So Robert's cat, Merlin, besides thinking my cat, Nermil, is a giant hissing play-toy, also enjoys the taste of houseplants (as well as horking them back up in inconveniant places). Nermil, on the other hand, is a little angel. (We'll ignor the whole dookie behind the couch thing for the moment.) She has never chewed a plant in her 12 years.

Merlin's taste for live greenery was never a problem when it was just he and Robert, because Robert has a black thumb of death. However, my house has a multitude of plants, both inside and out. Merlin saw it as a 24-hour salad bar.

So Robert brought home this stuff called Yuck! It's the bitter spray that is (suppose to) deter cats from chewing on plants. Well, we haven't had a ton of luck with it so far, but I am being as persistant as I can (meaning I spray the plants when I think about it).

So I work from home on Thursdays, and I was on the porch smoking, watching the rain come down while the sun was out and wondering where the rainbow was. While I was out there, I figured I'd spray the plants, since the Yuck! was on the porch, there are plants on the porch and both cats enjoy hanging out on the porch.

In the process, some of the spray settled in/on my drink. After spraying the plants, I took a drink.

The look on my face must have mirrored that of a baby who gets a lemon stuck in her mouth. And no amount of smoke or Sunny Delight would quell the appalling taste in my mouth. I had to brush.

So I have discovered two things from this experience. First, Merlin is one determind cat if he continues to chew plants with this rank substance on them. And two, you never know what new things you are going to discover when you move in with someone -- some of them sweet, some of them that make you want to gargle peroxide.

Good energy out to my friend Ian, who left last night to work in Mexico for a month. Don't worry, we'll watch over Rob while you are gone. Zombie movies and game nights will abound.