I Bow Before The New World Order

Sheep are generally known as somewhat peaceful creatures. Rarely does one hear of rabid sheep attacks. When a local convenience store is robbed, the police do not immediately head over to the nearest pasture in order to begin questioning woolly suspects. Sheep are like the hippies of the animal kingdom. They don't start trouble.

Thus, it is not surprising that I, your humble Sheepish Blogger, has accepted her new subservient position in the house. My only redeeming quality is that I have thumbs. This affords me the opportunity to open cans and grasp strings for wiggling and general entertainment of certain felines.

I also could grasp a pen which allowed me to finish college and get a job so I could support them in the style to which they have become accustomed.

I woke up this morning with two thoughts. The first being: Boy, I really ought to get to work on that sleeve. The second was: But I probably won't because I am so completely enamoured of this wool that I dyed last weekend and just want to spin like a dervish.

Desdemona did not agree. She is wholly consumed with the need for responsible behavior. And she took it upon her furry self to make sure that I did the right thing.

Not on my watch, Missy!!! You just get back over there and knit. And bring me some catnip, posthaste. I wish for some amusement!

So, I knit. There is really no sense trying to move a cat who does not wish to be moved. It never goes well in the long run. Sure...I'm bigger and have the thumbs and all. But there will be retribution. I hate the retribution. It is usually somewhat subtle and cleverly designed to drive me utterly mad. It is easier to comply with the wishes of the overlord.

I didn't finish the sleeve, though. I have a cold. I have been on the slow and snotty side today and not inclined to do much of anything besides sneeze. While I am fully aware of the difference between a kitty cold and a human person cold, I have to wonder just how much of The Big, Fluffy Kitty's sneezing issues last weekend had to do with this. She spent much of last weekend with the snufflies and would not hide under the bed like any other normal cat might do when ill. No. She needed the comforting throughout her ordeal and I was the beneficiary of many a kitty sneeze right in my face. I know, I know...you can't catch a kitty cold. But I have a cold now and am in the middle of a hostile takeover by my cats. You can see where I might be suspicious.

So here's where I'm at: Sleeve #2 is about half complete. Both sweater fronts have been hemmed. (although why I have to hem them before putting the sweater together, I do not know. But it seems that I do...) When the Smaller, Less Fluffy Kitty took a litter break, I snuck over to the wheel and spun up about half a bobbin. As there has been nothing in the way of payback for this mutiny, I can only assume that my progress on the sleeve was considered worthy by Her Grace.

And I took a nap. The Big, Fluffy Kitty monitored this event closely and seemed to approve. Until I tried to get up, then she leaped upon my tummy with her gi-normous, "I Can Walk On Water" double paws thus pinning me helplessly for another twenty minutes. For the first ten, I could only gasp and try to regain my breath.

Tonight's festivities have yet to be submitted for approval by the CEOs here at Casa De Sheepie. I have drafted a proposal which outlines my desire to pursue more of the spinning and knitting interrupted by brief periods of sneezing and curling up under the afghan. I'm crossing my fingers for a speedy paws up on this one.

Before I sign off to see how all that's going, I'd like to say, "Thanx" to those of you who offered support or suggestions with regard to my recent questions about copyrights. This is an odd situation where I really can't (or won't) go into details regarding the relationship between my office and the head office. The boundaries around ownership of the material I wrote are less than clear. I have found myself in the position of working well outside the parameters of my job description for the past year. Since no one ever thought that we would be writing curriculum, no one thought ahead to questions around who would own what. To further muddy the issue, had the pieces I contributed been research-based, there would really be no question in my mind with regard to my wanting to retain ownership. I wouldn't care. But these articles were based on my own work and observations and are the result of almost twenty years of experience. I'll keep thinking on this one and do a little more research. Meanwhile, the input was most helpful!

And now, my supervisors are making their needs for chin scratching and tummy rubbing known. Must keep the bosses happy!

SA