Every morning as I get ready to leave for work, I pet each of the cats and Reuben. I tell them all to have a good day and for Reuben to watch the house while I’m gone. I’ve always done this ever since I’ve had pets but even more so now that I’m at the cottage.
And then I realized. I think I’ve become a twisted version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
It dawned on me last week. I was thinking Leo really needs to get a job (my Siamese. He’s great at opening locked doors, getting into cabinets and starting up crap with the rest of the cats. If you know of a job opening, call me), I have these seven lives dependent on me with no tax credits, I have to do all the cooking and cleaning and they have personalities that fit each of the dwarf’s names. (Was that the longest run on sentence or what?)
I did leave to go live in a cottage by myself and while I won’t say it but I won’t stop you from saying it, some consider me the fairest of them all. I do sing a lot at home by myself and have been known to try to get them all to dance with me. Although I do like to wear dresses to work occasionally, I never wear a headband.
Living with these seven boys can be challenging. When Grumpy (Elliott Stabler) has had enough he’ll try to pick on Happy (Bernie) who just purrs and keeps on going. Then he’ll try to pick on Bashful (Too Shy) who runs and hides so Dopey (Reuben. He’s a lab) then chases everyone around. Doc (Leo), Sneezy (Geno) and Sleepy (Eddie) then get involved and it goes on and on and on.
Seriously I do interact with humans. And I do realize they’re my pets. I really do.
The worst is bed time. I bought a new mattress and box springs when I moved. It’s like sleeping on a cloud. Unfortunately, when I go to bed I have it to myself but that doesn’t last. I’ll wake up to a cat on my head, one on the pillow next to me, assorted ones at the end so I can’t move my legs – and one big 90# dog snoring in my face.
I sleep with lots of different men every night. And they’re all furry, shed too much and hog the bed. Not quite what I thought single life would be.
So while I do see similarities, and I really don’t believe in fairy tales, there is one big difference – I’m not waiting for a prince to come kiss me and make life perfect. I’m figuring out how to be happy all by myself. No one can do that for me.
But all these boys with me are making life much more interesting.
(You know they’re all waiting for her to fall asleep so they can jump in and hog the bed!)
The Nine Lives of Jan 