P is for Pet

Your favourite PET you've had.

I love cats.  I've had a lot of cats over my lifetime and they were all special and had their own unique personalities and habits.  But one particular cat really touched my heart and I think I would have to say he is my favourite.   Teddy doesn't live with me anymore, I had to move and couldn't bring him with me, so he lives with my best friend up in Barrie.  I rarely see him now but she sends me pictures and he looks happy and healthy.  She loves him as much as I do.

So what makes Teddy so special?  What makes him stand out from all the others?  He has personality plus.  He is a black and white cat and he's just beautiful as you can see in the picture.  When I got him from the SPCA  I had to sign a form saying I was okay with a vocal cat.  I figured this was standard procedure so I signed.   Little did I know what I was getting myself into.   Vocal is an understatement.  Teddy pretty much talks non-stop.  Except when he's sleeping.   His constant meowing was nerve-wracking at times and I would just tell him to shut up.  He wouldn't.  He had a lot to say.  And it wasn't that he needed anything like food or water, he just needed constant attention.   If I had my back to him while I worked at my desk, he would put one paw on my back and chatter away at me.  Thankfully he wasn't noisy at night so there was no sleep disruption...except right when I got into bed and then he would torment me with his other little quirks.   

When I closed my eyes he would stare at me...I could feel his eyes on me and he got close enough that his whiskers would tickle my face.  If I opened my eyes he would just meow.  I never pet him once I was in bed because I didn't want to develop a habit that he would no doubt exploit as much as he could.  So I would turn my back on him, but, not to be outdone, he would jump over me to get to my face.  Eventually, he would settle and we would sleep quite peacefully.   Unless I put the covers up around my neck and he couldn't see my arms.  It drove him crazy!!  He'd jump back and forth over my head pawing at the covers trying to find my arms.  Where were they?  How could I pet him without arms??  How could I put food in his dish??  He wouldn't stop until I showed him my arms.  

If I had an overnight guest Teddy was not happy.  He insisted on sleeping between us.  There was no room in the bed, he is a very large cat and I am a large person

and eventually, I would have to put him out of the room.  He was good about that though.  No yowling or scratching at the door.

Teddy always seemed to me like he was a human trapped in a cat suit.   I almost expected him to one day take the suit off and reveal himself.   But that's weird, right?   

I miss him every day and wish I could have kept him.   I saw him last summer and when he saw me he flopped over on his back and I rubbed his tummy for a long time.  I am glad he is being loved and cared for.   But I would love to have him back with me.

O is for Old

 What "OLD-person" thing do you do?

Well I am an old person, so everything I do is an Old person thing right?   But in the spirit of this question will list a few stereotypical things I do.

Repeat the same stories over again without realizing I am doing it.

Assess the bathroom situation before accepting invitations.

Turn the television volume up to deafening levels.

Put my pajamas on right after supper, or just wear them all day.

Screen phone calls.

Complain about kids these days (get off my lawn)

Groan when I stand up or sit down.

Leak

Appreciate the value of a good comfortable pair of shoes fashion be damned.

There are probably more but I can't remember them.  Oh yeah, that's another thing, 

Can't remember what I had for breakfast or why I came into a room but can remember the names and birthdates of my childhood friends.

None of these things are terrible, they are just part of life and I deal with it all in good humour.

N is for nation

If you had to move to a different NATION, which would you choose?

I would choose to move to the United Kingdom, probably Ireland or Wales.  I would ideally have said Newfoundland, but the question asked for a different NATION.  I am very drawn to the rugged climate of these places.   I love the idea of living in a small village in Ireland. Maybe I would get a job in a pub, as a bartender...or a singer.  I have a romantic notion of a close-knit community welcoming me in.  I would have a big dog and roam the hills in a cable knit sweater and wellingtons.   Within months I would be speaking with the Irish brogue just like the natives.  My cheeks would be rosy and my hair in a long gray braid.   I could be happy there, I am pretty sure, in spite of the dampness.  The beauty of my surroundings would outweigh anything else.

M is for Mars

If MARS were inhabitable would you accept a one-way ticket?

No.

I don't like to fly.

L is for Law

 What LAW would you create if you knew everyone would be forced to obey?

There are so many, where do I start?   I would like to create a law and have it enforced that forbids all things that pollute the environment.  ALL things no matter how inconvenient it makes our lives.  The planet is in danger and we rely on it to live.   So we need to make sacrifices.  I know there are anti-pollution laws in place, but they need to be stricter and relentlessly enforced.   I know what people are thinking if they are reading this.  What about our human rights?  I don't want to live in a police state.  And on and on.  But think about it...if we don't have clean water and air and places to grow our food...NOTHING else matters.   I know such a law is not possible, but the question didn't say anything about whether it would be possible.

I would also like a law that bans LEAF BLOWERS.   They are huge noise polluters and air polluters as well because they spew fumes.   And they are not good for anything but spreading dirt and debris all over the place.   And isn't there some way to make them quieter?  Men and their penis-extending toys...honestly. 

K is for Kid

 What do you miss most about being a KID?

The thing I miss most about being a kid is being healthy.   I miss the days when my body could play all day and not cripple me with pain.   I miss not having to deal with debilitating fatigue and brain fog.  I miss being able to eat whatever I wanted without gaining weight or having a digestive meltdown.  I miss that freedom of not having to plan my days around my energy level.   I long for the joy of riding my bike all over town and still being able to walk when I get off. I miss being able to go to be really early and knowing I will sleep all night.   I miss being able to make plans for an outing without worrying about where the bathrooms are.  I miss bathing once a week without worrying about offending others.  I miss being really skinny and wish I had appreciated it more back then.  I miss the life that was so much simpler back then, before internet, before computers, before social media.  I miss penny candy.   I miss my Nan.  I miss not having adult worries like rent, food, utilities, etc.   

I guess it seems that I miss a lot.  But there is so much I don't miss.

I don't miss being afraid of my father's rage.

I don't miss feeling unloved and neglected.

I don't miss taking care of the house and my younger brother while my mother worked.  I was 10.

I don't miss lying in bed at night and have my rotting teeth breaking apart while I lay terrified I was going to die of tooth decay.

I don't miss being afraid of the dark.

I don't miss my brother.

I don't miss my father.

Anyway, I guess I really didn't answer the question properly but there are no rules really and no one is reading this, so who gives a shit.

I is for Ice Cream

 What JUNK food item could you eat every day?

I love ICE CREAM!   I could eat it every meal every day for the rest of my life and be quite happy.  I am a frequent visitor of Dairy Queen although not as frequent as I would like because my partner actually has some self-control and restraint which she is trying to encourage me to have.   But she knows I can be bribed with ice cream... My favourite Dairy Queen treats are caramel sundaes, SKOR Blizzards, and just a plain ice cream cone.   Just writing this makes me want to get in the car and head over to the DQ right now.   I love the smoothness of the soft-serve ice cream.  I love the combination of ice cream and cone together in my mouth.   I love the bits of SKOR in the Blizzard, and the generous amounts of caramel in the sundae.   

My passion for ice cream isn't only limited to DQ though.  I love to go down to Van Wagner's beach and get an ice cream cone from Hutch's and find a place to sit and watch people go by as I enjoy the delicious cool sweetness of a Black Cherry ice cream cone.   I was heartbroken when they switched their supplier from Stoney Creek Dairy to Nestle.  I try to boycott Nestle as much as possible.  I stayed away for a while but my passion for ice cream overrode my resolve.  

It's not just a summer thing either.  I know most people think of ice cream as a summer treat.  Not me.  I am a year-round fan.   Even when the weather is really cold I can still enjoy a treat.