No TV, Just Life: Brückentag

I woke up very early this morning to a strange arrangement on my bed: Lady Jane had wriggled herself under the duvet and was sleeping curled up by my feet. Ziva had curled up next to Lady Jane – outside the duvet, though – but on top of my feet! And Mewthos was mipping to be let under the duvet by my face! I’d lift the duvet, he’d crawl under, curl up and needed my hand for reassurance. He wouldn’t lie still for long, and got up and out from under the duvet again – only to mip to be let under it again. This continued until my alarm went off, about twenty minutes after I woke up. Mewthos then went to pick up my glasses – but since he isn’t quite as agile picking things up, he dropped them. He tried to retrieve them, but got side tracked by the alarm – so he jumped back up and picked up my cell phone! Since that is even heavier than my glasses, he dropped that as well – and I picked it up from under a puzzled (and glowing) Mewthos! I put it in my hand, so I could snooze it for a while. Then I turned back to the unusual configuration of cats on my bed – Mewly still mewling for attention, which I give freely.

Eventually I get up and so do the cats. Lady Jane crawls out from under the duvet and shakes herself before yawning luxuriantly, Ziva follows suit with the stretching and yawning. I get up to make coffee – and find a little brown pile on the kitchen floor! As I open the curtains, I find another one! Looks like someone had a runny tummy and didn’t make it to the litter box in time. Twice!

I let Ziva out, and as I’m trying to have my coffee and wake up properly first Lady Jane demands intensive cuddling, followed by Mewthos being even more demanding! Somehow I managed to sip my coffee, have my morning cigarette – with two kitty bums insistently thrust in my face! And then the phone rings – work! So I deal with that and get myself off to work – distracting the mippies with a sachet so I can sneak out. Lady Jane is getting smart, though: She came and watched me leave ... then close the door behind me, leaving my mippies safely indoors.

Ziva came to see me off and I get myself to work. At work, they are still busy loading the container they called me about – forty minutes ago! Apparently the so-called ‘Executive Sales Manager’ sent the wrong type of truck for collection – I could write a whole paragraph about this person’s competence! Lack of, that is! Anyway, they finally managed and we’re now down to only the three containers that will go to East London.

Funny thing, now I’m sort of the site manager – not by title, just: everybody is now asking me what to do, how to do and who needs to come to work on which days. Technically, the electrician should be taking responsibility, since he’s the highest qualified person on site ... but he was the first one to ask me “What now?” With tomorrow being an international public holiday, I won’t be getting any information or answers from anyone today, as management is taking a ‘Brückentag’ (which directly translates as ‘bridging day’ and means taking the day to bridge between public holiday and weekend resulting in a long weekend.) It’s a standard practice in Germany, I believe – in South Africa it is mostly frowned upon, since it would mean closing shop (which some German businesses do).

Back at home, Ziva greets me at the garage – and Romeo is eagerly waiting for the magic door to the food bowls to open! Our gardener did a great job weeding the path. It’s a crap job and he doesn’t like having to do it – but he understands that I can’t use poison. Not with all these cats rolling on the path and then washing (licking) themselves. So, for me, he does it the hard way.

Upstairs, I find numerous brown droplets throughout the bathroom – I guess the rears are still dire? But both mippies come for a load while I happen to be there – and both seem a bit soft but definitely not liquid. So I guess they are fine. I clean the floor provisionally – tomorrow I’ll have to wash both floors. But first, I have to get something for my lunches (Aufschnitt ~ cold meats) and electricity!

Downstairs I follow the Mips around with my camera and got quite a few very typical shots of each one! Mewthos climbed onto the overturned tree trunk – but had some difficulty getting down. So I stood next to him, let him climb onto my shoulder and played ‘elevator’ – bending down so he wouldn’t have far to jump. I guess he knows he shouldn’t jump onto his damaged paw, and does everything he should do to avoid hurting it even worse.

Romeo seems to be in a bad mood today, since he first attacked Mewthos and later attacked Lady Jane! Both times Ziva went for him after his attack! It’s good to see that, no matter what the difficulties they have socializing – with Ziva hissing and swatting at Mips – she will always come to their rescue and defense!

Rose had gone for a short shopping trip and when she came back and had parked her car, the windows were wide open … and Lady Jane went to investigate! She climbed from the roof through the open window and explored the inside of the car! When I opened the door to let her out – Mewthos came to climb inside, instead! It took a bit of persuading to get them both out again!

Upstairs with all three cats, I close the door – but Ziva begs to go out again, so I let her out. After all, it isn’t even dark, yet. She comes home not too late. I give them a sachet – three happy kitties! Not for long, though. So I open a tin of pilchards for them – Mewly is a very hungry kitty! He is almost constantly begging for something from the treat-cupboard. And, at least for now, he isn’t turning his nose up at tin food. He wolves it down like there is a limited supply … only, he doesn’t clean out the bowl. He eats, but not large portions. Well, he is the biggest of my Mips! And it seems he still has quite a lot of growing ahead of him!

Well, I’ve gone through all photos, selected, cropped and re-sized them for uploading! Mippies want attention, so I’ll post and get to my Mippies!