Welcome Home Charlie

Well, I was going to write some long, deep summary of 2004, and I still might, but I realized that was taking a great deal of effort, so instead I'll write about something brand new for 2005. On december 31st, I adopted Charlie, a 5 year old cat. He's almost pure black, touched by two specks of white on the front of his coat. He's a bit scrawny too, but once he starts eating happily I'm sure he'll gain some weight.
He's the cutest cat in the world, and when he's in the mood is wonderfully sweet. Last night he spent most of the night jumping over me, jumping off the bed, and then running around the bed and hopping up the other side. I eventually had to ignore him in order to get to sleep.
It's amazing. I've been around cats all my life, but this is the first time I've been the one in charge. I picked him out. I bought his gear, and I'm the one in charge. For those who have never owned cats, then you probably can't appreciate how amazing a bond it is. I don't think it's the same as owning a dog: The cat isn't trying to please the owner. It's more that you and the cat are working together, except that as much as you think, he's really in charge. Also, every cat bonds and interacts differently. And most cats treat their owners entirely differently than strangers. So, if you've never had a cat, pick one up at your local humane society. Be prepared to fall in love!