Sweetly soaked pastel petals
Floated, removed from their spindly stems
Their tops bobbing briefly to the surface
Of her lukewarm bath from early this morning
She had asked for roses, but instead
Received rhododendron
Dull tones to match her skin
Sinking, the flower buds wait to be saved
While she stays at the bottom
Lifeless in a porcelain vase
I am constantly amused and, in most cases, distraught, at the way my cats behave at night.
I have probably mentioned several times that I have two cats. Florence is only a little over a year old, and Zooey just turned one year.
Cats are nocturnal, which is rather unfortunate for any human who wants to get a full nights sleep. Dubbed house-cats, they certainly have not lost their wild-animal behaviors. They go on the prowl, snoozing all day and stalking at night. The use their fangs and claws, to show they mean business, and they are always ready to save me from a dangerous ant or fly.
They nap a good 16-20 hours a day, sleeping in hidden locations so they cannot be seen by other predators (the vacuum and brush being a common threat).
Then, at night, the hunt begins.
To start, Florence will be napping in her usual 11 p.m. location, which is either one of our couches or under a desk. Zooey comes to wake her partner-in-crime up, typically by going into the kitchen to get a snack before their late-night escapades.
I can respect their sleeping schedules, now why can’t they reciprocate the favor? No worries, their cuteness makes me forget.
Upon hearing this, Florence wakes up, does some pre-romping yoga and will typically trot around until Zooey is done.
And, just when I think everything will be normal, just for once, they start.
They chase each other back and forth, from the front of the house to the back, clambering into anything that may have gotten in their way. They run up and down the stairs; thump thump thump thump THUMP and then launch themselves around the corner to do it again.
Then they roll around. Zooey will pounce on Florence, and Florence will lunge at her like two lions fighting for the last bit of zebra. As they tussle, toss and turn on the floor, they meow and hiss and growl–and then stop for a brief moment, just to lick each others fur out of their toes.
It’s all good fun, for them at least.
I’m glad they like playing together, but if they could understand human-talk, I would plead, “Do you have to do this at 12 a.m.?” I snuggle into my bed at somewhere around 1 a.m., hearing silence that I have been longing for. But then, Zooey decides to go to the “watering hole,” which in my house is either the leaky sink or the fish tank. This makes more noise, either the clanking of dishes in the sink or the glub glub glub of the fish tank filter being unplugged.
Zooey also picked up a wonderful habit, which includes leaping from a chair and latching onto our hanging basket plant. If I didn’t fear the safety of the plant and ceiling, I would say this Tarzan move is hilarious.
Although domesticated and living in the comforts of our little abode, I can say these felines will never truly lose their wild side. The question is, when will my lions ever let me have some rest?
It was day three today, and today was all about my attitude. I woke up this morning, and did some wake-up yoga poses (very simple stretches, really). I thought I was going to have a headache, but I believe the stretches helped scare it away. I made my Salada Citrus tea with antioxidants, and fixed up my day one breakfast consisting of a grapefruit and banana. I love banana’s when they are slightly overripe. All of the natural sugars come to the surface, and it just tastes a whole lot better than a not-so-ripe-banana. I drank some water with lemon wedges, and put on my running gear.
It has been awhile since I have gone on a run, so I made sure to stretch. I have many friends who dismiss stretching, and say “Oh, I don’t need to stretch.” Stop the madness! There are many people who say stretching doesn’t matter, but after many years of running, I have concluded that I personally, must stretch before and after a run. The benefits of stretching are the warming up of the muscles, decrease in injury, and it helps increase flexibilty. Plus I think it just feels good. Today I felt a lot of pain in my hamstrings, for no particular reason, and I found stretching made me feel much better. I even found less pain after I had run.
I have to have music on when I run. It helps me clear my mind, and an upbeat song always keeps me moving. While I have a taste for alternative music, I normally choose upbeat, sing-song-y pop songs to run to. Here is my playlist for today:
“Handclaps & Guitars”–Chiddy Bang
“Club Can’t Handle Me”–Flo Rida
“Good Feeling”–Flo Rida
“Moving in the Dark”–Neon Trees
“Everybody Talks”–Neon Trees
“Crank it Up”–David Guetta ft. Akon
“Tell Me a Lie”–One Direction (yes, I listen to One Direction)
I typically go for a mile, or two miles if I am feeling adventurous. In high school I was more of a sprinter than I was long distance, but I can maintain a steady pace and go for a mile without losing a lung. After my run, I stretched and cooled down.
When I washed up, I used Neutrogena’s Naturals Purifying Pore Scrub. I highly recommend this, especially when on a detox. This pore scrub has no harsh chemicals, and instead contains willowbark and jojoba beads. These strange items are good for the skin, and do not burn it like some other facial products will do. It is a really great scrub, and I always feel very clean after using it. On a detox, some studies recommend using natural facial and body cleansers. If you are using cleansers with high amounts of chemicals, you aren’t maximizing the decrease in toxins.
As for food, I had leftover brown rice with vegetables, and two kiwis for lunch. My mother informed me that the kiwi is another super food, it contains many vitamins, minerals, and it is so delicious! Kiwi’s are very easy to eat, just cut in half and scoop out with a spoon!
I also had a before work snack of a mango, strawberry, banana, orange and spinach leave smoothie! Complete with a bendy straw.
The straw definitely made it taste better!
At work, I snacked on carrot sticks, and had a baked sweet potato for part one of my dinner. When I came home, I whipped up some stir-fry, this time I added small chunks of celery. All of the other vegetables go nicely with this refreshing vegetable. I also added yellow peppers, because it’s important to have your bright colors each day.
At last the day winds down, and I sip on my Salada tea to relax. Today was all about attitude. I woke up with a positive attitude to get things done. I did yoga, and went for a run. I could have slept in until the cows came home, but instead I put a smile on my face and made the best of a beautiful day! Side note, I also did some belated spring cleaning! It all depends on your attitude. If you can think positively, you can do anything!
Moore with Madi 