Cats and engineers

[Trab]

[TracyMN]

So this is what i've been missing with dial-up. How could I have known?

I like the cat yodeling, but i'd need valium before i'd hold Lucky that close to my face.

If it would work with me laying down, trying to sleep, I wouldn't need anything.

I've used that feet kicking thing on my siblings, but not since they got their own apts.

Thanks Trab. BTW, how many cats do you have? Or maybe it's engineers in your household...

T.

[Trab]

No engineers, but having Asperger's Syndrome I may be very near to that in my personality.

I don't technically have any cats in my household, but deal with all the neighborhood cats on an affectionate basis. Not knowing their names, I call them by their primary coloration (how engineering of me)

Calico: eats here, sleeps here, can make me let her in and out of the house with under a 2 minute delay, drinks water only out of the running tap and refuses to turn it off herself.

Goldie: eats on the back porch, can't stand being picked up for more than 30 seconds, sleeps mostly on a patio chair with deep pillows but also sits in the sun like one of those temple guard cats you sometimes see in photos of oriental yesteryear.

Gray: loves to tease Calico and Goldie by coming over. Super smart and can mimic all sounds and actions of the previous two so that I'll jump up and 'serve' her. Eats little, loves riding around the house in my folded arms, and then goes home to my backdoor neighbor.

Pinky: Looks almost like Goldie, but with a light pink tinge. Eats here when he thinks nobody can see him, very shy and runs if the door opens unexpectedly, but will stay if opened slowly. Can never touch him. He will sit and look in the patio door window at me, as long as I don't look at him.

Judith's Cat: (okay, this is not a color, but I don't know what color to call it) Stays 100% in Judith's house (across the street neighbor) but if I come over there, he is on my shoulders in a flash. A 12 year old Himalayan, he drools like he has no control at all, and love bites me like I'm going to have an affair with him. I'm not sure, but he might just be gay. Anyway, he is adorable and has no trouble with Judith's 4 dogs, and frolics with them without shame. I have to carefully peel him loose as he'll take skin with him if I'm not careful; he really loves me.

My other backdoor neighbor (we had never met) met me one day at the post office, and said, with a rather nasty tone and look, "Oh, you're the guy who feeds all the stray cats in the neighborhood." "No," I assured him, "I only feed and love the cats that don't get enough love from their own people." Strangely enough, he didn't seem to like that answer, but I guess that as Goldie's official 'owner' he probably feels guilty.

[Cole Parker]

I love what you wrote, Trab. Great, great stuff.

A couple of questions: Can you interpret tones of voice, and, how did you know it was a nasty glance?

C

[Trab]

In this case I could guess it was nasty, mostly from the spittle that came out with the words, rather than tone, but I don't have all that much trouble with tones of voice, but rather, with visual expressions. I've taken some tests and I'm about 50% accurate (and thereby 50% inaccurate) in my estimation of whether someone is angry or happy based on visual expression. Contextually, I assumed he wasn't happy.

[TracyMN]

I found your reply absolutely delightful, Trab, thank you for it and for welcoming all cat-comers on their own terms. I traveled around for a couple years with a friend fresh out of broadcasting school (which means jobs in Williston, ND, and Craig, Co, where the hottest thing in radio is "Swap and Shop) and we met cats in every town. My favorite was "Chaz" who was black and white but otherwise fits your description of Goldie to a "T".

50% would best me most days, and by my estimate, at least that many don't know themselves what they're feeling.

Electronically, you're a darling.

Tracy

p.s. ignore that groaning, they're just jealous

[Tanuki Racoon]

Loved your retort.

[TracyMN]

There goes a good nights sleep, Trevor.