The best thing about moving away, besides the warmer weather, may be receiving boxes, packages, cards and mail. Zoe thinks the packaging fits her perfectly.

This morning I didn’t NEED to get up at any particular time. Sure, I have some stuff to do today and yes, I need to be at work by 3:30pm, but really, sleeping in seemed to be a fine idea.

SB had to be at work at the cruel hour of 10am, so I stretched diagonal across the bed as sounds of morning domestics filtered in. I don’t know why I fool myself. This, like every morning I sleep in, is a reason to give me extra special attention.

First Zoe, the cat, comes marching in, throwing open the door, parading across my body, gently licking my wrists and finally, “oops” knocking stuff off my dresser, ignoring my mumbled protests. SB appears, under the guise of removing the cat, he gently nudges me towards morning with promises of fresh coffee.

I roll over, as coffee making commences and Zoe returns for round two. She seems to be telling me that life would be so much more fun out of bed. I’m now awake and grudgingly admit it to myself.

Once I’ve stumbled from the bedroom, bleary eyed and slightly put off by waking, I’m greeted with covert bright eyed smiles from SB and prancing cooing from Zoe. With a fresh cup of coffee in my hands, and the sun streaming across the couch, contentment pushes out the last resentments of morning.

Yay! Today my replacement cell phone arrived and already the difference is huge. As anyone who has tried to call me in the past six months knows, my cell phone has been atrocious. I finally took it in, found out it was under warranty and received a replacement.

Now, not only do I have a strong signal and clear reception, I can do things like take photos on my phone and actually download them to my computer. And I even tried syncing my phone with my datebook and address book using iSync. It worked! Now I have all sorts of useful data on my phone.

Yay for technology that works.

Sunday I hosted a waffle brunch at my house for Easter refugees. One friend, who I had not seen in almost a year, came in and said, “Is that the same cat you had before? She’s so fat I didn’t even recognize her.”

My cat would be happy to hear it. Getting fat has been primary objective number one this winter. She and I have enjoyed a lovely winter of fatty foods and lounging.

She’s always had a fussy tummy. I had her on a food this fall made of cranberries, garlic, echinacea and a little bit of chicken. On that food, she became skinnier and skinnier, light and bony, no matter how much she ate. A couple months ago I switched her to a sensitive stomach food, so greasy and good. It was like being fed candy for every meal. She was in heaven and the weight went on with glee.

I’ve now switched her to something a little more balanced. For weeks after this latest switch she has pouted by her dish. Well, how would you feel if you were fed big slices of chocolate cake and then poof, only carrots and celery sticks? You’d pout too.

My weight gain plan has been a little more subtle, four months of hosting a green monster in my head. It takes a lot of energy to grow a goo ball large enough to take on the world. While the growing was happening and the subsequent battling back, I’ve spent a great deal of time resting, sleeping and moving slowly. And let’s face it, eating. Yes, eating, eating foods that taste good, that make me feel good or are easy to make.

I’m adopting the attitude of my cat. Have you seen my round tummy? I’m so proud of it. I worked hard to get this tummy. This tummy is evidence that life is good, that I’ve been fed on cheesecake and shortbread waffles.

After the guests left Sunday afternoon my cat and I took a nap on my bed, curtains open to the afternoon sun, our round tummies proudly exposed to the world, little smiles curling the tips of our mouths.