When up early...

I think I did so much sleeping yesterday, that I'm all caught up and that finds me up at this early hour, having had to go to the bathroom and then realizing that I was all done sleeping for the night. Needless to say, all the animals came into action with me. The cats, who were so very cozily sleeping on my bed with me, and Jesker, who was asleep on his pillow beside me. Jesker wanted a bit of airing out back and a bone as a reward for that, and has now gone back to sleep on his blanket under the coffee table. The cats wanted fresh milk from the refrigerator and are now both sitting in the kitchen hoping something interesting will happen.

I've been giving Jesker dried food as his second meal, because he was gaining weight on all the canned stuff, and Toby decided that it was for him and started munching away at it every day. Yesterday there was a stand off between Jesker and Toby, with each one defending his right to the bowl and neither one of them willing to give an inch, Both of them had their nose over the bowl and Jesker was growling ferociously, but Toby didn't move and hit Jesker across the nose with his paw. Jesker didn't move either and kept growling, so I ran interference and removed Toby from the bowl, so Jesker could eat, which he did as quickly as he could with Toby watching from a little distance. As soon as Jesker had his fill, Toby was back at the bowl getting his last share of it. That Toby has guts and is not the least bit intimidated by Jesker's dangerous sounding growling.

You see how Gandhi plays no role in this whatsoever. She doesn't get mixed up in shenanigans like this. Gandhi knows her place in the hierarchy and would never let it get to a showdown with Jesker. That's why he likes her so much better and tolerates her so well.

I've just made my second cup of coffee and some new cigarettes. It's very quiet here and all I hear is the sound of the computer and Jesker's gentle snore. I've read that Cocker Spaniels on the average get to be about twelve years old and that's how old Jesker is now. He was twelve in May. I hope he beats the odds and gets much older. He's overweight and has osteoarthritis. He's almost deaf and doesn't see well with one eye. I'll have to do something about the weight. If I can get him to eat more dried food, it will be better for him. He didn't like to eat it, but that turned out to be because of an infected tooth. Now that it's been fixed, he seems to like the dried food better. I'm also going to cut his treats by halves, I think he's getting too many of them. Let's face it, I spoil that dog and maybe to the detriment of his health. I have to seriously look into his food and nutrition and pay more attention to what is good for him and not to what he wants, regardless of his appetite.

In the meantime, I'm taking forever to write this, as I keep being distracted by my own thoughts and I realize how often that happens. I write something down and this starts a train of thought going in my head and before you know it, I'm lost in a reverie and far away from here, which is the same thing that happened to me when I was a kid in school and forgot to pay attention. It doesn't matter that it happens now, because I've got all the time in the world, but it was a problem back then. There was always some remark about it on my report card, as if my parents could do anything about it. (Does not pay attention!) I was too busy daydreaming.

Now my mind wanders left and right, back and forth. I hop from one subject to the next and somehow they are all connected. It's amazing how much of your life takes place in your own head with unspoken thoughts and words that you don't share with anyone.

Well, another thought that crosses my mind is, that when I do woodworking, I have to wear practical clothes. I can't be all prettied up in a mini skirt and a scarf around my neck. I'll have to wear jeans and a practical shirt, so I have to delve in my closet and find woodworking clothes. I hope I have a pair of jeans that fit me and that don't fall off when I stand up straight, like the last pair did that I wore. It will be fun to try to find them. It will give me a chance to eliminate some clothes from my closet. Oh yes, I do have belts if it comes down to that, but they are such a hassle it you suddenly have to go to the toilet, as happens so often in my case. The incredible suddenness of having to go to the toilet! Near misses! The brain is not registering the upcoming event ahead of time.

Well, as they say, all madness on a stick, but now I have to end this epistle, because Jesker needs my attention. He wants to be petted and I can't type with one hand. I'll see if he wants to eat as well. Oh, how appropriate.

Have a terrific day, everyone.

Ciao,
Nora