Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

A loyal citizen of the Republic of Upstairs

The heat of the last week has been intense in the Philadelphia area, and even with air conditioning, my second-floor office is noticeably warmer than the first floor. The first floor also has the better air conditioner, and it's such a stark difference it feels like two different climates.

The Gryphon and I have nicknamed the two regions Downstairslandia and The Republic of Upstairs.

Normally, both our kitty, Luke, and our doggie, Una, hang out with me. Recently, I've had some defections.

The Gryphon is between jobs right now (although he picked up some contract work today — yay!), and he spends the majority of his time downstairs, while I'm upstairs, working, writing, and doing other things on the computer.

Una has spent an increasing amount of time in Downstairslandia, relaxing on the tile floor of the dining room, an easy grin on her face. Meanwhile, Luke has retained his citizenship in the Republic of Upstairs, only visiting Downstairslandia for brief vacations.

After discussing the phenomenon, we agreed it was to our best interests to have an open border. After all, it's difficult to carry passports when you don't have pockets. The Gryphon and I also determined some other aspects of the two nations.

The primary industry of the Republic of Upstairs is tourism (from visiting dogs), and communications services. The primary industies of Downslandia: tourism, computer technology, and video games.

Primary imports of the Republic of Upstairs: all food products except for cat food, of which we have an abundant supply. The primary export is garbage. In Downstairslandia, the primary export is food, and the primary import, canine tourists.

The Republic of Upstairs has an advantage in retaining the cat population, since we provide all needs for cats, including food available in more than one location, a surplus of soft and smooth surfaces upon which to sleep, a window view, and the piece de resistance, a litter box.

However, dogs are not so easily enticed, and they tend to move to whichever room is coolest.

The primary currency for both The Republic of Upstairs and Downstairslandia is kisses (for people), and pats on the head, affectionate licks, or purring (for dogs and cats).

While the two nations have been co-existing peacefully, the leader of Downstairslandia is considering annexing the unpopulated territory of Basementia, a bold move which would nearly double his land mass. Since Basementia is a wasteland crowded with boxes and laundry machines, The Republic of Upstairs is unlikely to contest this move.

As I've mentioned previously, my Mom is looking for homes for some cats she's been feeding and providing with medical care, since she can no longer keep all of them. Today is the last one, and she's the youngest.

If you know anyone who might be interested, please let me know. These cats really need your help!

Name: Hopalong Cassidy
Age: 1 year
Spayed with all shots

Affectionate little Hopalong Cassidy earned her name from her playful, active nature. She is still very kittenish.

Copyright 2008 by Alyce Wilson

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