THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS AND DOGS

I didn't write a blog last night because when I got in, Kenny's awesome parents asked us if we wanted to go to Carrabba's for dinner. See? The universe listens!

So after a wonderful meal, a couple glasses of wine, and catching up with Kenny and his Funky Bunch (doggie friends: Vinnie, Buddy, Sanchez, kitty friends: Harry Potter, and One-Eyed Willie), I went to sleep and it was awesome.

This morning however, has been, well, interesting, to say the very least.

Before I leave Kenny's house, I always do a head count, to make sure the entire Funky Bunch is present and accounted for. Well today, after unloading my car, I couldn't find Willie (he of the One Eye). I searched under, over, behind, everything in every room, he was nowhere. I shook the cat food and yelled "Willie! Who wants food?" The other four of the Bunch came running. No sign of the One-Eyed Wonder. My mind started working overtime, and I thought for sure he must have snuck out while I was unloading my car, even though I was super careful! Allow me to make this short: I called Kenny, told him one of his kids was MIA, I got in my car and drove all over Nashville shaking a huge tupperware container filled with Tender Vittles out my window and yelling "Willie! Who wants food kitty kitty!" while crying my fool head off.

Visions of my two-month sabbatical stated to form. Me driving around for two months looking for Kenny's cat who ran away on my watch. I could NOT believe this was happening.

After about an hour Kenny called. I could barely speak through my misery. I love this little kitty, and what if I couldn't find him? Kenny and I have been through soooo much together over the past 23 (?!?!?!?!?!) years, and we know each other very well. I know, not much is more important to him than animals, which is why he devotes his life to them (read: Saint). So when he called and asked if he should come home from work and help me look, I knew it would not be fun. Lovely as ever, he joked with me because he could tell I was beating myself up pretty badly, but I could hear it in his voice. Not. Good.

A couple minutes later his Scion whizzed past me on one of my passes through his neighborhood, and I followed him back to his house. He was already out of his car and in his house when I pulled in. I was dreading this more than anything. I still couldn't believe I had lost his cat, on my FIRST morning in town!

Then the door opened and he walked out holding Willie. "He was sitting on my window sill in my room. We'll laugh about this later."

The relief? I can't describe it.

I cried some more and Kenny hugged me while saying "I'm gonna have to kill you for this." I was fine with that, as long as Willie was safe. So I asked that frisky feline why he hid from me. He just looked at me and winked.

Well, he always winks. He only has one eye.