Repost Friday: Sofa Wars

This repost is from 27th March 2007.  Feels like it was yesterday!

Sofa Wars

The undeclared battle between Au and I over the office chair continues. And we’ve taken the fight downstairs.

We have the standard suite: a single, 2 seater and 3 seater set. Usually, Tom has the long sofa while I lounge on the 2 seater (It’s closer to the idiot box and I’m blind as a bat).

Scoop and Au claim the end of the long sofa whenever they like, hang out on their rug, or sit on the stairs, peering down on us like little fuzzy gods. Scoop sometimes sits on us and he also has his own circular stool by the door.

Au is often busy with his newspaper stack under the coffee table, so he’s mostly at toe level for the evening. If he wants a seat, he commands the single seater sofa chair or lies at the end of the long sofa. He's a cat who likes his space, so we don't expect him to sit on top of us.

But for the last few nights, I have only to leave my seat for a second, and Au hops up and takes possession of my place. He lies slap bang in the middle, ears back, daring me to move him off. First come, first served, he says with his eyes. Shove off somewhere else.

I'm bigger but he's playing politics. Au has maneuvered himself into the position of the underdog. If I pick him up and shift him, I'm a big bully.

I’m telling you: the standoffs are tenser than those in the cold war.