Hi, it’s Tom again!

You remember me, the smart one. I know you were expecting Mac, but he is in Portland having chemo, and frankly, aren’t we all just a little bored with his trite commentary on cancer treatment. I mean, if you have heard Mac drone on once about radiation and chemotherapy, you’ve heard him drone on a hundred times. Let’s move onto something more interesting: me.

You all know that I am totally adorable. I was going to take a selfie, but you have no idea how tough it is to take a selfie when you don’t have opposable thumbs. And my arms are kind of short and stubby, so you’re just going to have to settle for a picture Mac took this morning. Yes, I’m having my morning coffee out of the Hamburg mug. And yes, I understand it seems a little un-American on the 4^th, but lets go back to the lack of opposable thumbs. I take what I can get.

Lately, I’ve tried hard to paint Max as something more pleasant than the second cousin of the devil, once removed. (Oh, and Satan sends his best and hopes you are all having a good day.) But this morning he had the audacity to jump up on the northern annex of Tommytown (technically, it is the kitchen counter), threaten me with injury and devour the last of my morning treat after forcing me to retreat to Tommytown proper. I’m sure you all share my outrage and will protest to the appropriate authority. I had hoped that with Auntie Beth visiting, Max would be on better behavior. But, alas, he seems unable to control his evil ways. If it weren’t for the meat hooks hanging from his front paws, I would teach that bad cat a lesson in manners. However, with discretion being the better part of valor, I give him a wide berth.

Frankly, I’m waiting for Aunt Jane, the enforcer to get here. She’ll put Max in his place!