First: Confusion of boats caused by blog writer thinking about postal services – bottom line: it’s now announced that the Blue Star will be calling in this Friday and next Wednesday but not next Friday but next Sunday instead and it won’t be in on January 2nd but January 4th instead all due to holidays and if you want the Symi Tours announcement in Greek here it is:
Tα δρομολόγια του πλοίου Διαγορας 26/12 κ 02/01 δε θα εκτελεστούν λόγω των εορτών. Τα δρομολόγια αυτά θα αναπληρωθούν 28/12 κ 04/01 αντίστοιχα με επιστροφή από Ρόδο την επόμενη μέρα.Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες επικοινωνήστε με το πρακτορείο μας.
So, that’s all sorted out then. What else is going on? Well, the Alarm Cat has decided that as it is December it is far healthier to sleep outside during the day and evening than it is to sleep inside where it’s warm. He has spent the last couple of days on his terrace bench (as opposed to his downstairs-lobby bench which is more sheltered) curled up and dozing happily. Normally, at this time of year, he favours inside. He has no particular place inside, last week it was on top of Neil’s rucksack, last winter it was the spare (only) armchair, and before that it was on my trunk in the front room.
But in recent days he’s come in, in the morning, for first breakfast, then spent an hour at my feet by the heater before his second breakfast, then gone outside to see if there are any decent fights worth having, coming back in for third breakfast/elevenses and finally settling down on his terrace bench until lunchtime. He has this knack of knowing when we are just sitting down to eat and coming in and wanting to join the feasting. He sits right in front of me and stares up in a very annoying fashion, like a dog that’s been allowed to beg at the table. The only option is to escort him to his own table for second lunch and hope he goes outside straight after, otherwise my midday meal and TV viewing (currently the Inspector Linley Mysteries, gawd, she a moany old grump isn’t she?) is ruined.
And then, in recent days, he has taken himself back outside to enjoy the cold air and has curled up quite happily for the rest of the day. Sometimes he’s been back in for three rounds of afternoon tea and dinner at eight, followed by a couple of suppers (he’s a grazer is our Jack) and then quite happily taken himself off outside for the night. Having said all that, today he is still at my feet and we’ve only had two sittings of breakfast so far.
Yesterday he was walking with a pronounced limp form the leg he smashed up a few years ago. You don’t normally notice it but yesterday he ‘sure had a hitch in his giddyup’ as our Californian friend used to say. Seems better today. I suspect the cold air is playing it up, and a touch of rheumatism or arthritis has set in, he is nearly 12 after all.
So, that’s’ the AC news for the time being. He’s fit and well otherwise, his black patches on his nose and ears come and go, but nothing has developed too far as yet. He’s still as fat as ever due to the fact that he used to body-build and now it’s all gone to flab, and he’s still moulting despite the fact it’s winter. He’s bought Neil a Christmas present which has arrived and been wrapped, and is waiting for a couple of small gifts he ordered for Harry and Sam who feed him while he is away.
And that is enough cat nonsense for one day, I have things to think about writing, housework to do and probably need to quickly go and shop for cat food between Jack-meals.
