(no subject)

Our boys tend to disagree, about most things in fact, though not about when dinner should be. (The answer? Now.) One idea they're completely at odds about is Outside. Not whether they should be there (The answer? Yes.) but which Outside they want to go to. Mac likes the back yard, and has become quite adept at leaping past us through the back door. When I need to go out, slowly with my walker, I need to put him in the other side of the house with the door closed, because otherwise there's no way I could keep him inside. Barry doesn't have much interest in the back, though once when a guest left the door open he was happy to stroll outside. He made an immediate turn and started up the sidewalk to the front yard, though.

Barry likes the front yard and the front door, though he's nowhere near as aggressive about it as Mac is. In fact, he's quite subtle, until suddenly you see him shoot out the door. He turns sharply to the right, and gets in the bushes at the front of the house. Fortunately, that's as far as he's gone. Mac would be happy to go out the front, too, but he's not as aggressive about it as he is about the back.

This afternoon, the UPS guy knocked at the front door. I was right there, so I opened it a crack, and told him I needed to corral the cats before I could give him the box (which was right inside the door). I called for Chaz, who didn't answer, so I scooped up Mac, and didn't see Barry, so I opened the door. And Barry shot out. Mac began squirming, Chaz didn't answer, the UPS guy stood like a stump on the doorstep, and Barry was gone. Chaz appeared and went out after Baz, Mac kept squirming, and I couldn't pick up the box myself. I finally got the UPS guy to take one step inside and pick up the box (very annoying -- they may have rules about going inside, but I pointed out that I couldn't do it).

The UPS guy left. I put Mac in the bathroom with the door closed. Chaz found Barry, in his bushes. All is well. But I didn't need that.