You know that line in A Christmas Story?  The one that goes: My mother never ate a hot meal in her life.

Most mornings it’s at least 10:30 before I realize I have not eaten breakfast, but my son has.  I am trying to get it together so we eat together in the morning, but coffee is my priority and that’s about all I can make while making his breakfast.

This morning was much like most mornings, except I DID manage to toast a bagel and put cream cheese on it with 20 minutes of him eating his breakfast.  E was playing so I sat down, coffee, bagel, & computer.  I’d taken a few bites from the first half while reading something on-line.  Damned if I can remember what it was, but it was captivating and thus I ignored that strange sound to my right.  When I finally did look over my effing cat had licked half the cream cheese off my bagel!!!! I held it for a few moments, debating whether or not I should still eat it. I came very close to chomping in and then remembered all the dead mice and birds she leaves us, and thought better.  I tossed it and did not have time to make a second one.

Just now I looked outside to see the same cat drinking from the birdbath.  Man am I glad I didn’t eat the bagel!