My Dinner Tale (or Tail)

This is a fun story...one I will never forget. I had decided earlier this evening that as part of my new weight loss plan, I would actually start to use my table for meals that are eaten at home. I've now lived by myself in this apartment for 1-1/2 years and can honestly say this is only the 2nd time I've used the table to dine, as opposed to using it as a catch-all! So...to further add to the ambience of my evening...I decided to light a couple of candles to help commemorate the occasion. I have my fabulous dinner (if I do say so myself) all prepared, have lit my candles and am sitting down to 'dig in'...everything is wonderful. Enter the cat.

Now, I should mention that much of my day was spent cleaning my apartment in preparation for a house guest next week. Said cleaning did not exclude the afore-mentioned (and courtesy of the season, especially clutter filled) catch-all, which had previously been my dining room table. At one point during the day, while wandering about cleaning here and there, I happened to notice my cat sitting on the table. Apparently this was quite the experience for her, and while it was not the first time she had been there, it was the first in a long time. Yes, she simply had little room to move with all the clutter atop. I chuckled as I caught her sitting and staring intently at the prints on my dining room wall...as if taking in this part of her small world for the very first time...and perhaps it was. I mention this not as part of the dinner story itself, but merely to call attention to my cat's newly discovered fascination with the table.

As I began to take nourishment, I glanced down at my cat who was sitting at my feet...preparing to make her launch. Mind you, my table isn't large...just a small, round 4-chair table...and it wasn't exactly completely cleared of the clutter...leaving little room for her to maneuver whilst competing with the dinnerware, candles and centerpiece. As she made her way across the table her tail moved to and fro, waving dangerously close to the flickering flame. Then, as she made her final turn in preparation of her descent to the chair...into the flame her tail did go. Since I saw this coming ahead of time...I immediately grabbed her blazing tail with my bare hand to snuff out the flames! She didn't seem to be much worse for the wear...I suppose it would be akin to lighting the very end of your hair on fire...completely dead. You should all be happy to know that she is now sleeping peacefully on the ottoman, none the wiser.

I, however, struggled to enjoy one of the few meals ever taken at my dining room table as my nose matched wits with the smell of burnt tail. Perhaps if I wouldn't have opted to dine on fish...the whole thing could have been avoided? I guess in this case, curiosity burned the cat!