Hats Off to You

If Winston Churchill and Gandhi had had a love child (and don't think they didn't), that child would have been Grover. Grover has the best of both worlds: he is an aristocrat, a great leader, modest, educated, and motivated by the need for independence and freedom. He has managed to become a friend of all in our household, which is no easy task: the other two cats that live with him, Scootles and Cutie (peasant names), are complicated and prone to moodiness, and the two dogs, Lucky and Jenny (see the pattern?), have their own set of problems, namely barking and rolling in horse manure. Yet Grover sees past these physical barriers into something much closer to the truth: he sees in their hearts the same thing he sees in his: the desire to be loved. What makes Grover rise above the rest is his ability to attain this love. The others have yet to stop complaining long enough to seek it.

Grover with Scootles and Cutie, though notably not Scootles and Cutie together.

Grover's Playlist, Part 5: Love

If Grover knows anything, it's a thing or two about love. He knows of the many forms and the ways in which one might express them. These songs are some of his favorite musical interpretations of love, which he enjoys listening to with a glass of red wine in front of a warm fireplace.

Blitzen Trapper - Laughing Lover, a soft and light take on the friendly side of love.

Bonaparte - Computer in Love, a somewhat cynical beat with an electric tone.

The Gossip - Love Long Distance, a sassy explanation of a relationship-killer that I, Grover and my boyfriend all managed to elude.

Booka Shade - Bad Love, despite (or because of) the title a quite dancey and idyllic tune.

Phoenix - Love Like a Sunset, a barely vocal song leaking with intensity, advising you to love all day every day.

Oh the Humanity!

Grover has once again managed to exude his power without the use of violence or harsh words. After 9 months apart, he first refused to look me in the eyes and sat limply in my arms, causing a slight panic. But, after some dancing, petting and singing, he was back on his feet and in power mode. He expressed this by following me around like a secret agent. He fought against battered joints and bad eyes to scoot up and down stairs, heave up onto my bed, and appear aloof. Our friendship was without a doubt back in the "on" position. He picked up some human traits such as drinking out of mugs and indulging in conversation, and I picked up some (more) cat traits such as being covered in cat hair. All in all a success.

Time is of the Essence

I watched a TV Show about the Berlin Zoo today and my conclusion was that all of the animals, except maybe the black bears (they have the will and the means to rip things apart), would love Grover. The camels would let him ride on their backs and give him sloppy kisses, the anteater would hug him (they're big huggers), the rhinos would lick him, the crazy birds would make him one of their own, the monkeys would jump around with him under their arm, the penguins would follow him around with their beaks in the air, and the sea turtle would come up to the surface of the pond for chats. He would be a cat guru that would bring the animal kingdom together.