I want to be my cat

I know Iggy wants to be my dog, but right now I'd settle for being my cat.

Today I'm wrestling with product launches and the bloody VAT change (with my web goddess hat on). It's pretty stressful as all of it has to be done on Monday, and that's no time at all in web terms.

But where are the cats while I grind my teeth? Lounging on my office window sill in the winter sunshine. No stress, no hassle, dreaming of tuna no doubt. Looks idyllic from where I'm sitting at this desk right now.

Give me fur, paws, a tail and a mundane diet of pellets and more pellets. I can knead my paws on sleeping people at 5am. I can purr. I can wee/poo in a box, honest!

I wanna be a cat. Doesn't everybody?

Off to disturb their peace because I can,

Lucy

What a day

So far today has been crap. Here's what's up:

1) My car is broken. Smoke, grinding gears, odd noises - that's not good. The man with a van took it away. He's not the kind to suck his teeth and say 'it'll cost ya' but I could tell he was thinking it.

2) About an hour later I found a pile of cat sick in the kitchen. On the carpet, naturally. Why do it on the lino when you can make a stain somewhere?

3) We had a letter from the council telling us our Council Tax band has been "re-evaluated" and they're putting it up by two levels as of yesterday. Not one, but two.

This comes after a month full of bills, bills and more bills. Dr G reckons we should just pin money to ourselves and give it out to anyone who asks. I reckon a helicopter drop would be more effective and less painful.

I really need cheering up, preferably with some good news. Have you got any?
Lucy

Cold tea

I've got the hump.

I went through to the kitchen just now and what did I find? Yet another cold cup of UNTOUCHED milky tea. Much as I love Dr G, his habit of leaving my loving crafted cups of tea about the place gives me the hump. I can't help it.

Everyday, another cup un-drunk. Everyday, another scummy mug left unloved and unwanted somewhere in the house. Now I live on tea, only buy the best (Yorkshire Gold), and know how to make a decent cuppa.

This may sound petty, but I once heard of a couple who got divorced after 20 years because the husband never once leant over in the car to unlock his partner's door (in the days before automatic unlocking). I'm starting to take this personally as you can tell. He claims it's not, but being married, you're allowed to take slights where you find them. It keeps life interesting.

Maybe I'll ask for a kimono for xmas and start learning the Japanese Tea Ceremony. No-one could possibly leave tea after all that effort. Could they?

Hmmm, think I'll pop the kettle on,

Lucy

Page corner or bookmark?

I've always planned to fiddle while Rome burns (or credits get crunched, whichever is sooner). So today's burning question is: do you use bookmarks or turn over a page corner?

I ask because I'm am incapable of retaining a bookmark for longer than about 20 seconds. Case in point: the other night Gav found two in the bedside cabinets and handed them to me. Despite the fact I was reading and put one into the back of the book I was holding, by the time I went to put it down, the bookmark had disappeared. I suspect there is an alternative universe where the entire economy is fuelled by old bookmarks, odd socks and crumpled post-it notes.

I prefer to do that myself - not with libary books or borrowed books, I hasten to add - as you can't lose a page corner. And having worked in book publishing, I know how expendable books are so turning over the corner to mark your place is no big deal.

I know that turning the page corner can invoke rage in some people. It splits the reading nation. Don't even mention writing in books to people like this, you'll get locked in the cupboard under the stairs or made to do lines 'I will never ever write in another book again' - 1000 times by HAND.

But between us, and I won't tell anyone, which do you prefer?

Lucy