The Cat, Coffee, and Coltrane

Editor's note: This is not your average ultra-liberal blog entry. It's of an entirely different nature. I have made only one similar blog entry.

Woke up this morning feeling sick. It actually started last night at work. Itchy throat led to runny nose led to cough by the time I got home. This morning: full-fledged stuffiness.

But that's OK, because I'm content this morning anyway.

I actually arose earlier than usual today, despite being up till 1:30 last night unwinding and programming my old phone book into my new phone. For some reason when Jenn got up to get ready for work, I just didn't feel like sleeping any more.

So I got up at 7:30 (3 hours earlier than usual) and put on John Coltrane. I've always been vaguely aware that I like jazz, but can't say I know anything else about it. But I'm trying to expand my musical mind, and recently acquired a few Jazz albums (I won't say how...) and thought it would be a good mood setter for a Monday. And I was right.

As Coltrane played and Jenn got ready for work, I got my coffee and prepared to read the 21st-centurty morning paper: SFGate. As I read Ray Ratto's Super Bowl analysis (I surprisingly spotted three errors, the copy editors must have been in a hurry or drunk from watching the game), our cat found her way to my lap. When I'm lap-topping on the couch, she goes into stealth mode, trying to find my lap before I notice what she's doing. It's weird.

I suddenly realized that it was an alliteration kind of day, and this morning was brought to me by the letter C: My Cat, my Computer, my Coffee, and Coltrane. Life is good.

The Cat seems to like jazz. She likes mellow music. As those who know me well know, Jenn and I are unusually enamored with our Cat, who shall henceforth be known as Nana. Jenn will be the first to tell you I take WAY too may pictures of her. But with digital, why not?

And this morning, with the soft sound of the saxophone as ambiance, she and I danced. Her cutest trick -- which I always show people when they meet her -- is to stand up on her hind legs, rising up to meet my hand when I pet her. After that we had a nice little "nuggle session," as Jenn likes to call it, while I drank my coffee and began this entry.

(The difference between casual animal likers and animal lovers is that animal lovers realize that animals can also love back)

Now, at 11:52 a.m., Nana has retired to afternoon resting place -- underneath the wool cover of a living room chair. But John Coltrane plays on, second time through the album.

A perfect morning, really. My head even feels quite a bit better. Too bad I still have to work eight hours tonight. Should I call in sick? It wouldn't be a lie.