So, that was Fun

Sleepless in ... well, not Seattle.

Apparently I can’t write when I don’t sleep. Or do much of anything else, when I don’t sleep.
For reasons having to do with having lost a prescription, I spent three days without sleeping. As a result, the week was a blur of doing nothing. Well, except a lot of truly stupid things because apparently when I’m on automatic I do really stupid things. Let’s say cakes shouldn’t be made with corn meal…

And that’s the smallest error and the one that can be talked about.

Well, the problem is solved. The cats and I and Dan and as far as I know the kids are all well.

Let’s hope this week will be productive.

No more “fun.”

The Hoyt Tribe And Woodpecker Nation

The Curse! The Next Generation!

Does anyone know if there is a totem or minor god that is a woodpecker? And if there’s some way we could have offended him…. er…. it?

This morning, far too early for sane human beings, we got two texts in close proximity.

When this happens, it’s usually a friend with an emergency, so I struggled up from sleep, as one does, and finally got the phone.

Turns out the texts were one each from the kids, asking what to do about woodpecker getting in/trying to get in chimney.

Their chimneys are not wood.

To put this in perspective, our final house in Colorado was being eaten by woodpeckers in real time, right up till the last month, when we had extensive siding repair down and fled.

We had some kind of undead woodpecker who went at the house December through October, and could make a nine inch hole in five minutes. Before having it fixed, we had resorted to inserting tiles in the holes to prevent them from being further enlarged. The feeling was that it was attacking us on purpose and intently.

Well and good, you know? Woodpeckers are a problem in Colorado and we had a wood house.

But then we moved. We live in a house surrounded by trees that are a legitimate target for woodpeckers. The house is brick, except for a little part at the top.

So guess what we got last year? Yep. Woodpeckers, making huge holes in it, which I finally had to hire someone to fix. The neighbors seem woodpecker-unmolested.

After I had things fixed and reinforced (though I still need to paint. Sometime in April, I guess) we haven’t seen the return of the woodpecker.

However it’s apparently now going after the sons.

Is everyone having a problem with woodpeckers now? Or did Dan and I, inadvertently trample a woodpecker god’s shrine or something? Did one of our (indoor only) cats look out the window and call them names?

It’s weird, and it would be hilarious if it weren’t happening to us. I mean, it’s still hilarious.

Say, a particulrly uninspired horror novel: Stephen King’s: Rat Tat Tat!

Or perhaps the new movie by Quentin Tarantino: It Came For Your Siding.

Or you know, James Bond and Iron beak….

I’d say “Will no one rid me of this troublesome woodpecker”, but some of you will take it seriously and they’re a protected species in several states.

So, we’ll just say: The Hoyt Tribe is at war with Woodpecker Nation!

Why We Bother

Or how come we have all these fuzzy troublemakers

Today the cats have been in exceptional form. Note I’m not saying exceptional good form.

Though I suppose it depends on what you consider “good” as such.

While Dan was trying to scan in a long stack of documents, Indy, aka engineer cat and Circe, apprentice engineer cat were trying to figure out how to take apart the scanner. I’m sorry I don’t have a picture of it. I only became aware of the attempt as I heard Dan yell, “No, engineer cats, I don’t need you trying to optimize electronics!”

Would you believe this little boy could ever be any trouble? EVER?

And Havey is slowing down so much, some days he doesn’t even make it upstairs to his little chair next to my desk.

As for Valeria, she’s a rarely seen sight these days, and I’m kind of surprised she let the littles sleep on her here.

However, my day starts with feeding them, giving Havey his meds. Twice a week, immediately after that comes doing the four litter boxes.

Then there is finding our pens chewed, rescuing the box that Muse (that’s the siamusey one) likes to eat crdbord and choke on tape, and it’s my duty to keep her alive.

Last thing I do for the day is give Havey his meds, and feed them so they’ll go tosleep, instead of screaming at me all night.

Right now we’re sitting here, and dan has Circe on him, and I have Muse on my lap, while Indy supervises from his little perch.

So, why complicate our lives with all these small, troublesome critters? Why have to worry about getting them taken care of when we travel? Why spend money on their medical issues and worry ourseves sick when they’re not well, and why pay the heart tax for their not living anywhere as long as we do.

Today we were laughing at Muse carrying her stuffed bunny in her mouth everywhere like a kid with his teddy bear, and I thought it’s a lot like when the kids were toddlers.

And in a way that’s why we bother. They’re like cute little toddlers, and we don’t have to worry about their future, or that they won’t make it to college, or won’t find jobs or spouses someday.

Yah, one day we’ll be past having these little troublesome and cute and funny little creatures around. One day I’ll be able to make it from the kitchen without avoiding tripping on Indy; I’ll be able to go upstairs without stoppign to pet muse and teling her she’s the prettiest girl; I’ll be able to to write without Circe rolling between my keyboard and the screen and begging for belly pets.

And it will be a sad day. There’s a French song about being old among whose lines there is “the little cat is dead” and goes on to talk about how joy has gone out of life.

We’re not old yet. These little bothersome things keep our days interesting, even when they’re troublesome and silly. They sit o our laps; they beg for pets; they love us.

And for now they bring life and joy to the house

And keep us from creeping too far into our own heads and losing a sense of life around and outside us.