Omar's Diary to Saturday 21st February 2015

Ask me how my week went?

Thank you for asking and I must say that it was really not that good.

I was just rebalancing my emotional scales during Monday after they were given a serious knock when I did not receive any Valentine’s Day cards.  Things were looking quite good for a while as lady servant was working from home.

Man servant was suited, booted and away very early somewhere for the day.  With lady servant at home I had some extra quality time with her, including a late morning sachet of kibble.  This was followed by lunch and the usual evening feed as well.  All was so blissful until the dreaded suitcase was brought in from the garage.  My heart sank.  Were both going to be away again or just one of them and if so which one?  I do so hate it when lady servant goes away.  I watched her pack and my heart sank further.

Tuesday dawned and the servants were away very early.  Lady servant assured me that man servant would be back later that evening which indeed he was.  However, I was so upset about her being away I completely went off of my food that night.  I did recover my appetite on the Wednesday but I did give the man servant a bit of a run around.  I know that he was slightly stressed about getting a way to wherever he was going on Wednesday morning.  I made him offer me three, yes three, different types of food feigning a complete disinterest in two of them then settling for the third offering.

I have got him exactly where I want him and made him go through this ritual again on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.

Thursday night I was especially devilish as he made several offerings to me, all of which I rejected.  He harrumphed off to get his own supper ready leaving me looking disconsolately into my bowl.  Just as he sat down to eat I wandered down stairs, sat near him and whined pathetically to try and say that I had not been fed.  Would you believe it?  He ignored me completely.  The only time he did get up from his supper was not for me but to collect the free local paper that plopped through the letterbox.  How could that be?  A newspaper and a free one at that getting more reaction from man servant than I could muster.  I refused to sleep anywhere near him that night.

This is the one that he sent a letter to a couple of weeks ago, the Ringwood and Fordingbridge News. By the look on his face thee letter had been published; in full. He was given prime spot on the letters page between a small advertisement for a local undertakers on one side and another letter about dog pooh and traffic control.  I just do not understand how those two subjects are related and how ‘Mr Angry’ of Ringwood can link them in the same letter.  One letter, one subject is what I was told were proper etiquette.  No doubt it was the Government’s fault for the dog pooh and the local traffic problems.

Man servant’s letter, for those of you interested to read such things, is reproduced here in full:

Earlier this year one of your correspondents alluded to the failure of the European Union (EU) to take stronger action than diplomacy and sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine.  Presumably there was hope for some sort of military action as this appears to be the only other option available after diplomacy and sanctions have failed?

If the EU did have a principle of collective security similar to NATO; that is ‘Committed to the principle that an attack against one or several members is considered an attack against all’ that would be problematic.  It would be difficult, if not impossible, to create the political will within the EU to agree to such action because of the varying attitudes towards being involved in conflict so close to home. The political task would be made even more difficult as Ukraine is not a member of the EU. Ukraine is also not a full member of NATO and is therefore excluded from its principle of collective security described above.

This sounds like particularly rough justice in the international arena towards a region being brutalised on Europe’s borders.  What is the alternative?  A military response that starts as a show of strength which could, as the result of one nervous trigger finger, burst into a conflict between Russia and the rest after 70 years of peace between nations within Europe.  The cost of collective security might be too high.

A difficult choice to make between principle and practicality but I know which choice I would make.

There seems to be a sort of ceasefire holding in that region which is good.  Also, coverage on the news on the TV, radio and newspapers has slipped away from being headline news. 

Early this morning I was actually quite hurt by lady servant.  The main bedroom is my domain and one of the chavs dared to come into this hallowed room.  From full relaxed repose I sprung into full defensive mode as soon as I was aware of her presence, sprung off of the bed in attack mode and had the chav cornered.  We exchanged hisses, she cowered and then I raised my paw at her in the corner.  Lady servant intervened.  No room for diplomacy here as I was picked up and placed on the window sill as far away from the chav as possible.  Lady servant told me that I had been very bad picking on the poor chav and that I was behaving like the dictator of North Korea….Kim Jong Un and not like a civilised urbanised sophisticated cat. I even heard her make a reference to my weight as ‘being a little podgy’. How could she?  I know I might be carrying a little extra weight like ‘the great leader’ does.  And yes, my tail did have its own distinct haircut back when I had that abscess last year but that has all grown back normally.  Also, I would like to point out that I do not have an arsenal of nuclear weapons at my disposal like he does or eat copious quantities of Swiss cheese as he is rumoured to do causing his weight problems.

Lady servant did apologise to me later. I was reminded to mind my manners around the chavs as I must make them welcome as they were not happy in their old home and came to us as feline refugees.

What I do see of the headlines on TV, hear on the radio or manage to read on the few newspapers that do come into the house is very rarely good news.  But by earlier this evening man servant had his own private headlines of good news.  He actually scored today in his fantasy racing league.  So too did lady servant as well.  Man servant scored the lowest of the eight or nine he is competing against in the league but at least he scored.  Needless to say he is still last and getting further behind each day the game is run.  His spirits were lifted a bit more when he checked the football results and saw that Arsenal won putting them third in the premiership.  A place they will keep for a few days as their nearest rivals lost.

So far so good this weekend as there have been no suitcases brought in to the house to be packed.  It looks like I will be having both servants around for the whole week.  Hurrah!  Lots of kibble and lots of company to look forward to.