Thursday 23 February 2012

Just popping out!

By way of a digression:
A couple of weeks ago I suffered a slight injury to my body in Waitrose when I bent over to pick up a coin for someone who was accidentally chucking their money around. Silly me. I was wearing one of those wax jackets which has a sturdy zip. I was zipped up. I bent, the zip didn’t and something cracked in my chest. I thought it was my …. errrr ….. undergirding being a bit unforgiving, so even though it hurt I thought nothing more of it.

About ten days later I was getting a bit fed up with the clicking and cracking in my ribs, so went to the doctor. “Hmmmm?” he said. “Ahhhh?” I said. He had a bit of poke and apparently I said ‘ouch' in a certain way so that after he consulted Google he was able to make his diagnosis. (This is true).

“You have popped a costochondral.”
“Oh?”
“It’s ok, it’s popped back.”
“Oh!”

There followed a lengthy description, complete with diagrams from wiki, of what a costochondral was and its function within the human anatomy. I was grateful to him for the google based explanation. “How long before it gets better?” I asked.

“Well” he said, “As you get older you are not so elastic and things don’t bend so easily. It could take a while and it might pop again.”

“Ah!” I said.

“Yes, we used to strap people up with those sticky bandages but we don’t any more. Ideally if you could stop breathing for a couple of weeks, that would really help!”

“Hmmm! I’m not sure I could do that?”

“No, well, don’t breathe too deeply or make any sudden movements.”

“Ok.”

“Don’t worry, it happens to a lot of people; in fact I have the same problem here (points vaguely to his left shoulder). I fall down a lot for .. . errrr … technical reasons and I have one that keeps popping. I just give it a tug and it goes back. Do you need any pain killers?”

I left with some unanswered questions - “fall down …. technical reasons?” But have decided that in life there are some things it is better we don’t know!


It was lovely day today so I popped out for a walk

Sunday 19 February 2012

Sun puddle Sunday

There is nothing in this world as good as a Sunday morning stretch in a sun puddle :)

PS I am thinking of entering Austin in the Bendy Cat Olympics!

Thursday 16 February 2012

Versatility and Tagability!


Austin is beside himself with joy because he’s been awarded the Versatile Blogger award not once, not twice, but three times :)
Trust me he’s ecstatic!

It’s a bit like the Oscars. First time you are overjoyed and don’t know what to say. Second time you are overcome and don’t know what to say and so overreact and do a Kate Winslet for .. like … ever.  The third time you are overwhelmed and don’t know what to say so overcompensate by pretending you're far too busy to attend poxy award ceremonies, which is a bit of an overkill. One has a tendency to overdo!

“Austin, where are you?”
He’s over there!
But not over-impressed!
I’m afraid that’s as good as it gets! He’s having a bit of a day.
He’s not forgiven me for putting “Hug Me” on his Valentine’s card ;)
We will overlook!

The first Versatile Award we’ve already covered, but I just want to give a shout out and big thanks to Dominique from 4 Walls and a View and the guys over at The Tonks Tail for numbers two and three. Dominique is a writer and like me has M.E. She writes very eloquently about many things including how to live with chronic illness. Her positivity is a real encouragement.  The Tonks guys make me laugh, especially their comments to each other and on my blog. Very astute! :) If you haven’t already, please go visit these two blogs.

We have also been tagged. I know this has been doing the rounds of the blogosphere and we’ve been ducking and diving for a while now, but hey! We’ve finally been hit.  Ouch! I thank you Haopee. Austin thanks you:
Overwrought!

Moving on. We have now got to answer some questions about ourselves. First Austin (who has been bribed with a week without cuddles) and then me:

1. Describe yourself in 7 words:
Austin: I have no need to describe myself
Me: ironic, laconic, sardonic, obscuronic, anachronic, oxymoronic, CATatonic

2. What keeps you up at night?
Austin: My human
Me: My cat

3. Who would you like to be?
Austin: Me
Me: Austin

4. What are you wearing right now?
Austin: A scowl
Me: A bemused expression

5. What scares you?
Austin: Loud humans
Me: Loud cats

6. The best and worst of blogging?
Austin: There’s a best? Darned pawparazzi!
Me: Best - Meeting lots of lovely people from the blogosphere. Worst - Not actually meeting all the lovely people from the blogosphere.

7. Last website you've visited?
Austin: I walked through a web site this morning at 6.05 a.m. The spider was none too happy :)))
Me: Google, to check how to spell paparazzi

8. One thing you'd change about yourself?
Austin: My human
Me: My cat ;)

9. Slankets or no?
Austin: Hahahaha! Only if it is Comfort™ infused!
Me: Isn’t that a typo?

10. Tell us something about the dog or person that tagged you:
Austin: Over to you …..
Me: Austin isn’t too keen on dogs so it’s up to me. Haopee lives somewhere over towards the east of the blogosphere I believe, and is an advocate for dogs of all shapes and sizes. She loves them and they obviously love her :) And she has a great sense of fun!!!!

Now we are supposed to pick a specified number of blogs/bloggers to tag and they must do the same thing. Hmmmm? Just going to pick some of the many blogs I like. If you’ve done it before, fine. If you don’t want to do it, fine!

Thursday 9 February 2012

In which Austin finally makes himself clear

I love Pooh and all things Milne. It must be my inner child. I have a particular fondness for Binker who features (albeit invisibly) in Now we are Six. 


So here follows a pome writ in the style of Milne but which, of course, features Austin as the central character. It sums up our relationship really. He’s the boss! >^,,^<

As you know:-

I like to cuddle Austin, but he's never really keen.
In fact he can be hissy-like, and scratch, and get quite mean.
However, when he snuggles down all comfy in my lap,
He turns into Mr Greeable - a very different chap!

Because:-

A snuggle and a cuddle are not the same, you see.
A cuddle's not a snuggle as it brings indignity.
A snuggle is the cuddle that Austin gives to me.
And you can't beat that.


So:-

On a day when it is cold and wet, the weather's really dull,
And the only creature out in it is Hugh the Herring Gull.
Austin sidles up to me and jumps into my lap,
Making sure I understand he means to snug and have a nap.

Because:-

A snuggle and a cuddle are not the same, you see.
A cuddle's not a snuggle as it brings indignity.
A snuggle is the cuddle that Austin gives to me.
And I can't miss that.


Then:-

Sometimes when I am feeling blue and nothing seems to cheer,
A little furry feline friend helps wipe away my tear.
He bonks his head against my hand then looks me in the eye,
and says things will get better when he snuggles by and by.

Because:-

A snuggle and a cuddle are not the same, you see.
A cuddle's not a snuggle as it brings indignity.
A snuggle is the cuddle that Austin gives to me.
And I don't doubt that.


So:-

If you're still in any doubt about the difference 'tween the two,
You've clearly not met Austin (also known as Mr Poo).
At the moment he is dreaming while he's leaning 'gainst my leg
That he will avoid the cuddle that he's certain is ahead.

 Because:-

A snuggle and a cuddle are not the same, you see.
A cuddle's not a snuggle as it brings indignity.
A snuggle is the cuddle that Austin gives to me.
And he does love that.


So:-

When all is said, and chores are done, at the end of every day,
Young Austin likes to dance around, jump up and down and play.
But when he's finished doing that and wants to rest his head,
He snuggles, but is not cuddled, as we lay upon the bed.

Because:-

A snuggle and a cuddle are not the same, you see.
A cuddle's not a snuggle as it brings indignity.
A snuggle is the cuddle that Austin gives to me.
AND WE ALL LOVE THAT!

Monday 6 February 2012

Austin pings his pong!

"Excuse me Austin, what are you looking for?"
Don’t interrupt me now!
 I suppose it could be up here?
...or down here?
 ...or up there?
 …or back there?
...waaayyyyy back….
… what’s over there?
 Hey! I’ve found that dead mouse from 2 years ago!!!

Ahem!!!
Oh! 
There you are!!!
 
 Where have you been???
You went off without saying a word. 
I was really worried about you!
 ..in fact I am so upset...
…I can hardly bear to look at you!
I’m sorry Ping, it’s not you, it’s me.
I need some time, ok?

Wednesday 1 February 2012

Ill-iteration!

I wanted a really good shot of the whiskers - because I could do one of those alliterative things; it being Wednesday and all!!

But he’d rather have a tummy tickle; and I missed Tuesday!


Austin’s illiterate about alliterate ;)