Bap!

I think I inadvertently upset the balance of the force this morning. Vicky asked me to wake her up at 6:30, so when Eric's alarm went off, I knocked on her door and went back to bed instead of going downstairs to feed the furries. Ryan hopped up next to me to snuggle--I thought. I wasn't trying to doze. I was just lying there, looking at him, and then closing my eyes for a few minutes, opening them when he shifted and closing them again. Apparently something didn't seem right to him. He didn't relax like he usually does but stayed alert, looking at me funny, like he does when he stalks the light of a laser pointer. I had about a half second of warning before he popped me square in the left eye with his paw! I, of course, covered my eye with my and rolled away from him, yelling, "What did you hit me in the eye for?" Like I was really going to get an answer? If a cat could shrug, he would have, and he got up and chased Tess downstairs.

Of course, Eric was laughing hysterically. He did pull it together long enough to make sure I hadn't been clawed before shifting into full Tigger mode to irritate me as much as possible before heading off to work.

I'm just glad it didn't bruise. I'd have had a devil of a time convincing people I'd gotten a shiner from a twelve pound tabby.

GOP no-shows

The top four Republican presidential candidates opted out of the Values Voter debate last week. Now it appears they're all skipping the All American Presidential Forum--aimed at minority voters--next week. Apparently it's got party leaders a little antsy.

All four cite schedule conflicts, and you know that if they rearrange their schedules to fly in and back out for the debate, the Democrats are going to use the carbon footprint against them. What I'm wondering, though, is why they can't set up a big teleconference? For those who won't be in the immediate vicinity, why not just set up webcams and let them participate that way. Does it matter whether they are there in person, or on a TV screen? For that matter, why can't all the campaigning be done that way? Oh, right, because they're fund raising, too. They can't charge $500 a plate for rubber chicken if they aren't there in person, right?