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What happened: I got up (rather late), dashed to buy plum wine and cookies for the party, said a quick online hello to the f.v.w., and taxied over to Penn Station. To my delight, Charlie (the cabbie who helped me move to Williamsburg) was on duty, still nonsmoking these many moons later; we reminisced en route to Lynn's place. Saw Lynn and Keith, and several other Challengers besides; caught up with my friend Rajesh, who helped found this; laughed a lot, and so forth. Contemplated Downtime on my way home, but sanity prevailed.
The part that mattered: When I left Farmingdale, I left my cat Nestle with Lynn and Jessica. She can't abide traveling (much like her owner); can't stand other cats, of which there are many on my floor; needs room to move, of which there is almost none at my current digs. So, I formally gave her to Lynn, when I said my goodbyes. By all reports, she's been a much more subdued cat since I left: lives her days in mortal terror of Gandalf, the large gray nightmare Jessica adopted; alternates her nights between nudging between Lynn and Jess, and prowling the area of the house where I used to stay. Miss her tremendously, even now; as soon as I got there, I sought her out. She wasn't about to make it that easy for me; located Gandalf with no problems, and the Baron von Stomach (real name: Aceron), but no sign of Herself. So, I sat at the top of the stairs, playing "bat the finger" with Gandalf; thankfully, he now grasps the concepts of an inhibited bite and retracted claws. Something moves in my peripheral vision; it's the Nestle Crunchmonster. I hold out a hand; she sniffs my fingers in her best "do I know you?" fashion; I wait. Finally, she walks over to me, nuzzling against my hand in time-honored fashion; soon, I've picked her up, and her head is rested on my shoulder. For the next half hour of the party, we sit there at the top of the stairs, her purring, me murmuring endearments into her fur, assuring her that I'm home, if only for a moment.
The part that mattered: When I left Farmingdale, I left my cat Nestle with Lynn and Jessica. She can't abide traveling (much like her owner); can't stand other cats, of which there are many on my floor; needs room to move, of which there is almost none at my current digs. So, I formally gave her to Lynn, when I said my goodbyes. By all reports, she's been a much more subdued cat since I left: lives her days in mortal terror of Gandalf, the large gray nightmare Jessica adopted; alternates her nights between nudging between Lynn and Jess, and prowling the area of the house where I used to stay. Miss her tremendously, even now; as soon as I got there, I sought her out. She wasn't about to make it that easy for me; located Gandalf with no problems, and the Baron von Stomach (real name: Aceron), but no sign of Herself. So, I sat at the top of the stairs, playing "bat the finger" with Gandalf; thankfully, he now grasps the concepts of an inhibited bite and retracted claws. Something moves in my peripheral vision; it's the Nestle Crunchmonster. I hold out a hand; she sniffs my fingers in her best "do I know you?" fashion; I wait. Finally, she walks over to me, nuzzling against my hand in time-honored fashion; soon, I've picked her up, and her head is rested on my shoulder. For the next half hour of the party, we sit there at the top of the stairs, her purring, me murmuring endearments into her fur, assuring her that I'm home, if only for a moment.
