Dawn Patrol: Anniversary Edition

On 22 July 1989, I first met +Katherine Derbyshire in person and took her to lunch in Boston, MA. 25 years later, on Monday we drove and ferried our way to San Juan Island for two nights. It was a nice getaway, and the feline overlords were looked after by our regular sitter, +Heather Waters of Fetch Pet Care Kirkland.

It was also nice that within an hour of getting home yesterday afternoon and handing out kitty treats, we had three cats visit the living room couch and snuggle us while we watched the end of the Mariners day game. It's nice to be loved.

Unfortunately, early this morning they repeatedly announced that they both love and rely on us. In no particular order, the following routine activities occurred before we got up:

• Someone loudly deposited a hairball at the top of the stairs. (Leading suspect: Penwiper)
• Someone jumped up to the exterior water dispenser in the refrigerator door, loudly knocking its metal tray to the wooden floor. (Leading suspect: Billy)
• Whitey offered meows of despair from downstairs.
• Penwiper growled from under the bed. Looking over the side, it was Whitey impinging on PW's personal space. (At least Whitey came upstairs on his own ...)
• Oscar cuddle time was declared shortly after 7 AM via a head butt to the the almost sleeping human, me. (I did cuddle, lest he start meowing.)
• Penwiper went on a tour of the window sill, which included walking behind the blinds and rattling them.
• Billy went on a tour of the dressers, poking at things and generally making noise.

All that was missing was Billy scratching at the bathroom door to be let in, and Whitey clawing his way up the headboard over Katherine to be feline death from above.

It's nice to be loved and relied on after you've been gone, but I wish they didn't remind us quite so early.