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Rachael Herron

(R.H. Herron)

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O Sole Mio

December 12, 2007

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We at the Hehu household took our lives into our own hands last night. We did it for you, our loyal readers. We know that it is more important to amuse you with the Tiny Tiny Venetian Gondola Hat than it is to avoid bloodshed. Would that our world leaders understood the same.

In this game, which we’ve played before, all members must participate. This is sometimes harder than it looks. I’m sure you’re surprised by this information. Some participants, however, are not only willing, but look good doing it.

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Lala, looking rakish while attending the stir-fry.

There are days when Harriet, at approximately 112 people-years old, thinks that she would be better off living in Australia. Yesterday might have been one of them.

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Miss Idaho, however, carries it off with elan. A dash of panache. It was, after, made just for her (and sold off the Venetian tchochke carts by the handfuls for 4 euros each — why, oh, why didn’t we get two?)

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And it is just so impossible to take a picture of a black cat with a cell-phone camera that after three thousand attempts with Waylon, we never even attempted it with Willie. This is as good as it got:

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He was quite disappointed in us, I think. He likes fun, and while he got into the spirit of it at first, since WE were having so much fun, wearing a hat didn’t amuse him as much as it did us. Again, weird.

Adah of the Arctic, living on top of the fridge, though, she didn’t seem to mind that much. Equanimity, that’s what she’s after:

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She’s a California girl, though, all the way, and prefers the sombrero style, thank you very much.

Who are we missing? Oh, yes! Me!

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And my girl, Clara, who didn’t get it, even though she’s a border collie:

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Whiskey tango foxtrot.

However, and I can say this with no reservation, Digit had the most fun. That’s not what we thought might happen when we started. It didn’t go so well at first:

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This is when a sensible person gets out the bandages they are sure to need within seconds. Moves the phone closer, in case a call to 911 for an ambulance is necessary. We threw caution to the cold California winds, though.

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He is yelling at me. Of course.

But that’s where he surprised us. Big time. HE DIDN’T MIND THE HAT.

Let me say that again. He didn’t mind the hat. Was it perhaps because the chin elastic just felt like a collar, or because he wore that cone for 5 weeks earlier this year? That whole experience of getting lost for four months changed him. He is a new man (although still nice and jerk-ish, just like we like him). He just didn’t trip on the hat, which made it even funnier. Seriously, we were dying.

Here he was keeping an eye on the kittens playing below him, under the table. Can you imagine what they thought? Looking up at our grumpy gondolier?

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And then he just felt good. Sexy. He knew he looked sexy, and he worked it:

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Look at that smooth fellow. My little Venetian polpetta. Gads, we love him, don’t we?

Hat game! Hat game! You should play a hat game!

(Lala, enroute to work (sucka!) says that I should remind you that she’s playing this Friday night, and I believe it’s at the Starry Plough. Details HERE.)

Today I am off work and I will dye my hair in preparation for La’s Christmas work party tonight. When your wife is the web developer for Good Vibrations, you don’t really dread the work party, I find. Good times.

Posted by Rachael 18 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Teri S. says

    December 12, 2007 at 10:36 am

    Digit, wearing a hat and not shredding anyone. Will miracles never cease? And everyone in the Hehu household looks quite dashing, especially Lala. Have fun tonight!

    Reply
  2. carol says

    December 12, 2007 at 11:41 am

    Between the Hat Party at Hehu House and the 1977 JC Penny’s catalog pics (blog unknown) but worth a look; I have had a gut wrenching giggle fest all morning…I may be unemployed tomorrow…. but laughing all the way…keep the pics comming.

    Reply
  3. Christina says

    December 12, 2007 at 11:49 am

    The last photo totally looks like a come-on. “Oh, you like the hat? I think it would look better on your bedroom floor.”
    I love that you have so many aminals around.

    Reply
  4. PICAdrienne says

    December 12, 2007 at 12:34 pm

    Disgruntled would be a good word for the look on Digit’s face. I am surprised your blood supply was not lowered dramatically. My daughter MIGHT be able to get away with that on our cat. I would draw back a stump, and it would be bloody.
    Great pictures.

    Reply
  5. Judy H. says

    December 12, 2007 at 12:45 pm

    Ah, yes, the difficulty of photographing a black kitty. (Somehow, this doesn’t stop me from wanting more black kitties…) Love that Digit didn’t mind the hat–I think my favorite pic is the one of him yelling at you. It’s so Digit!

    Reply
  6. Anne says

    December 12, 2007 at 3:22 pm

    How did you know a little Digit was what was needed to make my day??

    Reply
  7. jodi says

    December 12, 2007 at 4:25 pm

    You and Lala should wear the hat to the Good Vibes party tonight. (Maybe nothing else. Just the hat. It IS Good Vibes, after all.) You can take turns. I betcha some folks would take your picture. Then, you could bring visuals of the hat game back for Clara, so that next time, she will know better what her wacky, hat- wielding humans want.
    Y’all are C-U-T-E cute!
    Muah.

    Reply
  8. Sil says

    December 12, 2007 at 6:44 pm

    You may have a touch of the 24 hour crazy…

    Reply
  9. janna says

    December 12, 2007 at 7:51 pm

    Digit is obviously a changed cat. It’s like being lost for 4 months made him realize that the weird things the humans do really aren’t all that bad….

    Reply
  10. Rabbitch says

    December 13, 2007 at 2:07 am

    There’s more fun going on at your house than at mine, dude. Can I come over?

    Reply
  11. avalynda says

    December 13, 2007 at 3:33 am

    i am awed and impressed by how well your furry folks withstood the hat. my own cat woulda sunk down to the ground, and backed up until she was under something.
    she didn’t mind the big, made-of-felt chicken hat, though. maybe i should try that one.
    those pictures cracked me up!

    Reply
  12. Lee Ann says

    December 13, 2007 at 6:30 am

    Man, my husband’s company doesn’t even invite the spouses. Chicken à la king and conga lines without one’s spouse are merely…well, chicken à la king and conga lines. Which don’t exactly top Spiff’s Good Times list. One free drink ticket is not enough to make hula girls at a computer consultant xmas party look like they wanted to be there, you know?

    Reply
  13. Jenny says

    December 13, 2007 at 7:02 am

    I totally clicked on the Good Vibrations link just now. At work. Thinking of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Not what I expected. (Hee!)
    GREAT cat pics, I love to dress mine up, too. Because they hate it…

    Reply
  14. Cellia says

    December 13, 2007 at 7:46 am

    Work it, Digit. Work it.

    Reply
  15. DeltaDawn says

    December 13, 2007 at 9:03 am

    Digit is the coolest cat in the world!
    Did you dye your hair? My experience before a work party (which is the perfect time to try a new box, right) was so horrible that I swore off dye altogether and am au naturel now. Hope yours worked!

    Reply
  16. brenda in toronto says

    December 13, 2007 at 11:42 am

    does a video of digit and the hat exist? riotous!!

    Reply
  17. alison says

    December 13, 2007 at 2:23 pm

    The thought that Digit kinda liked the hat and kept on wearing it is killing me here.
    And ooh! The Starry Plough (no smokin’ allowed)!

    Reply
  18. gaile says

    December 13, 2007 at 8:16 pm

    wait. no photo of Viking, she who is as big as a ship itself, in the hat!? We wanna see a siamese gondolier! heh heh (i’ve lived with siamese….i know the risks….i don’t blame you… 😉 But Digit! Digit is just adorable in the hat! Love him!!!!

    Reply

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