When we got an office chair with the perfect fabric
For a scratching post anyway
We decided to offer up one piece of furniture
To the kittens
In trade for all the others.
They love their post that
Doubles as a pretty effective Chair
As well.Plus they really do have this thing for
Their paternal parent
Daddy
Who sits in the chair
When they're not
There.
It's an odd photo posting morning.
Finally.
So I had no other option but to move home to New Jersey from Washington - the one that has mountains, rainforest, Pacific and all. Family generously took me in when I'd used up all my liquid savings and could no longer sustain a household of my own. Thanks, one and all.
All my friends from school and life - I was a teacher - got together to put on a huge garage sale for me before I left. It helped me get some money together for the trip and whatnot, and I will always be grateful to - and amazed by - them. Beautifully organized as some teachers have that capacity, they made it possible for me to actually get out of there on time as I was already too sick to take care of business myself. It truly blew me away.
Two of my dear friends met me at the airport. Me and them and my cat, Jasmine met up in a lovely museum-like area. Continental tm does it up fine there. Jasmine (the cat) had been given a quarter sedative for the trip as she was always skittish from being dropped off by the side of the road 2-3 mo. old. That would do it to anyone, I think. She was on a long, exploratory lead and could therefore examine the airport displays while we all talked. She gradually got sleepier and sleepier, and eventually was lying in her underneath-plane-seat-sized carrier... just barely awake as I pet her with my 'lots of love.'
Ok - eventually my flight was coming soon, and there was no more of the avoiding goodbyes (for then) to dear friends and beautiful faces... I started walking to the security scanner gate at Sea/Tac Airport... concentrating as if to imprint the faces that gradually became smaller and smaller as I moved off.
I obliviously put the baggage and stuff on the conveyor belt for the x-ray... and waved enthusiastically at my dear ones.Next thing I know the conveyer belt comes to a screeching halt, what with the whirling yellow lights and the attendent yelling for his mates on other lines to come over and look, laughing and pointing at the screen.
I'm like, "What?" "What is going on here, I'd like to know!"Turns out I'd put my beloved cat through the machine. And then had to explain in sign language at an impossible distance to my friends how weird and apologetic I was. It must have looked an odd dance.
Then I skulked away. My Grand Bon Voyage.
You should know that Jasmine lived to the age of 16., 7 years past the incident.
I thought maybe it would make a good story some day. And maybe someday it will. I'm just glad to have written it down.