I discovered yesterday that my cat has been using one of the legs of my beautiful dark wood coffee table as a scratching post for a considerable amount of time.

Can't blame the cat, of course. She runs on instinct, not common sense, and to her the coffee table is a personal grooming device, and not an attractive - and expensive - piece of furniture. Unfortunately, she's also got some fierce claws, and the table leg has been torn to splinters. Literally.

I'm going to have to get some kind of alternative scratching post - something I should have done a while ago, I suppose - but it'll be hard to make her trade in the one she's been using (i.e. my coffee table) with something new and, probably, less satisfying. For the time being, I've wrapped all four coffee table legs in plastic bags. I dread to see what expensive piece of furniture she's used to sharpen her claws today.

I spent most of the day working on something that ultimately didn't meet my expectations, so I'm throwing it out. What a waste. I think I'll just go home. Gak.  ¶ 17:33