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More power!
Apr. 11th, 2005 10:27 pmWe got up way too early this past Saturday and went to rent a pressure washer so we could get a year's worth of dirt off the house as well as stripping off any loose paint on the outside woodwork. It was an impressive piece of machinery with no subtlety whatsoever. While there was a lever that would theoretically let you modify the power of the blast, its levels were something along the lines of trickle - trickle - trickle a little more - FIRE HOSE! But it got the job done and in particular saved me hours of scraping peeling paint off of the porch ceiling.
I would like to state for the record that if a store charges you a "damage deposit" that you don't get back when returning the rented equipment undamaged, that's what's known as a fee.
Meanwhile, I let Sonya outdoors before we started the washer because I'm a cruel cat owner who deliberately exposes her cat to unpleasant outdoor experiences. My hope is that someday it will get her to shut up about wanting to go outside for two damn seconds. However, I hadn't reckoned with the catnip patch, which has been coming up nicely for a couple of weeks now. When the washer started its roaring, her nose was so blissfully ensconced in the catnip that she never noticed.
Sunday, I discovered what was traumatic enough to make all of the cats desperate to stay indoors though. I had gone into the backyard to do some painting and decided to let the cats out to enjoy the beautiful day. Well, there's a new family that moved in next door. They're quite nice, with several well-behaved small children. However, their presence has attracted yet more children from down the alley that runs in back of our house. So there were just scads of them running up and down the alley when one of them spotted the cats. I let them come in the yard and pet Olwen, who put up with it gracefully for a couple minutes before escaping as fast as she could. I prevented any of them from touching Bunter, who doesn't usually lash out immediately when cornered, but it's inevitable that eventually he'll try to fight his way out of a terrifying situation, whether it be small children bearing down on him or the horror of nail clipping time. And Sonya spotted the lot of them and immediately dived under the deck. Soon, all three cats were cowering in the house, not the least bit interested in going out where the small terrifying creatures might want to lay hands on them again.
Based on yesterday, I anticipate great fun when the baby comes home. I fully expect Bunter to spend the next two years under the couch.
I would like to state for the record that if a store charges you a "damage deposit" that you don't get back when returning the rented equipment undamaged, that's what's known as a fee.
Meanwhile, I let Sonya outdoors before we started the washer because I'm a cruel cat owner who deliberately exposes her cat to unpleasant outdoor experiences. My hope is that someday it will get her to shut up about wanting to go outside for two damn seconds. However, I hadn't reckoned with the catnip patch, which has been coming up nicely for a couple of weeks now. When the washer started its roaring, her nose was so blissfully ensconced in the catnip that she never noticed.
Sunday, I discovered what was traumatic enough to make all of the cats desperate to stay indoors though. I had gone into the backyard to do some painting and decided to let the cats out to enjoy the beautiful day. Well, there's a new family that moved in next door. They're quite nice, with several well-behaved small children. However, their presence has attracted yet more children from down the alley that runs in back of our house. So there were just scads of them running up and down the alley when one of them spotted the cats. I let them come in the yard and pet Olwen, who put up with it gracefully for a couple minutes before escaping as fast as she could. I prevented any of them from touching Bunter, who doesn't usually lash out immediately when cornered, but it's inevitable that eventually he'll try to fight his way out of a terrifying situation, whether it be small children bearing down on him or the horror of nail clipping time. And Sonya spotted the lot of them and immediately dived under the deck. Soon, all three cats were cowering in the house, not the least bit interested in going out where the small terrifying creatures might want to lay hands on them again.
Based on yesterday, I anticipate great fun when the baby comes home. I fully expect Bunter to spend the next two years under the couch.
