Wake Up Call

Morning Routine - Ed Bilodeau

Morning Routine - Ed Bilodeau

This morning I woke up twenty minutes before the alarm because someone was ringing my doorbell, insistently. My sleepy morning brain conjured all of these scenarios that included hand-delivered coffee, or flowers, or both, so I got out of bed and answered the door, only to find my neighbour’s father at the door, ringing the wrong bell.

He was picking her up for the airport, and she was not answering as he began pounding on the door to her apartment. It suddenly occurred to me that perhaps this man wasn’t her father at all. I went in my own place, and attempted to call her. Finally all of the noise woke her up. I hope she had packed the night before.

So here I am, up way earlier than I need to be. I like it though. With coffee, it will be perfect. I don’t feel rushed, and I like that I have time to write a few rambly thoughts here.

The raccoon is back too. He really likes that chair.

If you have never done so, I would encourage you to try writing down the first threads of conscious thought when you wake up in the morning. Don’t try to edit, just commit yourself to a page each day at first, and work your way up to three or more. This morning is illustrating how important it is to take some “me” time before facing the morning commute.

This morning has taught me a lesson in the importance of a morning routine, which admittedly has been frantic for me. How do other people first move into the waking world? Let me know!

My very old cat was diagnosed with diabetes this week. When I adopted him last summer, they thought he was 13. My vet thinks he’s quite a bit older, perhaps 17? I could start him on insulin, but it’s almost as much money as a rent payment to get that ball rolling. Not to mention the fact that I’d be giving a 90 year old cat needles every day. My other option is to keep him comfortable until he starts to experience pain. If he were a younger cat, the choice would be clear. I suppose now, I’m saying goodbye.

Toulouse is incredibly charming. A real lover-boy, with an alley cat air of elegance. He’s sensitive and tough, a great mouser, a good fighter, deeply affectionate, and highly perceptive of my moods. In some ways, over this last year (for that’s how long we’ve known each other) he’s come to feel like a familiar. When I adopted him, Animal Services said they were afraid he’d never find a home. I couldn’t believe we hadn’t found each other sooner.

So each day now, I feel really aware that it could be the last with the little guy. It’s bringing up all kinds of crazy “sense memories”. Is that the right term? When you experience the memory of feeling? I’ve been down this “terminal” road before, and it’s much easier it is to accept with a cat. A senior cat, at that. (No, I’m not trying to get Seussical here.)

He knows too. That’s the amazing part. He’s taken to curling up under the rack of Coquettes costumes in my bedroom and snoozing until he has me to sleep beside. He never used to be one for hiding, unless the dog was around. He’s also affectionate to the extreme. If I’m here, he needs to be on me or beside me at every second. I am indulging him everything right now.

If any of you have recommendations for incredible treats for felines, I’d love to hear them.

The weekend looks slow, and easy. I intend to relax, and take good care of my body, which was upset at me this week. Brunch, books, long walks, sunshine, coffee, girlfriends, rehearsal. This is my formula for self-preservation.

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5 Comments

  1. April 24, 2009 / 8:16 am

    I like your formula for self preservation. 🙂 Also, favourite new term I had never heard before; “Seussical” of or pertaining to Dr. Seuss in nature. Awesome. Positive thoughts for Toulouse. Yay early morning!

    I used to wake up early all the time and have a routine. I used to think my cats could tell time, because if I overslept 9:am breakfast time, I’d hear about it. Now I realize they think that when I get up, it’s time to eat. So now they’re both very upset, sitting very close to me, very impatiently while I sit at the ‘clickety clack swearing machine’.

    They do know when it’s afternoon snack time though. It’s always 8 hours later and if I miss it, I’m in more trouble than your neighbour is in with her dad. Nice of him to pick her up though.

    Off I go to my routine, which is not a routine at all but involves feeding the furries, makin coffee and checking tweets and gmails and fbooks til I gotta go. Routine. I do love the idea . . . thanks Catherine I’ll think about it and get back to you with a solid one.

  2. ulyssesred
    April 24, 2009 / 7:09 pm

    Suessical is now a word in my lexicon, first of all.

    I have a routine – everyone does – and once it is established, it’s near impossible to break free. And my two cats know it.
    The one, The Orange One, waits for me to go to bed and then climbs up, makes sure that I am lying down, and lays down between my legs (I sleep on my belly) and then he goes down. Every night for seven years. I don’t know what’ll happen to me when that stops.

    My two guys (The Orange One and The Fat One – I am not as creative as you) like salmon from the can the most. When I make a sandwich they crave it like hard candy.

    Good luck this weekend.

  3. ulyssesred
    April 24, 2009 / 7:09 pm

    Oh, and is that a generic pic or is that your Moleskin?

  4. Schnoo
    April 26, 2009 / 4:57 pm

    That is a generic pic, but I do have a Moleskin. I just loved the simple beauty of that paired with the obviously French take away cup of coffee.

  5. April 30, 2009 / 12:31 am

    Oh my bebe! What a great post. Sardines, perhaps? Local fish monger? (Well, not the monger himself/herself, but the fish they recommend!) Maybe some fresh catnip? That’d be heavenly. I know nothing about cats, but I imagine that those would be in the top ten at least…