Upstaged By Cats!

Yesterday I mentioned that Donald installed a computer camera so anyone can click on and watch his seven cats. This cat cam has been in operation for 24 hours and drew One Thousand Eight Hundred (1,800) hits.

Day before yesterday I announced that I published Strangers On The Earth, a book that I have worked on for years — a book designed to inspire, to comfort, to encourage to educate, to inform. A book to teach the ignorant, to uplift the fallen, to rescue distressed maidens, to spread virtue and light…

Less than a hundred hits on that link.

Damn cats!

W.C. Fields said that no actor should work with animals or cute kids; he said, “A man who hates dogs and children can’t be all bad.”

I understand where he is coming from.

I’ve been upstaged by the cat cam.

Oh well, I’ll get over it.

Everyone knows that all cats are illiterate.

That must go for cat lovers too.

I write to reach a readership with higher standards.

Besides, when I clicked on the cat cam site, there wasn’t a cat to be seen on the screen. I think they deliberately hide from the camera.

Speaking of cameras —Patricia came home from college Friday afternoon. We drove to the Fire Museum where she re-did the photos I goofed up the other day.

Again, the curator, Ms Treadwell, helped tremendously. I was concerned about spelling the names of firemen who died in the line of duty and she looked them up and gave me a printout with all the information I needed.

We talked about methods of preserving the archive collection and I offered a few tips about possible grant sources for such a project.

She told us about some of her experiences working with Rescue and revealed a compassionate heart. When we left, Patricia said, “Dad, I just wanted to hug that lady.”

We joined the rest of the family for supper at a seafood restaurant. I think there were nine of us at the table. “Honest, Ms Waitress, I’ve never seen these people before in my life”. We enjoyed a riotous time. (Ginny cheated; she turned off her hearing aid).

Ginny & I met Helen’s daughter for the first time and I mystified and amazed the charming young lady with my famous straw restoration magic trick. She was truly amazed in spite of the usual groans from lesser family members —Hey, this is the only magic trick I know.

Afterward, we retired to Jennifer’s garage and talked for a few hours. Besides the usual catching up on news (Donald’s new job, Helen’s moving, Jennifer’s remodeling, Pat’s need for a seeing-eye dog, Patricia’s classes) other topics of conversation included the murder of a student nurse about a hundred yards from Eve’s apartment, bird flu, American Idle, school plays, diseases of the urinary track in cats, how to disassemble an antique upright piano, and hurricane relief volunteering for the next one (“You can loot some really neat stuff,” said our experienced disaster relief humanitarian.)

When someone unfamiliar with the house asked directions to the powder room, Jennifer, ever the gracious hostess, said, “Just wander around till you see a room with a toilet in it”.

Then Maggie broke out the Monty Python Cow Catapult and we all dodged flying cows that pinged against the metal garage door, while her embarrassed mother tried to get her to stop — and all the rest of us wildly cheered her on.

Who are all these people anyhow?

And why am I so incredibility blessed as to be a part of them?

Hummm.... Maybe if I posted a picture of a cute fuzy kiten on my site, I'd draw hits too. I'll try it.