The Mouse's Muse

The WebMouse's muse has been a bit difficult to identify.

It could be (courtesy of Wikipedia - partially ) one of the following.

• Thalia, the muse of comedy
  
• Melpomene, the muse of tragedy
• Klio (also Kleio or Clio), the muse of history
• Danny, the muse of joy and mischief.

There are undoubtedly other possibilities but I am leaning toward either Klio or Danny.
Anyone reading this blog (all two of you) know my leaning toward "the rear view mirror" approach to knowledge which most closely matches the muse Klio.

I have a dog.

Therefore, the muse "Danny" (heretofore unfairly unrecognized by Greek muse makers and not to be confused with the "Greek Music Makers", which was an old Greek band ... or any Greek with enough wine in him or her and a love of Karaoke) is most probably my personal muse.

This is not to slight those old Greeks. They really knew how to party!

The muse Danny is actually a combination of all the listed, at one time or another, with a heavy leaning on History. That should be history, with a lower case "h" as we are not talking long term. Minutes in most cases. My muse, unfortunately, has a fairly short attention span.

The job of a muse is to inspire you. My muse certainly does that.

I've been "inspired" to go in and out of the house more times in one day than I probably did in a month, previous to his arrival (and all involved in THAT surprise are carefully listed in my book... I won't say which book.)

I have been inspired to "yelp" when sitting on the floor (requisite position for confering with this sort of muse) and getting a cold wet nose in the small of the back on bare skin and a little nip to get my attention. When sitting on the floor, attending the muse, one should not be distracted by television. Muse's are jealous creatures. Unless THEY chose to nap, your time is their time!

I have been inspired to "growl". Usually involved with a sub vocal "make up your mind, in or out!"

I have been inspired to "whine". Dear (speaking to wife), would you stay up with Danny tonight so I can get some sleep?

I have also been inspired to "generosity" (see dictionary for "dumb idea") to tell said wife, "You look tired dear, I'll stay up with Danny tonight".

Note that the "Staying up with Danny" involves not going to bed earlier than 10 pm and definitely not until he has both peed and pooped. Since he is normally asleep at that point you have to wake the muse up (no small feat!) and get him to not only wake up but actually "get up". Both ends! The front end is fairly easy to wake up. It has a face you can talk to and ears to hear you. Getting that back end woke up and up on it's legs is an entirely different matter and can be entertaining and frustrating at the same time. Muse's are like that.

I have been inspired to take more showers and wash my hands more often. Muse's lick a lot. Really... a lot!.. and I can't even say "who knows where that tongue has been?"... I KNOW!
Don't even get me started on "yummy flavored dog food and treats!".

I have also been inspired to write. It's a form of therapy. When you have a muse, you often need therapy. I have thought that a hot spa and a couple or three glasses of wine might also be good therapy. In addition to the cost, there is the danger that I might just decide to drown myself (or possibly my muse!).

I had this vision of me sitting in this hot bubbling spa with a nice glass of merlot and having my muse decide that "that looks like fun" and jumping in with me. The mental pictures of what would ensue from that event are not to be considered. I would have to have "real" therapy then! The expensive kind. Much more than the cost of a spa. Definitely the case of a dollar chasing a dime.

I'll just stay with the big tub or a hot shower. Merlot is over-rated anyway.

I can forgo my dreams of a hot tub and a glass of wine but my most fervent prayer is that I not devolve into a beer swilling red-neck. No offense intended to the red-necks of America. I just don't want to join you!
I've compromised... no hot tub... yes on the wine.

I'm not too worried about the red-neck thing. I like showers and wine and food that isn't all deep fried, and I don't consider donuts a vegetable. I don't care if they come from a "grain" and it is "cooked", they are not a vegetable!

I have a dog.

My dog is a Muse, not to be confused with "amusing" (which he certainly is... sometimes). I bet you never knew that Golden Retrievers were Greek!

Inspiration...

There is also the realization that a cat and a laptop in your lap, sitting in a big nice chair and with a TV on and the remote at hand is not all of life. (close... but there is more.)

I get out more now and see the trees and the undergrowth in all stages of life, look at clumps of grass that my muse in checking out and thinking of what passed this way. Live outside is incredibly rich and for my limited senses, quite mysterious. I can only imagine what Danny "see's" in this world with his senses.

I can smell a skunk, if I'm unfortunately close... he can smell where a mouse passed earlier that morning.

I wouldn't willingly go out in the rain just to look at the trees. I also wouldn't have seen the beautiful sights I have seen. I wouldn't have seen water drops sparkling on the ends of pine needles in the beams of sunlight, like other worldly Christmas trees, wrapped in swirls of steam from that sunlight hitting the wet ground.

I have a dog.

It all evens out.

Regards,
WebMouse