. Throw away wrapper, start to walk away. Backtrack and grab another, toss wrapper in trash and leave kitchen. Notice more trash on counter, throw it away, grab one more piece of candy and run out of kitchen.

*Go to the bathroom to toss last candy wrapper. Notice catbox smell and decide to give it a scoop. When done, wash hands and return to office. Notice bill on desk that wasn’t paid, pick it up and go to computer to pay online.

*see point #2 and start all over.

This really does outline a good 2 hour portion of my day at intervals of 8am, 2pm and 8pm. It amazes me how the time suck occurs. I know that people without computers or little interest get much more done. My friend Chris had replaced his water heater, ripped up carpet in half his house, pulled up his outdoor plants for the winter and probably found the cure for cancer in the time I have been on this thing.

I would like to believe that most of what I learn online is helping me in some way. It is hard to argue that with gossip sites though. It has, if nothing else, helped me realize how alike we all are in the world. The global community thing isn’t a lie. Of course, it doesn’t help clean my house, either.