The Lap of Luxury

Folks, it’s done. Robbi, Matthew, Alden, Kato, and Iggy bundled into the van at an ungodly hour this morning armed with sun buns (thanks, bakery, my new neighbor!) and giant coolers of what I was told was meat. I was impressed at the family’s organization, patience, and fortitude in the face of DC traffic.  I left them at the airport to fend their way through security lines.  (With luck and binkies, they’ve since made it to LA, their first destination.)

I returned to the Barn to find, of all things, a clean work space!  Well, at least until I get to work…

Everything is in its proper place, ready for me to messify.

I was pleased, at least until I found a half-empty box of gummy bears.

Then I remembered that when it comes to gummy bears, the box is always half-full.  At least until I get hungry to work…

I decided to find the cats to let them know that a new era of attention and love would be bestowed upon them as long as I was around (and that it was in their best interest to help me stick around).  Lily insisted I get her best side, darling…

of which she has many. We’re BFFs now.  She tells me all the secrets of the Barn while I stroke her luxurious fur.

I had a moment of panic when I couldn’t find Oscar, who usually beats Lily to enthusiastic greetings.  I searched high and low among the pencils, behind the computer monitors, in the deep stacks of books.  Finally, I found him right where I least expected him:  in the shower.

Alaska!  Who needs Alaska when one has a Sodastream at one’s disposal!?

Robbi and Matthew thought they could distract me from its magnificence with this silly thing:

The joke’s on them.  It took a few tries (and six sheets of paper towels), but I got the Sodastream to work.  I’m guzzling as much fizzy water as I can in the next few weeks.

With two cats (that’s twice the blood pressure reduction), a comfy reclining chair, a foot massaging device, Netflix instawatch, air conditioning, gummy bears, a lava lamp (or two), and so many witty books at my disposal… well, I just hope they don’t expect me to actually get any work done.