Last night the cat that I think is up to about 25 pounds decided it was cuddle time. Stretched out, he's about the length of my legs. The couch is not exactly wide, so it was very close quarters. It was cool, however, so he provided extra warmth. Only problem: he snores. I'm sure it's because of his weight, but he definitely snores. Gently, but nevertheless snoring.

That's Fabian.

Lady (aka Bad Cat when she sneaks outside, which is every morning) likes to curl up in a nice little ball on one hip. She weighs maybe 7 or 8 pounds, so I barely notice her. When she is there CC frequently joins her on the couch on top of me. CC curls up on my feet. Do you know how hard it is to shift position even a little bit with cats all over you? These cats do not snore.

I can't imagine why I wake up so stiff--as though I hadn't moved all night.

Bad Cat, I learned from my neighbor, has been all around the neighborhood. She's been next door and to the house beyond that. She's been across the street. One day I heard the dogs barking, and I think they were telling her to get back in the yard! She's little and really cute the way she prances along with her tail high. She's a very shiny black and a spotless white. And, since she is escaping regularly, I have a collar on her with tags. I have no idea which animal the tags are for--she may be tagged as a male dog, but if a finder calls the number on the tags, they'll know the family. Bad Cat is also microchipped, but I haven't gotten around to adding that tag to the collection.

Right now her name is Lady and she is under the computer table right where I like to put my feet. CC is asleep on the papasan and Fabian is right in the middle of a fluffy throw rug.

I luppered at Arby's (late lunch, early supper) and continued the reading in the book about Middle East Mythology. It's very interesting and I'm getting about the right amount read each day. Too much and I don't absorb it well, too little and I lose track of the author's point.

Tomorrow is Mardi Gras. That means the TV will be solid parade coverage till afternoon. CBS had a nice piece on their news this evening, talking about how Katrina has tended to dominate float and costume themes, and implying that the celebration is good psychologically for New Orleanians. (Well duh.) They talked about how the T-shirts sold in the French Quarter put a humorous face on survivng the storm. (I bought an "I survived Katrina" shirt at Walgreen's for $5 last fall. I'll bet those Quarter shirts are a bunch more than $5.)

It also means that there will be no mail delilvery. The central sorting post office is in the middle of New Orleans. There flat out is no vehicular traffic that can get in and out of there except emergency vehicles. The cops monitoring the Quarter and parade routes use a lot of horses. They can see much better from on top of a horse, and if they have to get somewhere the horses can get there much more efficiently than a car. (No, they don't carry portable lights and sirens on the horses patrol!) When the party is over at midnight the streets of the quarter are cleared first by flank-to-flank mounted police, and then by patrol cars.

Wednesday is when things start to get back to normal. No more parades until St. Patrick's Day.

Laissez le bon temps roulez.