The Shaffer Journal
Volume 6 Issue 5 May 2000
[Internet Stuff] [Hockey Puck] [Guest Meows! Cat Chat 1 2 3 4]
[The Mountains of Ao] [Poetry Corner] [The Dull Stuff] [Guest Articles] [In The Keys]

Kitty Talk
These journals are dedicated to Kitty GreyCat's spirit. She is at RainBow Bridge now. We all loved you, Kitty! Click the cat graphic to visit her Memorial page. Kitty born June 6, 1982. Died July 9, 1997.

This is Abby cat, and we have wonderful things to meow about this month. Ebony and I will meow about cat respect and who has the cat food. We found a great website on the Internet. We talk about special water stuff. And other things as we think about it.

This is Ebony. Us cats do have lots of respect for our human bean. Even though we own and operate him, we love him lots. We would never put him down or get aggravated with him. He is a good human bean. We have so much respect for him. The reason, of course, is he got the bag of cat food. He also has the bag of yummy nummies. You got to respect the person who has the cat food!

This is Abby. That Ebony been on the catpooter much too long. I just finished meowing at human bean for hours, and I want to paw my stories now. Human bean seen me drinking water out of the sink right out of dirty glasses. He didn’t like that very much. So I got my very own glass of fresh yummy water. I like that a lot. We also have water in the bathtub and at our front door. The water at the front door is in Kitty’s old water crock. We use that for water outside, when we are outside, of course. During the long, hot Florida Keys weather, that water in the crock gets hot. Human bean cut a quart bottle of soda in two. Then he fill the half bottle with water and put it in the freezer. We get the big chunk of ice in our outside water. Now the outside water is not warm or hot. That water is delicious!

This is Ebony again. The next-door cat makes me nervous. I have to watch that cat very closely. She never got my purrmission to be so close to my fifth wheel travel trailer. Each day I go over to the window where that cat sits. I stare at her. She stares at me. I can stare longer. That other cat has not meowed anything to me yet, but I meow at her all the time. I been telling her to go away from my personal spot in paradise. She not moved yet, but I think she going soon. I see her human bean getting ready to move. I will like that, because then I have my whole front yard to hunt in. It gives me more room to avoid Abby too. I don’t want any of the other park cats to see me with Abby. I am mad at Abby cause she paw slapped me several times. I was making a bad face at human bean and Abby must have thought I was making the face at her. She hauled off and paw wapped me. I am supposed to be the boss cat, but no one told Abby I meow. I keep telling her with growls and meows.

Abby and I watched a fun movie with human bean. The movie was called Stuart Little. That is a great movie about a mouse adopted by a human family. The most funniest part is when Snowbell, the cat, swallows Stuart the mouse. Me and Abby laughed so hard, but then the human beans made Snowbell spit Stuart out. Later there were lots of other cats trying to help Snowbell catch Stuart the mouse, but Snowbell ended up saving Stuart. Me and Abby can’t understand why either. Aren’t cats supposed to eat them rodents even if they are cute?

Internet Stuff
ClickBank is an Internet organization offering specialized services to web companies. They make credit-card processing operations easy to understand and implement onto websites. Credit-card processing will cost you and your customers more money. There is no way around that. ClickBank charges you, the merchant, a one-time setup fee of $49.95. They charge $1.00 plus 7.5% for each sales item. The merchant gets paid by check at a prescribed period, usually every two weeks if volume of sales warrants. Each paycheck cut to your company costs the merchant $2.50. Other services will cost you as well like chargebacks and refunds. If managed correctly, ClickBank’s Internet services are the best as to reliability and cost. Their Internet address is www.clickbank.com.

In The Keys
Spring and the time change are events that stagger the mind and dog the spirit. Springtime convinces one to go out and explore. The time change to daylight savings time gives us extra daylight it seems. Actually, the whole thing is a trick to get us off our couches and outside.

Snowbirds are going home by car, recreation vehicle, airplane, and such means as present themselves. Boats are tucked away for a summer slumber. Trailer windows are coated in aluminum foil to make the mystery inside nice and cool. And turning right onto US1 is really possible now!

Hotter, sunny summer is coming soon. Of course, hot is relative. We’ve had hot and humid, hot and dry, and sometimes just plain hot. Hot is good with lots of sunshine. A few clouds to play with the mind and a swimming pool to laze around, and we are paradise and heaven right here in Key Vaca. Our little island that shimmers in the heat.

Fishing, boating, and fun are also part of our warm, sunny summers. There are tournaments on top of tournaments. Boats fill the gulf waters crisscrossing here and there. Speeding over lobster traps and generally pouring money into the economy. There are many different events scheduled during this lovely season. The park fills up off and on during the summer. Just enough to be interesting. The summer is a refreshing change from winter, but winter is good too. Actually, you would be hard pressed to find a bad time here.

Key West sports a new Navy Hospital and Veterans Administration Clinic. The first thing that I notice are the nice, shiny new buildings. Then the thrill of finding a parking spot in the extra-large parking lot. There are agreeable sidewalks everywhere. Inside the main building is spacious, well-lit, and clearly marked. You can find the pharmacy, lab, and other departments without any muss or fuss. Everyone staffing the hospital seems very proud and happy too. You can feel that walking the hallways. You walk the length of the hospital to get to the new building housing the Veterans Administration Clinic. Compared to the old building, this one is luxurious. The receptionist office is roomy. The nurse and doctors are well equipped in ultra-modern spaces.

Guest Meows!
This is Larry for Ariel. She and her two cats, Harry and Emily, gave us some wonderful Cat Chat articles this month. We are gratified that we can offer this regular article about some wonderful cats and their human bean with visits by a dragon! Please visit the Memorial Page for Ariel's mother. Click the cat wagging its tail graphic to visit their net home. Thank you. Now here is Harry, Chester, and Emily with Cat Chat:


Cat Chat 4-3-00
Cat Chat 4-13-00
Busy Moving!

Chester: We have been so busy helping Mom move that we didn't have a minute to write a column last week, so...

Emily: So we's gonna tell yous all bout it dis week, ina egg-stra long column!

Harry : Right! And there is so much to tell! Where do we start?

Emily: I tink we's should start wid last Monday. Dat's when all da big citment really started. See, one ub Mom's guitar beans, da one she call KenBob ub da class she call Da Nuts, he come ober early early wid his picky-up truck and all heck broked loose! Dat man, he had sparks flyin offen his heels. Da grabbed bout eberyting day could! Da tooked alla boxes what was full, an alla tables out from da kitchen an alla da chairs too!

Harry: Yeah, and they took the big Bookcase that was by our litterhouse room, and that old desk from out of the secret bedroom. Mom was really moaning and groaning bout that one, cause it were real real heavy. They tooked baskets of shell and pitchurs and the coffee table and the tables what grows legs and the chest what Mom keep alla her guitar stuff in, what I alays sat in front of with my heater. KenBob, he were gonna take my heater but Mom says no, that's Harry's heater, it will have to stay til Moving Day. I was real glad of that., but this sure looked like moving day to me. When they was done, bout 4 hours later, the house sure was emptier. But there was lotsa lotsa stuffers left too.

Chester: They took lots of clothes out of the closets too. And the vanity, and put lots of stuff in the new storage building.

Emily: Well, den da scary stuff started happening. Cause Mom, dat furry night, she tooked me up to dat house and Made me stay dar while she unpackeded boxes so as she could pack more stuffers in dem. I tell yous, I thought it would be fun, be it wasn't fun not atall!!! I meow3d and meowed and looked alla round. Eberyting were so different and nothing was like home atall, eben tho Mom brought me some Yum yums up dar. I were so upset I couldn't hardly eat a one!. Finally we went back to our real house. I tell yous, I runned outta dar like a crazy doggie!

Harry: The next day Mom packed up more boxes and droved them up to the house in the car and unloaded them, then come and got me and carried me up there. I wasn't too bad. She brought me some milk and Whiskas. Everything did smell funny, but some of our stuffers was there. Only is was storming that night, so I stayed under the couch mostly. I let her carry me back down to the house when she was dome, cause it was all windy and cold.

Chester: Well, meanwhile, I was back and forth, helping Mom put stuff in boxes and then helping her take it al out again. Girlfriend moved back to her old trailer during the move, because she hasn't been feeling well and they both decided it was better she not get all stressed out from the moving. So it was mostly me and Mom doing the packing...

Emily: Well, I hepped keep the empty boxes warm!

Chester: Yes, you did really good at that! Heehee. Anyway, It was more and more hectic as the week went on, so it was better Girlfriend went to her old house or she might have gotten even sicker, and we sure don't want that!

Harry: No, we sure don't. We wants Girlfriend to get better and better. Anyways, day next day it were more packing and more hauling stuffers up to day house. Mom come and got both me and Em, and we both lookeded around real good. Em, she were still all upset, but there was more and more of out stuffers there, and it was getting to be most like home to me. I ate a buncha Whiskas and drank milk and looked alla round and then settled down on the rug, The rug is nice and soft, like Chester said is was.

Emily: I wandered around and meowed a lot a lot again. I still didn't like the place, but it were better to have Harry there.

Harry: Yous is just a sceerdy cat!

Emily: Am not! I jus don't like strange places is all! . Well, I meowed an meowed and finally Mom let me out even before she was done. But Harry stayed til she was through unpacking. Then she come home and packed more and got all busy like again. She said she was getting ready fur Movin Day. Well, we thought ebery day had bin Movin Day, but we didn't nose what we was in fur atall!

Chester: We sure didn't! Even I didn't expect what was coming next! Well, the next day these big men with a big truck came backing up to our porch. There was an older fellow and two real big strong looking guys. Mom told me to hide in the closet so they wouldn't see me.

Emily: Mom didn't have to tell me to hide! I was outta there before you could say yum-yums!

Harry: Me too, and what was worse was, they came so early we didn't even get time to eat our breakfast more than a bite! But I didn't care. I runned outta there fast! Those beans walked hard. Well, I watched from the trees. They took all the puter stuff and put it in Mom's car. Then they started loaded alla our furniture in the big truck. I mean, they tooked everything! I tooked them bout two hours, but when they was done alla our stuff was outta the house and in the new place, cept fur just a few things Mom hadn't had time to pack. They moved the piano, and the puter desk and my chair too, and my couch...at lest we talked Mom into keeping our couch. It made the new place more like home. And Mom even took our cat bowls and cat food and litterhouse and everything! By the time they were all done there was nothing but a few clothes and some pitchurs still on the walls and this big old mirror Mom got from Great-grama bean. They even took apart my bed from the back room and put it in the storage building! So now I gotta sleep with Mom or on my couch.

Chester: At least now I have a bigger couch to sleep on. It's real nice too! All cushy soft!

Emily: Yous can hab it! It still smells funny. I habn't bin on it yet. Well, after them beans lefted, Mom drugged up more stuffers, an den come and filled up the car agin, an Grandpa bean come by, and he loaded up his car, and Mom she grabbed me an Harry and droved us up to da house wid da car all fulled up an us in her lap. She had a real hard time stearin cause out feets was in da way, but we was so sceered dat we didn't move nor meow or nothin. So we got up to da oder house, and Grandpa bean, he were jus talkin away, and Mom kept sayin Daddy open da door. Please open da door. Daddy, open da door, Finally he figgired it out, dat she couldn't reach da door handle wid us in her arms. So he opened da door and Mom hustled us both up into da house and closed da door. An den she and Grandpa bean brought in boxes, but they tried to be real careful not to let us get out. But Grandpa bean, he weren't so careful one time an I streaked outta dar agin. An I didn't come back til late late, cause I got myself up in a tree near our real house, an Mom had to come a coax me to come down. But that were lots later. So den I don't nose what happened in between.

Harry: Well, I stayed the whole time, and me and Chester hepped Mom unpack. And let me tell yous, there was some unpacking to do. Mom was pushing furniture this way and that, and she washed out cat bowls and filled them up, and filled up our litterhouse what she had cleaned that morning, and got the bed made...

Chester: I helped a lot with the bed. Mom had to cut down all her egg crate foam, so I held it while she cut, then helped to get the sheets on. Well, finally Mom was pooped, and went and got Emily out of the tree and carried her up to the house, and we all went to sleep in our new house. Oh! I almost forgot! The phone guy came out, and she called and called about the cable guy, but he didn't come at all. So the next day she called the cable guy again, and the phone people too, cause they didn't want to put in her dedicated computer line! She was mad as a hornet about that! She finally got to talk to a nice lady that got it all straightened out, but it was Monday before she got her line. And this was only Friday! The Cable guy, he only hooked up the cable just barely, and didn't put in the extra outlets like she'd ordered, and so she had to call again, and they told her they would be out until Monday either, so she strung a long cable into the bedroom. And the whole time, all weekend, in fact. Grandpa kept saying, you have too much stuff! We should have checked the trailer for a weight limit. Mom just laughed and told Girlfriend just wait til he moves and sees how much stuff he has!

Harry: And that wasn't even the end of it! Mom was moving stuff up to the house all weekend long, and all this week too! We'd just get the boxes unpacked, and off Mom would go to pack them up again. And Grandpa was complaining the whole time. Well, so Monday the phone guy came, and so did these guys to clean the carpet in the old house. Course, we weren't down there anymore. We'd all got pretty comfortable in our new place-even Em.

Emily: Yeah, once the bed was made and things started looking like our place, it got ok. I still don't like the screen door, tho. It's sceery! It wobbles and stuffers! I likes goin out the back door. An the yard is sooo neat! There is all sorts of boidies up here, not just them nasty big crows.

Chester: I told you there was!

Emily: Well, I wasn't so sure at first, but I like our new house now.

Harry: Even tho it took yous three days to come in through the front door without Mom coaxing you! Heehee!

Emily: Well, I don't like da screen door! I tol you dat! Anyways, tings didn't stop dar. Mom still had stuffers to move and pack and unpack. Boxes came in and went out like crazy! Da cable guy finally showed up on Tuesday, which made Mom happy. But yesterday she was soo pooped that after she come home from runnin round she went to bed and stayed there all night watching TV.

Harry: Which was just fine with us, cause we love to snuggle with Mom in bed.

Emily: Ooo! Let me tell yous bout this bed! It is so real real high that there are stairs on one side to climb up on it! I lub goin up and down dem stairs. It's da funnest ting! Harry, he jus jump up on da bed, cept when it's real dark he misses, so he has to come up the stairs.

Harry: Any cat worth its fur can jump instead of walking up stairs!

Chester: Heehee! It's a lot easier if you just fly! Well, it's Thursday and we've been in our now home a week now. Mom is trying to get the old place ready to sell, and still has a big mirror down there she has to bring up. She's trying to sell the old big bed, and a bunch of other stuff too. Girlfriend will move in later when the dust settles, she says. Mom is working on unpacking stuff every day, and it's really starting to look like our house. I'm very happy here. And the view from the porch is great!

Harry: Yes, it is. I was so sure at first, but I think we did good to move here. I hope Mom can sell our old house so Mom can pay off the loan. Anyone want to buy a trailer? Heehee!

Cat Chat 4-26-00
Bad Cat

Emily: Ooo, we's had so much to tell yous dat we furgot all bout tellin yous bout da cat!

Harry: What cat?

Chester: You remember, the cat that got into the house on Moving Day!

Harry: Oh, yeah, I most furgot bout him! Course, I wasn't round to see him. I runned and hid as soon as the mover beans came.

Emily: Me too, but I smelled all bout it a few days later. He tol da whole story real smelly!

Chester: Smelly is right! Mom was fit to be tied! See, what happened was on Moving Day, the front and the back door were open all morning. Now this cat had been hanging around for months and months...

Harry: Yeah, like all of them other freeloader kitties. But this one, he was braver than most, and didn't run so much when Mom chaseded him. Girlfriend says she thinks he had a crush on Emily. Heehee!

Emily: Oh, like I'd go hangin round any ole tom cat! I didn't want nothin to do wid him atall! But he jus wouldn't go away, and ebery ebery day dar he were, hangin round. I nose he were hoping to move in to our home, but me an Harry weren't bout to let that happen!

Harry: No way! I talkeded to that cat lotsa times, but he just wouldn't listen. He just kept coming back and got real real close to the porch, even up on it sometime, ifn me or Em weren't outside to chase him. Now, we nosed he has a home of his own, cause like I said I talked to him moren oncet, but he thought he wanted our home too! Nasty ole tom cat!

Chester: Well, since he did insist on hanging around, I guess he saw Moving day as his opportunity to move in! Boy, did he make a bad mistake! Like I said before, the front and the back doors were both open, because the movers were taking stuff out the front, and Mom had a man building a concrete wall in the back, so the water from up above would stop eroding the property. She and Grandpa knew they had to fix that or they would never sell the trailer. The concrete wall builder had a hose running out the back door, because at the old trailer there isn't any outside faucet. Anyway, sometime during all the activity, that cat ran into the house. I was hiding too, because Mom and Girlfriend were afraid if the moving guys saw me they might try to steal me or something. So I didn't see the cat get in.

Harry: No one saw the cat get in, but Mom saw it streaking through the house! She and Girlfriend chased it back and forth, but never saw it go out. Mom thought it prolly had got out, tho.

Emily: Yeah, but she were wrong. After the moving beans and the wall bean left, Mom and Girlfriend and eben Grandpa was still moving stuffers outta da old trailer an into da new one. And Mom kept lookin round tryin to see ifn that cat were gone, an she didn't see it anywheres. So, Mom an Girlfriend, day closeded up da old trailer fur da night, and we settled into our new place and unpackeded stuffers, but mostly Mom and Girlfriend were pooped so they took a long nap and unpacked more and went to bed early. An fur the next three days. Mom was down at that trailer getting stuffers they had left behind. Girlfriend, she was ober at her place going through stuffers she had left there. So, anyway, the furry next day, Mom nosed there were trouble, cause she could smell dat dat cat had sprayed in da house! How furry rude! Nasty tom cat!

Chester: It was an awful smell. I didn't know that tom cat spray smells different than normal cat pee. I never smelled anything like it before. Yuck!!

Emily: It were horrible! I went down to the old house wid Mom one the second day after Movin Day, an smelled it all round. Dat cat, he were claimin the territory, but he were sceered too. Now, I tried to tell Mom dat dat cat were still in da house, but she jus didn't listen right and didn't understand. She thought all da sprayin had bin done dat first day, and the cat was gone. But dat wasn't da case atall!

Chester: And boy was Mom upset when she found out the cat was still in there. I mean, She and Girlfriend felt sorry for him, but they were mad too, especially Mom, because cat spray is hard to get rid of and Mom was afraid that she would never be able to sell the trailer! She was just frantic! Well, so, first Mom had the carpet cleaners come. They were going to come anyway. And they said they thought they could get the smell out, but the didn't.

Emily: So den da next day Mom had dis lady bean from dis place call da Merry Maids come, and dat lady said she thought they could get out da smell, but when da lady beans come to clean, after they left, the smell was still there! Mom was real real upset! Anyway, Girlfriend had this stuffers from QVC, what they promised would take out any cat smell, and Mom sprayed the whole big bottle all ober where dat cat sprayed, but after it dried, da smell was still dar!

Harry: Yeah, and by this time Mom was bout in tears. She jus knew that she'd never get that smell out. And she as to sell that trailer so she can pay off the loan on our new home. Well, now, by this time it was the third day after Moving Day. Mom went down after dark...Girlfriend was resting at her old trailer, cause all the moving had worn her out something awful, and Mom didn't want her to get sick. So anyway, Mom was looking round, spraying that Febreez stuffers around trying to get rid of the smell, and looking to see ifn there was anything they had furgot. And as she was spraying, she lookeded under the bed real good with a flashlight. See, the bed, we lefteded it there cause it's a big monster and too hard to move. It can't even be moved round the room atall, it's so heavy. So Mom looked, and saw fur under the bed, and she tol us later that she said, oh my God, I hope that cat isn't dead! Cause see, it had been in there three days with no food. I guess it got water from the toilet. So Mom lookeded around, and finally grabbed a curtain rod and pokeded it under the bed. Well, the cat was alive, alright, and sceered and mad too! It runned out from the bed, Mom said, and into the back room.

Emily: Mom slammed the bedroom door so as the cat couldn't get back in dar and went into da back room and chaseded it out ub dar. Now da cat were really mad! I runned into da kitchen an was mad it couldn't get back under da bed, I meow! So Mom, she had the front door open, but it would go out! I guess it thought it had da house an it were gonna stay dar no matter what! Well, Mom wasn't bout to go long wid dat!

Chester: No way! Well. from the kitchen the cat ran back to the back room, but the doors were closed. It hit the bathroom door hard and knocked it open and hid in the tub! Mom tried to grab it by the scruff of its neck, but it was hissing and spitting and before she knew it, it flew out of the tub and back into the kitchen and behind the washing machine! Mom was getting really mad by this time. The front door was open, and that cat refused to go out! Mom had to pull out the dryer and get the cat out from behind the washer. Then it jumped up on the refrigerator-and there the door wide open right next to the washer! I don't understand that at all!

Harry: Well, I nose it musta bin sceered half to death, but Mom had to get it outta there! So she kept pushing on its butt with the curtain rod and yelling "Go out! Go out!" And finally it got the clue and runned out the door and we haven't seen that cat again! I guess it decided this place here wasn't a Good Place To Be Atall! Heehee!

Emily: Bout time, too. Now, ifn we could jus convince all da oder freeloadin cats bout dat!

Cat Chat 5-3-00
More Movin!

Chester: This moving stuff just never seems to end! I thought this would be fun, but I'm tired of the whole thing!

Emily: I bin tired ub it fur weeks now. Da boxes come in and da boxes goes out. I didn't nose we had so much stuffers!

Harry: Grandpa bean says we should have checked the trailer fur a weight limit, cause Mom and Girlfriend have too much stuffers! Heehee! But they seem to alays find a place to put the stuffers. Mom had the living room all set up so as me and Em could just walk right up on the counter. Then Girlfriend got this idea that the chest what we walked up on should get moveded to the other side of the room! So now it's harder to get on the counter. Emily jumped up there last night, oh, really bout almost daybreak, an knocked some stuffers offen the counter. Mom come outta da bedroom all bleary eyed saying "what did you knock over?" But she didn't see nothing, so she went back to bed. We thought maybe we were gonna get fed early, but Mom wasn't bout to do dat! She wasn't really even awake. So today so rearranged the counter so as we wouldn't knock stuffers off.

Chester: Not like that helps much. I mean, they are putting stuff away, but there's stuff everywhere still! And Girlfriend hasn't even finished cleaning out her old trailer! Half the time there is stuff all over my couch, and I have to fuss to get them to move it so I can sleep!

Emily: Day moves stuffers here, day moves stuffers dar...I think Grandpa is right, day hab way too much stuffers! All we really needs is our cat bowls and food!

Harry: Well, that and our beds and my heater...

Chester: And my couch! And we have to have the computer!

Harry: And of course Girlfriend has to have her own puter too, and the TVs they like so much.

Chester: I like them too! I especially like lying on Mom's high bed and watching Animal Planet. That's a great channel!

Emily: Yeah, and yous take up da whole bed too! Dat's my bed to sleep on, yous nose!

Harry: Hey, yous is sposed to be sleeping with Girlfriend! But here yous come and tooked over Mom's bed! That's not fair!

Emily: Well, Girlfriend isn't here alla time yet, She has to go back to her old trailer and sleep. Sides, yous is alays in front of that heater, so what do yous care?

Harry: Mom's bed has alays been mine! Yous jus sneaked in and tooked it over! Hisssspit!

Chester: Now, calm down. Everything is topsy-turvy right now. Nothing is settled yet, and stuff is still being moved in, and Emily's right, Girlfriend isn't her all the time yet, because she's trying to clear out her old place. Once things settle down we'll all have our own right places to sleep.

Harry: Well, I hope things settle down soon! I'm getting pooped with all this moving stuffers in and unpacking and putting stuff here than there. Plus all the nailing and drilling and stuffers Mom is doing to put things up on the walls! It just goes on and on!

Emily: Mom is alays doing stuffers like that, tho. Just more ub it deese last few weeks. I'm eben getting sick ub all da boxes! Day hab all been sat in ober and ober, cause Mom and Girlfriend keep usin dem. But I do hab a nice new box I lub! It fits me so much better dan da old one. It's nice and cozy!

Chester: Yes, despite all the activity, it is starting to be more and more like home here. I like this new place a lot, even if I am sick of the moving part.

Harry: I bet Mom and Girlfriend are getting sick of it too. But there can't be too much else to do...can there?

Emily: Well, Girlfriend hab bin spending lotsa time ober at her place packin an sortin. But I heared them talkin bout sellin a bunch of stuffers, and giving stuffers to thrift shops and stuffers like dat.

Chester: Mom has already given a lot of stuff to thrift shops, and has sold some stuff too.

Harry: Well, that's all good. Maybe there won't be too many more boxes and stuffers coming in and out. Just watching Mom and Girlfriend wears me out!

Emily: Yous jus get sleepy cause yous stay by that heater alla time! Heehee!

Harry: Do not!

Emily: Do too!

Harry: Do not! I can't cause Mom doesn't have it turned on alla time! Anyway, I'm tired cause alla this movin is hard work. I mean, after all, we have to sniff everything as it comes in and gets moved. That takes a lot of time and energy, yous nose!

Chester: I don't do the sniffing part, but it all does take a lot of energy for sure! I'll just be glad when it's all over and things get back to normal!

Harry: Me too!

Emily: Me three! Yawn! All this talk is jus makin me tireder. I'm gonna go take a nap.

Chester: Good idea. The couch is empty for now...

Harry: And (yawn) the heater is on. Zzzzzzzzz.

Cat Chat is © 1999 - 2008, 2009 Ariel, Emily, Harry, and Chester the Dragon. All rights reserved worldwide. This column may not be reprinted in part or whole without express permission of Ariel.

Poetry Corner
“Fine Soul So Deep” 3.25.00 by L. E. Shaffer

Why does life
Got to be so hard
So full of tears
And feelings of despair

Cause that’s living
From moon to moon
Under a cloudy sky
What wouldn’t be

Without trials
Tribulations desperate
And shallow, murky spirit
A darkness on the heart

Can’t have one
Without the other
To know one
Is to know the opposite

One is not, cannot be
Greater than the other
Each fulfills the need
Of life from sun to sun

Tears from the gods
Drop to dusty ground
Why does life
Got to be so hard

Take care of me
Fine soul so deep
Keep the flames
Of love ever brighter…

© 2000 L. E. Shaffer

Hockey Puck
All of round one of the Stanley Cup playoffs is done now. Sixteen teams have been whittled down to eight. There were some surprises and some duds. There was the pain of seeing our Florida Panthers lose four straight one-goal games. They tried, but the New Jersey Devils were just too much defense for the Panther’s vaunted offense. The surprise was a thrilling seven-game series between the St. Louis Blues and the San Jose Sharks. St. Louis was the NHL’s number one team, while the Sharks were number sixteen. San Jose kept plugging away, got some lucky and weird bounces, and outplayed the Blues. For their outstanding play they get to play last year’s champion the Dallas Stars. Such is the life of a champion wanna be! The dud was the series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators. This series was the championship of Ontario, but instead the Senators threw away one opportunity after another. They self-destructed and lost to the Maple Leafs in six games. Overall, the hockey was good. The offense was up. The crowds look eager and energetic. Round two looks to be bruising. The surviving four will play for their respective conference championships.

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