What's Normal?
Normal: Of and or pertaining to the norms.
Norms: Prevalent characteristics of a demographic subset.
This subject came up the other day after Trygg found my old dictionary. He dragged it out and began flipping through the pages.
"This is so cool," he said. "You can look words up in this thing just like a real dictionary."
"It is a real dictionary."
"No, but, I mean, there aren't any links, no hotspots, I can't copy paste anything into an email. How dull is this?"
I went back to reading and ignored him. He continued flipping though the book.
This is how it really started.
See, I have no problem with Trygg doing things around the house that I consider normal. Like flossing. However, Trygg and I do have a few grey areas. For example, the other day he was going to see his girlfriend, Kelly. I got out his dental floss.
"Your breath smells like tuna fish."
"Thank you. What's the floss for?"
"To floss before you go out."
"Can I use yours?"
"May I use yours."
"You don't like mine, it's minty."
(I don't pursue this.)
"Why do you want to use my dental floss?"
"I don't want the minty stuff to kill the smell of the tuna fish."
I hand Trygg my floss. For a moment, I forgot he is a cat. And therein lies the problem. I mean, putting his dishes in the sink, making his bed, fine. Then he goes and does something totally off the wall and I have trouble understanding him. For example:
Last night, and again this morning, he kept walking around and through my legs, rubbing up against me, going over to his food dish, taking a bite or two, coming back, rubbing my leg, walking back to his food dish, eating a few bites, and so on. This, I don't understand. I just don't see this as normal behaviour. Why does he do this? He woke me up twice last night to watch him eat. Then, again, this morning.
Is Trygg insecure all of a sudden? He seems normal. He still uses his napkin. He licks up any spills around his water dish. He remembers to lick his paws before coming into the house. Why, all of a sudden, is he putting on a real performance at meal time? Or whatever he considers meal time. There, however, I have no grounds for dispute. I eat at off times as well.
I can even understand and allow for his getting excited over Arsenals loss and toilet-papering the bathroom and soaping up the mirror. I mean, let's be real here. Cat's do play with toilet paper.
If all goes along as normal, we will man up and move on. It will pass. Still, I don't understand it. Perhaps someone could explain it. Trygg is too reticent on these issues and it would be rude for me to ask.
Even the cat winks =^.~=
Regards,
Slim
Mail: slimfairview@yahoo.com
Copyright (c) 2011 Slim Fairview
Showing posts with label eating on the floor.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eating on the floor.. Show all posts
Monday, May 2, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Breakfast on the Floor
I am sitting on the floor in the kitchen, leaning up against the cabinet, drinking my coffee. Trygg is eating breakfast. This is what led up to this new arrangement.
I wake up this morning, reasonably early. No Trygg. I go out to the kitchen to pour my coffee. I see Trygg sitting in the parlour in his bathrobe, sulking. He's sitting in my spot.
I go into the kitchen. The coffee pot hasn't been plugged in. I plug it in. I can see that Trygg hasn't had breakfast yet. He's scrupulous about putting his dishes in the sink when he's finished and there are no dishes in the sink. Also he's scrupulous about plugging in the coffee. I don't say anything. I think I know what this is all about.
Last night, I sat in Trygg's chair. Trygg's chair is an overstuffed armchair in the parlour. It used to be my chair. But that was before Trygg came along. I switched to the sofa. Also before Trygg came along.
After Trygg moved in, he started to feel his way around. At one point he started taking his evening nap on the chair before going to bed. Then he started sitting on the back of the chair during the afternoons. Lately, he hasn't been using the chair at all.
I thought nothing of sitting in this comfortable, stuffed, armchair early yesterday evening. After I did, Trygg jumped up onto the back of the chair. I thought he was being friendly. So, I turned to start to pet him. He made a gesture as if he were about to nip me. I scolded him. "No biting." He swiped at me with his paw. Well, I said to myself, if that's the way you want to be, fine. I went to sit on the sofa.
Trygg got up and went to the door. I figured he wanted to make a statement. I was tempted not to let him out. But I decided to be the better person. I opened the door and let him out. Later, when he returned, everything sort of blew over.
This morning, I thought he was miffed about last night. He sometimes accuses me of over reacting. I sometimes accuse him of letting things fester. But it never gets out of hand. I mean, we're guys. When we have a little tiff, we just man up and move on. But this had nothing to do with the incident on the chair.
After I pour my coffee I sit down at the table to have my coffee. Trygg looks up.
"That's right. Sit at the table. It always has to be your way, doesn't it?"
I get up, go into the parlour, and sit next to Trygg on the sofa and look right at him.
"Okay, Trygg. What's bothering you?"
"Don't I always plug in the coffee pot every morning so you can have your coffee when you get up?"
"Yes. And I always thank you. And sometimes I return the favour by doing your dinner plates, and helping you make your bed, even though those are some of your chores. You do get an allowance."
"It's not about the money."
"What's it about?"
"When it's time for dinner, don't I always join you?"
"Yes, you do. And we're happy for the company."
"And when you have dinner, don't you always have dinner at the table?"
"Yes. No eating in the parlour. Except on special occasions."
I pause. I am beginning to see what this is all about.
"Go on," I say.
"Did you ever think that some mornings it would be nice if your joined me for breakfast on the floor?"
Now I see what has Trygg in his sulky mood.
"All right, let's go."
Trygg looks up and gives me a big smile. He takes off his bathrobe--
"First let me hang this up."
"That's okay. I'll hang it up when I go in to shave."
"Thank you."
I get up and go into the kitchen bringing my coffee with me. Trygg walks along next to me. He's looking up at me, beaming. I keep forgetting that, even though he doesn't say it, he does look up to me.
In the kitchen, I open up Trygg's breakfast, put it on his plate, and put his plate on the floor. I sit down next to him to have my coffee as he eats breakfast.
When we're through he says, "I'll get the dishes."
"That's okay. I'll do them later. You can lick yourself and go out to meet your friends."
"Thank you. And thanks for having breakfast with me on the floor."
"Actually, I enjoyed it."
After letting Trygg out, I pour another coffee and go into the parlour to watch the news.
Even the cat winks =^.~=
Sincerest regards,
Slim
Male slimfairview@yahoo.com
Copyright (c) 2011 Slim Fairview
I wake up this morning, reasonably early. No Trygg. I go out to the kitchen to pour my coffee. I see Trygg sitting in the parlour in his bathrobe, sulking. He's sitting in my spot.
I go into the kitchen. The coffee pot hasn't been plugged in. I plug it in. I can see that Trygg hasn't had breakfast yet. He's scrupulous about putting his dishes in the sink when he's finished and there are no dishes in the sink. Also he's scrupulous about plugging in the coffee. I don't say anything. I think I know what this is all about.
Last night, I sat in Trygg's chair. Trygg's chair is an overstuffed armchair in the parlour. It used to be my chair. But that was before Trygg came along. I switched to the sofa. Also before Trygg came along.
After Trygg moved in, he started to feel his way around. At one point he started taking his evening nap on the chair before going to bed. Then he started sitting on the back of the chair during the afternoons. Lately, he hasn't been using the chair at all.
I thought nothing of sitting in this comfortable, stuffed, armchair early yesterday evening. After I did, Trygg jumped up onto the back of the chair. I thought he was being friendly. So, I turned to start to pet him. He made a gesture as if he were about to nip me. I scolded him. "No biting." He swiped at me with his paw. Well, I said to myself, if that's the way you want to be, fine. I went to sit on the sofa.
Trygg got up and went to the door. I figured he wanted to make a statement. I was tempted not to let him out. But I decided to be the better person. I opened the door and let him out. Later, when he returned, everything sort of blew over.
This morning, I thought he was miffed about last night. He sometimes accuses me of over reacting. I sometimes accuse him of letting things fester. But it never gets out of hand. I mean, we're guys. When we have a little tiff, we just man up and move on. But this had nothing to do with the incident on the chair.
After I pour my coffee I sit down at the table to have my coffee. Trygg looks up.
"That's right. Sit at the table. It always has to be your way, doesn't it?"
I get up, go into the parlour, and sit next to Trygg on the sofa and look right at him.
"Okay, Trygg. What's bothering you?"
"Don't I always plug in the coffee pot every morning so you can have your coffee when you get up?"
"Yes. And I always thank you. And sometimes I return the favour by doing your dinner plates, and helping you make your bed, even though those are some of your chores. You do get an allowance."
"It's not about the money."
"What's it about?"
"When it's time for dinner, don't I always join you?"
"Yes, you do. And we're happy for the company."
"And when you have dinner, don't you always have dinner at the table?"
"Yes. No eating in the parlour. Except on special occasions."
I pause. I am beginning to see what this is all about.
"Go on," I say.
"Did you ever think that some mornings it would be nice if your joined me for breakfast on the floor?"
Now I see what has Trygg in his sulky mood.
"All right, let's go."
Trygg looks up and gives me a big smile. He takes off his bathrobe--
"First let me hang this up."
"That's okay. I'll hang it up when I go in to shave."
"Thank you."
I get up and go into the kitchen bringing my coffee with me. Trygg walks along next to me. He's looking up at me, beaming. I keep forgetting that, even though he doesn't say it, he does look up to me.
In the kitchen, I open up Trygg's breakfast, put it on his plate, and put his plate on the floor. I sit down next to him to have my coffee as he eats breakfast.
When we're through he says, "I'll get the dishes."
"That's okay. I'll do them later. You can lick yourself and go out to meet your friends."
"Thank you. And thanks for having breakfast with me on the floor."
"Actually, I enjoyed it."
After letting Trygg out, I pour another coffee and go into the parlour to watch the news.
Even the cat winks =^.~=
Sincerest regards,
Slim
Male slimfairview@yahoo.com
Copyright (c) 2011 Slim Fairview
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