Me, Deadlines & Howard

Unfortunately, I was too busy preparing the upcoming Education Buzz: Life's a Carnival (which will be featured here on Wednesday) that I really didn't feel up to posting something. I was also exhausted from spending last week mired in the final newspaper deadline of the year.

And, yes, that all pretty much sucked the life right out of me.

Then there's the palatable panic setting in as we anticipate the arrival in a week of our 1,300 yearbooks.

I know you probably don't care about all of that. Instead, you are probably more concerned about Howard the Shelter Cat and how Howie is dealing with this end of the year madness.

Well, fear not, while I was smack dab in the midst of deadline disasters, my husband sent me this photo of Howie sitting in my reading chair taking a break from doing whatever it is cat's do…

Howie, Yearbook & Oprah

While I struggle to get Oprah to notice me and my book, Howard the Shelter Cat has developed his own fan club of sorts. Several people asked about Howard after he was absent from my last few posts. One reader even went so far as to say Howie was the best part of my posts.

Seriously? (You can just imagine what that did to my self of steam.) Mr. Howie the Fur Ball gets better reviews just because he's big and orange and purrs? 

If I thought it would get me on Oprah, I'd dye my hair orange and wear little blue soft paws. Hails bails, I might even throw in a purr or two.  

Don't get me wrong, I love Howard the Shelter Cat, but let's objectively examine Howie's contributions to society and the Richie household…

Howie the Gardener–Howard the Shelter Cat prunes the not-so-lucky bamboo plant (aptly named as it is Lucky Bamboo Plant Number 3) by chomping on its leaves. All of which means I probably will be in the market for Lucky Bamboo Plant Number 4 fairly soon.

Howie the Yogameister–Howard the Shelter Cat likes to assist my husband as he goes through his morning yoga stretches. Howie and all three dogs–the Golden Retriever, the Belgian Sheepdog and the German Shepherd–like to simultaneously do the down dog pose on the 24-inch-by-68-inch yoga mat with my husband. Talk about space issues.

Howie the Emergency Evacuation Planner–Howard the Shelter Cat likes to devise ways to keep my retired husband on his toes while I'm away at work. Things like popping out the second floor window screen to practice his "exit strategy" and to make my husband rescue him from the roof top.

Howie the Shredder–Howard the Shelter Cat likes to tear up paper. While any sort of paper is fair game, Howie seems especially fond of ripping up all things yearbook related.

Hmmm, perhaps, Howard the Shelter Cat does deserve his own fan club after all. 

We could call it the "Wowie Zowie Kowie Let's Hear It For Howie Fan Club."

With my luck, Howie will probably even get invited to meet Oprah.