If I didn't have cats.

I could be in Seattle right now.

The Texas branch of my company has a very large job in Seattle that they needed help with immediately. My boss thought Carole was still in Seattle so he came to me when Texas called looking for "a body" to assist them.

Daniel is there and it would have been absolutely wonderful to have dinner again at "Serious Pie". I still remember the pizza and that chocolate dessert and the fact that I found the place on the first try driving into Seattle all by myself when there was road destruction all around the restaurant.

But, Carole is no longer there. Texas wanted me to leave yesterday and hit the ground at 60 mph this morning. Well, calling me at 3 p.m. on a Monday does not give me much time to arrange my life and go. I would have been back on Saturday. There would have been overtime and a hotel near this road destruction project they are working on. It would have been nice to see Seattle again. It is a very lovely city and it would have been a fun time.

The problem is, I just can't up and leave with that little notice. Could I have relied on Pam to feed les chats with such short notice? "I 'might' be back on Saturday. Kthkbai." Am I too set in my ways to want a few days to make sure all the bills are paid and the paper stopped and my World of Warcraft guild prepared for several days without me? I don't have a lap top so my playing or even checking email would be interesting and probably non-existent.

Pam, who is our Wisconsin person and who has a husband and kids old enough they don't need sitters, was able to help out and is now in Seattle. That's great for her. She will make some good money and the office gets a small percentage of the fee. Plus, she gets to experience Seattle.

Monday night, I came home and wondered about just being able to drop it all and leave. I sat down in my settee in the living room. Mija demanded, very loudly, the treats I hand over when I come home. But then Pilchard, who was lounging on the cool concrete of the basement floor and refused to budge when I called her name, came upstairs and jumped into my lap and settled down. She looked up at me and, I swear, smiled. "It's good to have you home, mom."

I know it's frustrating for the Texas office when people can't just drop everything and help them out. Yet, sitting in my settee with the big black cat purring up a storm, I thought, I don't want to just drop everything and go. Even if I didn't have these two, I still want a couple of days to get whatever affairs I have in order. With these two, it's more important that I have the time to prepare to leave.

After all, if I'm going to be gone, I need to prepare myself to be without cat time. Wonder who misses whom more?

Beverage: Scottish Blend Tea

Deb