Cat and Mouse

Throughout 2025 my cat, Abe, has taken it upon himself to “go hunting” and bring me his spoils. True story: One morning I awoke to the sound of chirping IN MY OWN BED and it was a tiny motionless bird that my cat had dragged in.

This morning I awoke to the sound of my cat cornering a mouse (or a rodent of some sort) in my shower. He managed to chase it into the clothing hamper. I then proceeded to lift the hamper and try and take the tiny mammal outside. Frightened, that was when the rat came SCURRYING UPWARD AND OUT of the hamper and up the side of a doorframe. Now my cat is in a standoff with the rat high above him, a rat frozen in fear. I am similarly frozen in fear and decided to do nothing and instead write a blog post while this situation plays itself out.

That’s a rat tail.

Life in Lockdown, The First Sunday

A dispatch from coronavirus social distancing, once in an indefinite series

Fortuitous that the family got me a kitten for my birthday because now I have a new lap buddy for all this time at home.

I have never before in my life eaten so much cheese. I stocked up before the store shelves went empty and now just working my way down through the stash, at rapid speed.

Matty absconded with the two older daughters earlier today and entertained them all day, so we were able to divide and conquer without cannibalizing one another.

The baby of the family, two-year-old Luna, learned how to use the Amazon Echo and has been making Alexa play her go-to jams of “Juice” by Lizzo, “Call Me Maybe” and some sort of “Say Cheese” kid song on repeat. I tried to get her into Radiohead and she indulged me for half of “High and Dry” before calling it quits.

Have been intimidated and would feel guilty about trying to go to Costco for one last run before these stores inevitably shut down, and am instead already bumming toilet paper rolls off my better prepared mom friends who can spare.

Update: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti just announced that LA is shutting down at midnight. Retail businesses, bars, clubs, gyms and fitness centers will all close until March 31, at least. Banks, grocers and pharmacies stay open. Restaurants will be available for takeout only.