What a way to start a day!
By ElicBxn
@ElicBxn (63594)
United States
February 1, 2011 4:18pm CST
About 3:30 this morning the cold front arrived. Blowing rain, high winds, you know, the whole nine yards!
I had a wind chime in the back that I just love, but since we put a window unit ac in the back window, the wind catcher is beating the heck out of the ac unit every time it blows. And it was doing a bang up job last night!
So, I got up to see if I were brave enough to go out and figure out a way to put a stop to it. But, with the wind and blowing rain, the answer was a decisive "NO!"
But my dog, Cujo, indicated he could stand going outside, so I let him out for a moment. That cured THAT desire! He was soon back inside. I added water to the water bowl, food to the food bowl and went back to bed, shutting the door behind me to keep the worst of the noise out.
The roomie got up about an hour later to go to the bathroom and said the kitchen was warm and find.
However, when she got up for the morning, she was surprised at how cold the kitchen had gotten, until she spotted the back door wide open!
Well, she ran outside, in her shorts and teeshirt that she sleeps in, and got a couple of cats back inside and got her shouts got me out of bed. Good thing, because when she shut the door, it was still locked! I unlocked it almost as soon as it was shut, but not before she discovered she was locked out.
I was wearing a night shirt and flip flops and stepped out to see if I could spot a cat. I was quickly driven back inside.
"I'm not dressed for this!" I said as I went past her.
"Neither am I," she replied.
I stepped into the bathroom, pulled on my jeans and put on my shoes and then grabbed my coat on my way back to the door. Oh, I wasn't as dressed as I might've wanted to be, but I was ready to brave going out and catching cats!
I got Ping and handed him off to her, and chased Pong around behind the sheds.
She went in and found a pair of long pants and her coat too, and when I came back around with Pong, she was saying she hadn't seen Timus and we expected Boo to be out.
About that time I spotted Timus, and after a little herding, the roomie lured him to her and caught him. I was chasing Boo by this time, and when she opened the door to put Timus in, out came Pong!
Knowing that Boo has all his teeth and Pong doesn't, I went after Pong again, caught him and gave him back to the roommate. Gabby had gotten out and Nef. I wasn't worried about Gabby, she knows to ask to come back inside, so I grabbed Nef and tossed him inside and OUT comes PONG - AGAIN!
There I go after Pong and the roomie caught Boo and tossed him inside, and I am coming around with Pong again, and as we get ready to go inside, out goes Boo!
I was about ready to say, the heck with him, but the roomie went out and caught him pretty easily.
A quick nose count came up with all but Gizmo, but he's a pro at hiding, and I think I saw him dash by a minute ago, he's not dumb, and he doesn't like cold.
So, all that before 7:30. What a way to start a day!
I hope your morning was less exciting!
Breakfast and hot tea warmed us up and the rest of the day went okay - how about you?
12 people like this
23 responses
@BarBaraPrz (47313)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
1 Feb 11
That's hilarious! 
It'd make for a great game show segment... how many cats can you catch in X minutes?
It'd make for a great game show segment... how many cats can you catch in X minutes?
4 people like this
@GardenGerty (160665)
• United States
1 Feb 11
I can see it as a part of an old fashioned comedy or variety show as well. Maybe Lucy and Ethel needing to catch the cats before Fred and Ricky come home.
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (47313)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
1 Feb 11
Definitely worthy of Lucy and Ethel.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
2 Feb 11
come to think of it, it might've made a good scene for them - the roomie refers to us as "The Golden Girls", 3 women sharing a house, all of us between 50 and 60. But even if the other roommate had been home, you can BET she wouldn't have stirred from her bed.
In fact, the roomie complained about it, but I said - having noticed at 3:30 she still wasn't home - that I didn't think she was back yet.
So, consider two of the Golden Girls trying to get cats back in the house... Not Bea Arthur, the other two, Bea would've said "to hell with them" and let them go... Normally the blind roomie would be the Bea Arthur character, but not this morning!
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160665)
• United States
1 Feb 11
Cold and windy here as well, but NOBODY, not even Princess wanted to go outside. Your story would be funny but I know you were cold. I walked out on the back porch to get something and it is a bit drifted. I got snow in my shoes and it took quite a while to get my feet warm. Funny, with all this wind I do not hear our wind chimes. I hope you got lots of warm tea in you.
4 people like this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
1 Feb 11
GOOD GRIEF, i think that was an awful way to start the days. As i have told u many times U & THOSE CATS!!
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
2 Feb 11
It wasn't fun, even if it was funny. I always wonder if anyone could see us, what would they think? THey probably couldn't see the cats, except as maybe spots of color, so they would be thinking? what are those crazy old fat ladies doing NOW?
2 people like this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
2 Feb 11
nOTHING LIKE KEEPING THE NEIGHBORS ENTERTAINED,LOL.
1 person likes this
@jahernandezrivas (11288)
• United States
1 Feb 11
Yes the front hit here too and it woke me up too blowing cold winds with ice, snow, rain and I got up yo watch the news and they said it felt like 3 degrees outside the ice stopped but it is a light snow and very very cold and the cats were tripping out when the ice was hitting the windows!! I got to stay home from work and so did my husband and I am not so sure of going in tomorrow because they said it might be solid ice since the temps are steadily falling!!! I don't like to miss work but better safe than sorry!! Right?
@jahernandezrivas (11288)
• United States
2 Feb 11
They said it was going to be worse tomorrow!! Ouch!!
1 person likes this
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
1 Feb 11
That's hilarious! Well done catching all those cats! And there's me thinking FloJo is a naughty girl trying to get over the wall sometimes. She hates the snow too cos she doesn't like getting her paws wet!
I hope it clears up soon my friend.
2 people like this
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
2 Feb 11
Yaaay! Snow! SnowSNOWsnowsnowyessnowpleasesnowpleeeeeze!!!
Did I mention I love snow? Wanna gather some & make snow cream? 
Maggiepie
“Vienes una tormente!” (A storm is coming!) ~ Prophetic warning to Sarah Connell ending the first ‘Terminator’ movie.2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
2 Feb 11
You are more than welcome to help catch cats the next time we have a mass escape!
All that was before I was supposed to even get UP! Talk about ruining my morning!
At least the roads were clear and I had no trouble getting to work...
I say no trouble, but the traffic was the PITS!
1 person likes this
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
2 Feb 11
Well...first the pets, then the pits. Sounds about par for the course in the Elic Zone...
Maggiepie
“Vienes una tormente!” (A storm is coming!) ~ Prophetic warning to Sarah Connell ending the first ‘Terminator’ movie.
Maggiepie
“Vienes una tormente!” (A storm is coming!) ~ Prophetic warning to Sarah Connell ending the first ‘Terminator’ movie.2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
2 Feb 11
we have a problem with the weather stripping, I suspect that it got inside the door and kept it from closing completely. Then after enough hard gusts of wind it blew open - and the great escape!
I don't really think it had been open too long or more cats would've ventured out.
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
11 Feb 11
Thank goodness there were two of you.
Around 5:00am I was awake and dozing and dreaming about the fact that I have not done the backup on my new computer yet...it's now over 7 months old. I was also dreaming that I had not yet saved all my photos in one place yet and thinking/dreaming I should get the best ones printed too.
Pickles woke me properly at just after 6:00am for his brekky and Lucy's too. That's when I get up and have coffee and my day begins.
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
11 Feb 11
I think it makes a copy of everything on your computer in case of worst case scenario (computer crash or bad, evil, rotten virus). I'm not really sure what it does but my laptop did not come with a recovery disk in case I need to format the computer.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
2 Feb 11
hi oh my day was about as usual.i am not a morning person and even two years of this still has not made me like it getting up while its dark outside at 6 am. like we are in the army lol we are retired people for G sakes not soldiers and we have breakfast supposedly at 8 am which translates into a quarter to eight by the time ths chubbo servers actually bring us food and drink lol.so I looked longingly at my bed but wanted to mylot so I did not do like I did the morning before, crawl back in bed and the fellow from housekeeping came in to make our bedds and vacuum just as I got upo here from breakfast..so I did not have to chase cats in freezing weather. lol lol lol.glas the rest of your day went okay.
of your day went okay.2 people like this
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
2 Feb 11
This is still funny, even though you told me about it in person this morning! Wotta Keystone Kops Komedy farce! Gotta love it!
I trust none of them feel like a return trip, having discovered how c-c-cold it is out there, ne?
G-g-g-global Wuh-warming. Ain't it fun! 
Maggiepie
“Vienes una tormente!” (A storm is coming!) ~ Prophetic warning to Sarah Connell ending the first ‘Terminator’ movie.@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
2 Feb 11
If not before she went out, I'm sure it crossed her mind afterward! Too funny. Of course, with Gabby, it could be anything...you never know.
Maggiepie
"There is no hater like one who has greatly loved." ~ John Steinbeck, novelist, Nobel laureate (1902-1968)
Too funny. Of course, with Gabby, it could be anything...you never know.
Maggiepie
"There is no hater like one who has greatly loved." ~ John Steinbeck, novelist, Nobel laureate (1902-1968)1 person likes this
@yoyo1198 (3641)
• United States
1 Feb 11
Hi, ElicBxn....That whole senario is just too funny but I'm sure you didn't think it funny at the time. I can just see the two of you chasing cats back and forth. You had a busy morning. I woke up to no power but it was caused by equipment failure instead of the storm. Where I am in Kentucky we are getting rain and wind and probably iced roads tonight. I do not envy those of you in the snow areas.
2 people like this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
2 Feb 11
this is one of those things that makes you so mad at the time, but is so funny when you think of it later. but i forgot where you live. if its that cold is there snow? because in ohio my cats would not try and make an escape when snow was on the ground and they wouldnt stay long either if it was raining. 
so im wondering why they'd want to go out in that cold. i was like you though. didnt like to let my cats get out. its something my kids learned early. @ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
2 Feb 11
I'm in TEXAS!!
This is the first SERIOUS cold we've had.
Yeah, we've dipped below freezing before, and had some windy cold days, but this was the first time it DIDN'T make it up to 40 at least during the day, barely peeked over freezing! And the sky cleared - you know what THAT means! Its going to be REALLY cold tonight!
1 person likes this
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
2 Feb 11
A sure sign of g-g-global warm-mum-ming!
Maggiepie
"There is no hater like one who has greatly loved." ~ John Steinbeck, novelist, Nobel laureate (1902-1968)
Maggiepie
"There is no hater like one who has greatly loved." ~ John Steinbeck, novelist, Nobel laureate (1902-1968)1 person likes this
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
2 Feb 11
It sounds like your morning had the makings of a sit-com. I am sure it wasn't funny at the time, but later you'll think it was hilarious!
I can relate though. My cats used to do that all the time. I don't know why, unless it was just cause they knew they weren't allowed out. The only one that went outside, wouldn't go out if it was cold or raining but if he had seen an open door, he would go out regardless.
It has been cold here also. A lot of the media from here went to Dallas for the Super Bowl and they are saying the weather there is worse than it is here.
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
2 Feb 11
Well, we weren't laughing at the time, but even then we could seen the funny side of it, at least until Pong's THIRD escape!
Yeah, I lived in Denton in 1977, when the Denton, Dallas, Ft Worth area had snow every week for a MONTH! Trust me, we have NO idea how to deal with snow, even a INCH grinds us to a halt!
So, the weather is worse because we aren't equipped to deal with it, sand is the ONLY thing they use down here on the roads!
And I wouldn't have posted it if I hadn't thought it hysterical by now! Of course, if we hadn't gotten all the cats it, it still wouldn't be funny...
Yeah, I lived in Denton in 1977, when the Denton, Dallas, Ft Worth area had snow every week for a MONTH! Trust me, we have NO idea how to deal with snow, even a INCH grinds us to a halt!
So, the weather is worse because we aren't equipped to deal with it, sand is the ONLY thing they use down here on the roads!
And I wouldn't have posted it if I hadn't thought it hysterical by now! Of course, if we hadn't gotten all the cats it, it still wouldn't be funny...3 people like this
@sswallace21 (1824)
• United States
2 Feb 11
OMG, Hope the rest of you day goes better. So far today, has been do I dare say, quite. Let me guess, Cujo is a small dog right.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
2 Feb 11
I take no blame for his name! The roomie's niece named him because as a tiny puppy, with his eyes not even open yet, he growled at her. She begged her grandparents to keep him and they did, then she never came to play with him. When the roomie's dad said he was going to "get rid of him" I said I'd take him. He's about 10 now and going white. Funny thing, tho, his mom was half Chihuahua and half Dachshund, his dad was half Basenji and half whatever, but Cujo is getting white hairs all over his body.
The rest of the day was pretty good
@sswallace21 (1824)
• United States
3 Feb 11
That's a funny mix. I have 2 dachshunds. 1 is a purbreed & the other one looks like she's mixed with a rottwiler. Now if that isn't a sight to see. Little tiny body with a big old head.
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
13 Feb 11
Oh Elic I can just imagine lol
I know I am a bit late here but I am so behind lol
But as you can see us Gaby's have a Brain lol
I am actually surprised that the Cats even went out in that Weather I know when I had my 4 they would not go out unless they really had to in the Winter no matter what the Weather
I am glad that you got them all back lol
@commanderxo (1494)
• Canada
2 Feb 11
WOW! What a morning.
Your animals are aptly named, for sure.
My guess is that Cujo saw what you were trying to do, and it was HE that opened the door, to check on the a.c.
cdrxo
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
2 Feb 11
no, Stupid, I mean Precious, is the dog that jumps at doors and we think she's opened the back door once, but this time she wasn't guilty, she was shut up in her room!
Pong and his brother, Ping, were just "throw away" names because we thought we were going to get them adopted, until the roomie got attached to Ping. Ping was already very attached to Pong and we couldn't bear to separate them. Well, the roomie may love Ping, but Ping AND Pong love me!
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
4 Feb 11
That sounds like a funny scene, running around catching escapees while the other ones get out again! I relate because I have two indoor cats that sometimes get out but my advantage is that I only have to catch two of them! It also sounds like you and the roomie had good team work going there...I hope that all the kitties are back inside now in the warmth. Glad the rest of your day was okay after that start! Good on you for caring enough to get them inside again!
1 person likes this
@sunshine37 (450)
• United States
2 Feb 11
Lord, and I thought my day started off bad. Well there is nothing like drama to get you going for the day. I hope the rest of your day is peaceful !
1 person likes this
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
3 Feb 11
Wow, you had a cold and active day. It has a lot of snow here too. I stayed in today. Stay warm and safe. Hopefully you have a warmer day tomorrow.
I, for one, would happily pass on any snow for the rest of my life!