Serpentine chomp

Libertarians are basically house-cats. Convinced of their fierce independence, but completely dependent on the system they don’t understand or appreciate.

Which, I think, might be a fair criticism. I certainly feel fiercely independent. Despite being heavily reliant on the system. It the defense of libertarians, the system would (likely) still exist without government (of which we are not a fan, obviously) and I think there is a misconception that we want to burn it all down and that everything helpful to society would simply cease to be without the overlords telling us what to do. I’m inclined to disagree.

Having said that I have just come back from the Vet with the a fore mentioned feline. She decided, in her libertarianism, to take on a reptile of the serpentine kind. I’d like to name names, but after the fact its nigh on impossible to determine type, unless you happen witness said incident. Got punctured under her chin. Still, she seems to be feeling quite cheerful, as she plonks herself down in my chair as I get up to get a refill. In fact, besides the abscess there is little indication that she was in any sort of altercation.

The wife is on the other-side of the mountain, so I take some pictures of the treatment to keep her abreast of developments. Apparently sending her a picture of the Vet sucking pus out of the cats chin does not allay her disquiet.

We had a Puff-adder in that the bottom of our garden yesterday. Which is a snake of the bad-tempered-not-to-be-bit-by sort. Not that I saw it, but our neighbor sent us a text mentioning its geographical orientation in relation to the children’s new Jungle-gym. Followed by a whole slew of fearful face emojis. (because that’s what we do now).

They’re city-slickers, so nature encroaching on them (or us on nature) is still something quite… eh… novel. Whereas we are now hardened veterans I chortle… eh… nervously. In any event, we send him the number of the local Snake-catcher. Which is probably an important number to have. He’s changed his Whatsapp profile picture, which I screenshot because it makes me smile.

I imagine we are simpatico. Except for the fact that he is wearing flip-flops and I was wearing slippers. And the fact that his snake is maybe one hundred times bigger than mine. And also waaaaay more poisonous. But other than that… we are clearly cut from the same cloth.

Ha ha ha.

‘Cats are quite resilient when it comes to snake bites’, the Vet says. ‘Unlike us, who starting falling apart pretty soon after, especially with a puffy’.

I bob my head in agreement. Even though I really have no idea… but I feel I would probably lie down and make a high pitched mewling noise if I was ever bitten by anything. Maybe he’s got me summed up quite nicely. I admonish myself, clearly I’m not projecting as well as I used to. The dad bod, the rounded (and defeated) shoulders that come with child rearing. The gray in my goatee. It all points to the waning trajectory of my life. Sad face… with tears emoji.

Cats are actually way harder than libertarians.

On the plus side… the earth, being what it is, and what it does means the sun is no longer setting behind the mountain, and is now heading back down over the ocean. Which means… sunsets are back. For me at least…

… which means I can start posting long exposures off my deck on instagram again and force my friends grudgingly to like them. There are still some perks to my continued existence he muses. (said in way a functional nihilist might).

In any event. I’m on cat watch for the rest of the day, making sure the swelling doesn’t increase to the point of hampering her breathing. In which case its back down to the veterinarian with my credit card.

Which is the real reason Cats are libertarian. No public health care.

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