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2011-03-28 23:20:20.000 – Mike Carmon,  Staff Meteorologist

Vicious!

My fears that Marty had turned his back on me were alleviated last night.

I hadn’t seen my furry feline friend nearly all week, since an unfortunate incident early on during this shift. With his absence from his usual spots and his favoritism towards other individuals on the summit, I was apprehensive that I had lost my sole nighttime companion.

However, much to my delight, my pawed pal made his way up to the weather room last night, where he plopped in his usual spot on the weather desk, and settled in to one of his regal nighttime poses. Not only was he present during the night, but his demeanor was exceedingly affectionate, more so than I have seen in quite some time. Regular tummy rubs and under-the-chin massages were quite eagerly appreciated, which managed to restore my confidence in our partnership.

The reunion was not complete, though, until I took my normal lunch break at about 2 a.m. As I’m scarfing down some delicious leftovers, I generally hit the inter-webs and search for some sort of entertainment to take a break from the grind of the night. While I sat and watched an episode of one of my all-time favorite shows, Hell’s Kitchen, Marty sauntered over towards me, settled in with a full view of the monitor, and gazed as Chef Gordon Ramsay howled and hollered at his poor proteges. I would occasionally glance over at his face expecting him to be fast asleep. But much to my surprise, he was not asleep, but intently watching the screen. What a moment.

Yes, you read it correctly–I just wrote a few somewhat sappy paragraphs about my reconciliation with a cat. But hey, in a situation where companionship is at an all-time premium (i.e., the night shift), every relationship you can muster counts!

Mike Carmon,  Staff Meteorologist