The question facing me lately is this: with things going so well in CA and a seemingly unending series of new opportunities presenting to me here
how do I justify my continued longing for New Orleans?
At the risk of being perceived as ungrateful, here's my latest peeve about CA (compared to New Orleans):
People and their pets. I am house-and-animal-sitting for some new friends. The detailed information sheet on how to care for the pets is a little bit funny to me--one cat is to be fed "a little less than a third cup" canned food and is not allowed outdoors while care is taken to prop the garage door open just wide enough to allow the other two cats 24/7 access to outdoors while preventing the dogs entrance to the garage (also known as Kitty Kingdom)--
but I was actually annoyed with the dogs this morning. These two large mixed breed animals are apparently most comfortable when hanging around indoors all day following a human around. They seemed utterly confused yesterday to find themselves outdoors alone after I fed them. It was a warm, beautiful day and, yet, they stood at the patio door morosely staring inside for hours.
I compare this with my experience in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast where lots of dogs never see the inside of a house. Some live their whole lives as "yard dogs," chained to a tree or doghouse. "For God sake! Go act like dogs...."
This morning it's about 57 degrees outside with a light mist hanging and one of these animals actually pawed the glass door and barked a "Let me in!" plea after gobbling down his morning rations.
I'm not taking a stand on anything here or launching a full tilt bitch session. Just identifying one more "sissy" characteristic of CA and missing my piano (still in the crowded living room of a former piano student who lives in New Orleans) this morning....
Well, isn't it NOLA is like "home" and CA is like "the place where you're working"? When I'm at work, I want to go home. I don't think it needs any justification.
ReplyDeleteI have prepared detailed cat-care instructions. Since my absence is major disruption of kitty's life (and I was just thinking about this today -- how sad Zoe will be when I'm gone to NOLA for ALA in June -- so many intersections!), I would like for some of the fixed aspects of her daily life to continue. Pets become accustomed to routine. Some pets are slaves to their routines. I don't have dogs, but I think dogs are especially wedded to routine, moreso than cats. Dogs can also come to think that they're people, too, and their "pack" mentality causes them to want to be with their "people" whoever they are. And since you're playing the part of "their people", they want to be with you.
People are pet-crazy everywhere - not just CA.