Cat-sitting

One of the advantages of moving away from home is you escape the obligations of "payback" to your parents. You are not responsible for fixing their computer, picking mom up off the floor after she's fallen and can't get up, or watching your childhood pet while your parents are out of town. My brother has not yet realized that moving away would eliminate a myriad of hassles for him.

Key Players/Playas

Brother: My bro, who lives close to my parents.
Rentals: Ma and Pa, who were driving out to Ohio for a relative visit (hence the stop in Erie, PA).
Orange/Orange Cat/Okie: Our childhood cat (an orange tabby cat who never got named) that is the bane of my parents' (and here, my brother's) existence.
Tootsie: Uncle Tootsie is our mother's demented brother. He will be the subject of future postings.
Sophie and Alberta: Two wacky old women who lived a few houses down from our parents. Our mom always insisted they were just roommates and not lesbians. They had a really creepy house and yard.
Conky, Folks and Ear/Air: My bro's imaginary friends from childhood.
Pete: A neighborhood kid.
Shows: Rock concerts that my bro attends.


-----Original Message-----
From: Me
Sent: Friday, August 11, 2006 9:00 AM
To: Brother
Subject: The rentals are in Erie, PA
No problems so far, mom only pooped in her pants twice. Just kidding, there was no mention of any soilings. Yet.

Mike, mom and dad forgot to mention that Orange gets a tiny little taste of wet cat food every day, so if he seems especially out of sorts just give the fat pig a smidgen of wet food and that might shut him up. Otherwise, just pick him up and give him some lovin', then he'll run and hide for days.


------Original Message------
From: Brother
To: Me
Sent: Aug 11, 2006 9:06 AM
Subject: RE: The rentals are in Erie, PA
He hid upstairs all last night. My laundry took a few hours so I crashed there for the night. And drank all the beer (3 of them.) Orange was crying at the bottom of the stairs so I let him out before he got breakfast. If he's not there when I get home I guess he'll be spending the weekend outside.

He puked in the upstairs hallway last night and I stepped in it. I'm looking up recipes for cat stew.

-----Original Message-----
From: Me
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2006 3:51 PM
To: Brother
Subject: Re: The rentals are in Erie, PA

How did the weekend go with "Okie"? Remember when mom tried to get everyone to call him that and the only one who did was Tootsie?

-----Original Message-----
From: Brother
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2006 15:53:07
To: Me
Subject: RE: The rentals are in Erie, PA

Orange Cat has been in hiding. I let him out on Friday because he wouldn't stop crying and whenever I go back to let him in he runs away. Today I'm just going to leave the back door open for a while.

I really hate him.


-----Original Message-----
From: Me
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2006 3:57 PM
To: Brother
Subject: Re: The rentals are in Erie, PA

Oh man, you have at least seen him, right? I think that's why mom and dad said not to let him out - because he's cantankerous.

-----Original Message-----
From: Brother
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2006 16:02:28
To: Me
Subject: RE: The rentals are in Erie, PA

Yeah, I've seen him. And he is a brat. But he was also puking around the house so I figured it was only going to get worse if he didn't get out.

I'm gonna leave food out for him.

How I hate him.

-----Original Message-----
From: Me
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2006 4:13 PM
To: Brother
Subject: Re: The rentals are in Erie, PA

Wait...he's been gone since Friday morning and you haven't put food out for him yet?

-----Original Message-----
From: Brother
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2006 08:12:52
To: Me
Subject: RE: The rentals are in Erie, PA

So he kept coming back and eating food and then running away when I'd go to let him in. He hangs out in Sophie and Alberta's yard all day. I have Pete checking every few hours to see if he wants to be let in...

-----Original Message-----
From: Me
Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2006 8:43 AM
To: Brother
Subject: Re: The rentals are in Erie, PA

Who is Pete?

Maybe Orange is afraid of Conky, Folks and Ear.

-----Original Message-----
From: Brother
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2006 08:45:49
To: Me
Subject: RE: The rentals are in Erie, PA

It was Air, not Ear!

Pete's a neighborhood kid, lives in that yellow house next to Crawford's old house. I met him through shows first and then found out he lived a few houses down. He helped me move some stuff out and mom kept trying to give him old clothes and Snapple.

-----Original Message-----
From: Me
Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2006 8:56 AM
To: Brother
Subject: Re: The rentals are in Erie, PA
That's funny. It's raining here, I hope Okie isn't getting wet or he'll be even crankier!

-----Original Message-----
From: Brother
Date: Tue, Aug 15, 2006 at 9:01 AM
Subject: RE: The rentals are in Erie, PA
To: Me

Well if he's smart he'll be there when Pete goes on patrol or when I swing by after work. I gave him 5 hours last night... He's not getting nearly as much tonight.