Saturday 9

 
Saturday 9: Good (1995)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song begins with a guy realizing he's home alone. Do you enjoy being all by yourself? Yes. It rejuvenates me.

2) He watches the sun throwing shadows on the floor. Which room in your home lets in the most sun? The living room with its big, west-facing windows.

3) He sings that he may write a letter to his ex. If you were inspired to send someone a handwritten message, do you have stationery or notecards on hand? What about first-class postage stamps? Yes. I like writing letters and sending cards. BTW, one of the things I like best about Downton Abbey is how everyone is always getting important news via handwritten letter.

4) This week's band, Better Than Ezra, got their start in Baton Rouge. All the members attended LSU and played their first gig at Murphy's, a bar near campus. When you were in your early 20's, where did you and your friends go to socialize? Monk's Pub on Lake and Wells under the el tracks. I'm glad it's still there and just as divey as ever, giving a new generation a place to misspend their hours after work.

   

5) While the band refuses to disclose the origin of their name, many assume the "Ezra" they refer to is poet Ezra Pound. Do you often read poetry? Nope.

6) In 1995, when this song was popular, Michael Jordan "unretired" and returned to the Chicago Bulls. Tell us about a decision you wish you could undo. Nothing big. I just wish I'd taken better care of my teeth years ago. I'd be a healthier, wealthier woman today.

7) Also in 1995, Phoebe Buffay first performed "Smelly Cat." Do you recall what show she sang on? Friends.

8) Legendary New York Yankee Mickey Mantle died in 1995. How is your team doing so far this young baseball season? For the first two weeks of the season, I was resigned to mediocrity. Then BAM! Pitchers came off the injured list and the bats woke up. And will you just look at this! We're in first place and have won 10 in a row! I love the Cubs win or lose, but I gotta admit, winning is better.

 

9) Random question: What's in your garage, besides your car (lawn tools, holiday decorations, old paint cans, etc.)? I don't have a garage, which is probably a good thing because I'm sure I would fill it with crap. I seem destined to clutter.

 

The tiny center of my universe

My cat Connie is only 6.5 lbs. Yet she has dominated everything this month. Making her well has been my sole focus.

She had surgery on April 2. Since she received stitches, she had to wear the cone, I couldn't let her roam around the condo when I wasn't watching. She could get stuck or slip out of it. Also, she had to stay very clean, and left to their own devices cats can slip into the dustiest part of the house you just can't reach. So when I wasn't home or was asleep, Connie was locked in the bathroom for her own safety. She's such a sweet, adaptable girl! She never cried. She just made do with her makeshift litter pan (a shirt box I lined with a small trash bag) and her water dish (a Lean Cuisine tray, because it was shallow and wide to accommodate her cone). I kept her carrier in my bathtub because cats like small spaces and I thought she might like go in there to sleep. I enjoyed our special "girl time" together before bed, when I'd slather on moisturizer, brush my teeth and put in my mouth guard. 

It was also in the bathroom that she got her meds. I squirted two different liquids down her throat – an antibiotic and a painkiller. Then I had to apply ointment to an area which was an assault to her dignity and mine. Yet she never resisted. I think on some level she trusted that I was trying to make her well.

On April 18, the vet finally removed the stitches and declared her well. No more meds! No more cone! No more time in solitary confinement in the bathroom! There was much rejoicing.

I'm grateful. Grateful that it wasn't more serious. Grateful that I had the resources to get her the medical attention she needed. Grateful to get my bathroom back! Grateful that she's well in time for me to go to the TCM Film Festival next week. Grateful that she is her sweet little self again.

Most of all, I'm grateful to be able to sleep soundly again. People with human children – how do they do it? Do they just reconcile themselves to worrying for 18 to 21 years?