We have an elderly recliner sitting in the living room, next to the window. We got it from my church, actually. There used to be a convent there, but as has happened in many parishes, the nuns have disappeared and the parish is taking over the convent for other purposes. This recliner was in the convent and nobody else wanted it.

So Father Rich offered it to me.

I’m not sure what it says about me that a priest looks at a baby poop colored nun recliner and thinks, “Katrina! She would want this.”

It probably says that he knows that I am cheap and poor and appreciate a free recliner.

The window it sits next to is in the back of the apartment, and looks out over the backyard. In our street car suburb, we can see into at least part of most of the backyards of the block. There is a population of squirrels, cats, rabbits and other assorted rodentia that taunt Katie. An assortment of dogs are scattered around, including 3 asshole dogs across the alley who are owned by asshole old people who see nothing wrong with putting their dogs outside and letting them bark incessantly for hours on end.

In my book? Incessant barking is met with severe consequences. In fact, barking rarely gets to ‘incessant’.

Anyways.

The chair, the window.

Katie spends a lot of time on the chair. You know, watching TV, playing Mario Kart, scratching herself. Actually, that’s not true. She stands on the chair and looks out the window, at the rodentia, the dogs, cars driving by, nothing at all. She is constantly ON ALERT. Nothing happens back here without her knowledge.

As it happens, the nun chair is my preferred seat in the living room. She and I spend a lot of time on it, me sitting like a human, her perched across me, perfectly still save for an occasional grunt and the flick of her head back and forth as she takes notes of the neighborhood goings-on.

Since this is one of the few times that she is still, I let her do it. Still vs. pacing back and forth fretting over not knowing whats going on? Hm, I wonder which I’ll pick.

Since we’re both in the chair together, and she seems to be enjoying herself so much, sometimes I join her. We stare out the window together. It’s doggie bonding time.

And that’s why I haven’t updated my blog recently. Also, Mario Kart on the Wii.