With Stephen out of town, I've been spending most of my time with Clio. I've often wondered what it would be like to live like a house cat -- I once saw something from a Japanese blogger who followed his cat around for a few days and mimicked its gestures and actions* -- and this is the closest I suspect I'll get to that experience.
*I would not want to annoy Clio by doing this.
Each morning, we gauge the temperature and decide if it's worth going out.
There's a lot to see, even if it's not quite spring yet. But the light is more inviting and the temperatures are less exasperatingly frigid.
'I'm not sure what compelled me to jump on this narrow railing, but it makes me feel alive.' -- Clio
Otherwise, Clio likes to get frequently brushed.
To live with a cat is to appreciate small, habitual pleasures, which is good to think about whenever I'm inclined to judge myself by impossible and arbitrary standards of artistic, financial, and material success.
Clio's favorite thing is to be brushed. My favorite thing is [200 pages later].
Clio enjoys sticking her head through the bannisters when I walk down the stairs, so that I can reach through and scratch her ears.
She isn't exactly a 'lap cat' but sometimes she will deign to sit awkwardly on my arm.
Whenever anyone talks about species other than humans -- such as bacteria or whatever -- secretly ruling the world, I think about cats.
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