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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

You Wouldn’t Think So, But It Was A Lovely Day

Let’s talk about the shape my head is in.

No, I’m not referring to its slightly flat affect, near the top, there in the back, although the flat bit makes lying face up remarkably comfortable.

Nor should we discuss my uncanny ability to work a dirty joke into almost any conversation – which is something of a talent, by the way, and one I learned, over the years, to use when situationally appropriate and not at, say, office holiday parties or Christmas dinners…

No.

I’m talking about the headache I’ve got, right now, the one that kept me from work Monday, the one that kept me from eating all day but did not stop me from having a bowl of ice cream before bed.

When’s the last time you spent a whole day on a couch? I did, Monday; and here’s what I noticed:

I noticed that the cats have a schedule. It seemed to upset both Liza Bean Bitey (of the Minneapolis Biteys) and Dolly Gee Squeakers (formerly of the Humane Society Squeakers) that I hadn’t gone to work; and they demanded appeasement in the form of catnip shooters and unrestricted lap time.

And speaking of lap time, I watched Dolly, passed out and on her back, run in her sleep, her fuzzy little paws reaching, her little legs pumping. What does she dream of? Slow mice? Low-flying birds? Being an only kitty?

I noticed that while I did not feel good enough to put on make-up I did feel well enough to dig out the last of my Crest Whitestrips and spend 30 minutes whitening my teeth.

I noticed that Maury Povich has not yet run out of women looking for the fathers of their babies.

I noticed that I was watching Maury Povich.

And once I turned that off, I noticed the sublime silence of an empty house. A kitty on the floor, batting absentmindedly at a shoelace; a kitty lying on her back, asleep, paws twitching; the ticking of a clock in the next room; the sound of a lawnmower a couple blocks over.

And then I slept.

There are many ways to define a lovely day.

34 comments:

Willoughby said...

I hope you're feeling better today!

Let's see, the last time I spent an entire day on the couch was when I was pregnant with my son. He's 17. I guess it's been a while.

Big Fat Gini said...

Maury is still on? Is he even alive?

Feel better! I get really awful sinus headaches once or twice a month and it blows...

Max Steel said...

I reallllly need a day of price is right and maury

HulaBuns said...

Sorry you have a headache. I actually had a doozy yesterday too. I took my all natural medicine (a double dose) then realized I needed to bring out the big guns (the stuff that says I shouldn't operate machinery while taking it, does a car count?). :(

I hope your feeling better today!

Anonymous said...

Ooh, just turning off the tube can help ease the tension in a headache! I hope you woke up all better.

Vintage Christine said...

Since I retired I haven't had time to spend a whole day on the couch, but I sure do remember how wonderful it was to stay home from work and veg out (that is, if I wasn't actually as sick as I pretended to be when I called in sick). Watch TV, eat stuff, doze, play with available cat, eat more stuff, etc. etc. By the end of the day I was totally bored and more than ready to go back to work.

Red Herring Jeff said...

Hope you're feeling better!

I have a tradition (when I'm feeling too poorly to get up off the couch) of watching no fewer than 4 episodes of "The Golden Girls". I don't know what it is, but something about that show, in the middle of the day, from the vantage point of my couch fort takes me back to when I was a kid... and (eventually) lets me feel better.

Non Sequitur Chica said...

I hope you are feeling better! Sometimes, you just need one of those days to be lazy and relax.

Watching a cat run in its sleep sounds like fun too!

Symdaddy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Good to see your headache wasn't from a zombie stealing the brain from out of your head, Pearly Girly...sometimes they sneak up on people when they aren't looking. ;-)

As for Dolly, I'll bet she was dreaming of chasing Liza Bean. Weren't they fighting over who gets the last piece of apple pie the other day?
xxx

Symdaddy said...

YAY!

I've got the knack after all (see my comment to "I Came, I Taw, I Tweeted").

That was a goodly post my good woman!

My mouth turned upwards in all the right places (and I have an upside-down cat on my lap).

Hope yer head's feelin' better!

Linda Medrano said...

I hope your headache is gone, but it sounds like you had a great "sick" day!

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Only you could write such an enjoyable piece about spending the day on your couch because of a headache. You're really, really talented. I hope the headache's gone.
xoRobyn

Unknown said...

the only thing that would make that day sweeter for me... would be watching cheesy 50's movie musicals

Notes From ABroad said...

I am sorry you felt so bad. I used to have migraines all the time so I feel great sympathy for all headache sufferers. Except the people I don't like :)

We had a cat when we got Pup. 17 year old cat, 3 month old pup.
The cat died a year later, breaking all of our hearts and Pup has been an only Pup since. And now that you mention it, when he sleeps, naps during the day on the floor all stretched out like a great furry rug, his front paws will sometimes do this little up and down thing.
I think he got it from the cat. He learned how to dream from a First Class Cat napper.
Yep.
Now I am going back to bed too. gentle besos on your fevered brow. C

Sausage said...

Nothing a wee nip o' whisky won't remedy.
Cheers, Sausage.

Anything Fits A Naked Man said...

Oh, I agree! That day you described sounds HEAVENLY to me! I think we all need a day to just hit "pause" and rest, whiten our teeth, and observe the absurdity of would-be baby daddys!!

Hope your head is back to normal (and that you're soon back to entertaining everyone with off-color jokes!)

KathyA said...

Absolutely! Glad the cats 'allowed' you to do your thing in their space!

Madame DeFarge said...

You must be sick if you watched Maury Povich. That's grounds for a visit to the psychiatrist to get your head checked.

Joanie said...

Sounds like a perfect day to me! I have another week of vacation that I have to take before Feb 11. I'm thinking a week in January, with the heat set too high, the fridge stocked with comfort food and lots of stuff to watch on On Demand. All by my lonesome so I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. Ah.. sounds perfect!

Kal said...

I have been fortunate to be in a situation these past couple of years to not need to work. I was able to let go of the day to day grind five years ago but it took me three years to just get up the nerve to do so. (I can wait while you do the math). So I have had alot of time to refect of the two different lifestyles. The one I am in now can be no less stressful and is FULL of routine.

Be it the time I shower or the time I eat or the way I am a slave to a certain talk radio show in the morning (Stephanie Miller) or at night (Alan Colmes), everything has a routine. Like the Admiral. He will meow at the same time to eat, then he will meow to go out, then he will meow out my window to come in, then he will eat agains, demand a good brush and finally fall asleep in the same place, facing the same direction. When I go to sleep he lets me pet him until I move to my other side. Then he moves to look out the open window through the screen. Then he wakes me for another scratch. Then he waits until someone gets up to pee then he is out again. It's the same thing EVERY day.

A friend was amazed that I could tell what the cat wanted just by his meowing and I didn't tell them that is was not some genius on my part. Truth be told that I went from having the cat work around my schedule to me working around his. I am his bitch and the saddest thing is that he just trained me to be that person.

Pearl said...

Head is much better today, thank you! Hope to be back and sassy soon...

Anonymous said...

Headaches are debilitating, but look what you learned about feline behavior. All was not lost.

Douglas said...

12 shots of anything wet and 86 proof or better cures headaches. However, the side effects include (but are not limited to) a massive headache when you wake up. No, I am not a doctor but I played one several times as a teen.

Debbie said...

I'm sorry you were feeling bad but a quiet house is a lovely thing! So are kitties.

Ricky Shambles said...

Nothing better than enjoying the subtle patterns of nothing but animals in the house. Hoping you feel up to par ASAP!

Simply Suthern said...

Am sorry to hear you felt so bad, but glad to hear you are feely better.

Anonymous said...

Even in all of the day's lovelieness I hope your headache went away!

The Jules said...

Ooh dear, you know things are bad when you waste a valuable sick day actually being unwell!

Glad you're feeling better. Take a day off.

Tempo said...

Last time I spent a day on the couch?
Fair go..I'm old ya know, my memory only goes back twenty years or so... Honestly cant remember.
I'm glad youre feeling better now Pearl, nice of you to join the cats for the day

jenn said...

Yesterday was my last day spent laying on the couch, but it wasn't nearly as peaceful or lovely as yours. My back was out, I was laying on an ice pack and in paaaaaain. Blech.

I also excel at working dirty jokes into conversation! A dubious talent, but a talent all the same. :)

Annah said...

Sounds like you had a lovely day indeed :)

Roshni said...

I notice that you were watching Maury and then you complain about having a headache!!

Ironicus Maximus said...

Around here we call that a "greyhound day" except if it were greyhounds instead of cats you wouldn't have been allowed on the couch.

Ironicus