Tie a Bell to Him

This is a brief 15 minute window into my weekend.

• Realize you are missing your phone.
• Rush outside to your car.
• Search through car thoroughly for phone.
• Realize that phone never made it to the car.
• Head into the house to use husband's phone.
• See the good cat, Sophie, standing OUTSIDE.
• Yell at Sophie.
• Watch Sophie hurriedly rushed back inside.
• Realize that the door was left open while you thoroughly searched your car for the phone.
• Close door after Sophie goes back inside.
• Begin search for Howl.
• "HOWL" = the cat who makes good any left open door to take an adventure walk outside. Even if it's snowing. Or there's a tornado coming.
• Take keys out of pocket and jingle them while gently calling "Ho-owl".
• Look by outside bookshelf (a.k.a. the first spot Howl goes when he is outside).
• Look in the backyard (a.k.a. the second spot Howl goes when he is outside).
• Start to panic because you're not sure where to look since you never had to find a third spot.
• Suddenly remember that you once found Howl sitting calmly behind your back tire when you didn't even realize he was outside.
• Run around both cars without finding Howl.
• Glance up and down the street and in front of your house.
• Wonder if you should start to look up trees since cats are typically found up trees in movies.
• Spot a cat standing outside of your neighbors house in the bushes.
• Make sure that the cat is Howl since hearing two stories this weekend of people mistakenly picking up the wrong 'cat' sitting on their porch in the middle of the night.
• By 'cat' I mean one was actually a possom.
• Gently approach the cat while still jingling your car keys and calling "Ho-owl".
• Take a brief sigh of relief as Howl slowly approaches you.
• Try not to scream out as a car rushes by because this is the first time that you will actually see Howl get scared by something.
• Slowly walk up to Howl; pick him up.
• Again, making sure that it is Howl and not some neighbor's tailless cat.
• Berate him nicely that if he goes outside he will no longer be able to have cuddle time or play with his mice.
• Get inside house with Howl.
• Firmly lock door.
• Sigh.
• Collapse into bed.
• Remember that your phone problem has not been solved.