Once, Twice, Three Times … An Accident

The importance of paying attention

It started this morning. After I showered and dressed, I made the cats’ breakfast and poured a glass of cold chocolate milk for myself. I set the glass on the coffee table and went to make the beds. When I came back the glass of cold chocolate milk lay sideways on the coffee table, its content spilled all over the wood and lace runner.

I didn’t have to wonder who was responsible. Nic, our four-month-old kitten, has a fascination with glasses and cups. Whether it’s chocolate milk, water, Sprite, beer, juice, coffee, or tea, he wants to see, he wants to touch, he wants to sniff, he wants to taste. The latter we don’t allow of course.

I cleaned up the mess, berating myself for not paying attention. I know Nic’s fascination with glasses, so why had I left my glass unattended on the coffee table. Oh well, the answer was simple, I hadn’t had my morning coffee and without that fortification, I’m not firing on all four cylinders.

I poured myself another glass of chocolate milk and placed it on the dining room table. I went to put up the laundry, came back, and … the glass of chocolate milk lay on its side, part of the tablecloth soaked in brown liquid. What the … how was this possible? How had a little kitten like Nic managed to jump onto the dining room table?

This stunt of acrobatics on his part soon became clear. While I once again cleaned up the mess, he gave an encore of his skills. He jumped on the sofa, climbed onto the backrest, and from there launched himself onto the table.

“Bad kitty,” I told him. “Look what you’ve done.” He looked at me and cocked his head as if to say … bad kitty? I think I did well considering my size.

For the third time that morning, I poured myself another glass of chocolate milk and this time left it on the kitchen counter, safe in the knowledge that Nic can’t jump so high. I took a couple of sips and noticed that the carpet in the dining room was rather dusty. I went to get the vacuum cleaner, plugged the machine in an electric outlet over the kitchen counter, and set to work.

Suddenly I heard … tonk. I looked behind me and couldn’t believe my eyes … the glass of chocolate milk lay on its side on the kitchen counter. I tell you, my last nerve snapped. Now what had happened? This soon became clear. The electric cord of the vacuum cleaner had strained against the glass causing it to topple over.

I gave up. Forget chocolate milk, I was having coffee.