Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Auggie and Meatball Host a Sleepover (Auggie #7)

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hear that? It's your money calling. It wants a promotion. Elevate your savings with the Scotia high-interest savings account. Always earn high regular interest rates that grow the more you save and invest. Conditions apply. Visit scotiabank.com slash h-I-SA to learn more. Scotia Bank. You're richer than you think. Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax. and we get sleepy.

Starting point is 00:00:39 My name's Thomas. Thank you so much for tuning in. Tonight, we're continuing one of our all-time most popular series here on Get Sleepy, read by Simon and written by Alicia Stefan. You've probably already met tonight's feline duo, Augie and Meatball, particularly if you've listened to the show for, quite some time already. But don't worry if not, you can still enjoy tonight's tale and then go back to the previous six episodes about Orgy and her family whenever you like. Orgy and Meatball are very

Starting point is 00:01:25 different kinds of cats, but they manage to tolerate each other and even get up to some joint hijinks where they live. Tonight we'll hear how Orgy and Meatball handle a children's sleepover. There will be lots of little guests, lots of snacks, and just a few games and cuddles. Through it all, Augie and Meatball will keep a close eye on the proceedings, each in their own unique way. So, close your eyes. settle down and allow all the muscles in your body to relax make sure your face is relaxed without a frown and unclench your jaw if you realize you're holding stress and tightness there

Starting point is 00:02:36 allow your shoulders to softly drop down onto the bed letting go of any lingering tension you may be holding from the day, and sense how your neck is supported by your pillow, releasing the strain on the muscles there. Feel your chest and upper back relax, your waist and hips, and feel your legs and arms grow heavy as you sink deeper into the comfort of your bed here in your cozy bedroom or wherever you're settling in right now. Your mind can relax, just like your body, letting go of the thoughts and worries of the day. And as you rest here, you can drift off whenever you're ready. Now, picture a day where it's a little gloomy, outside. But inside, it's about to become an epicenter of jollity. This is where our story begins.

Starting point is 00:04:51 It was a gloomy and tempestuous afternoon. As Orgy lay peacefully snoozing in her soft bed, only her ears appeared to be a little bit awake. Rain, lashed against the window in a regular bird. Occasionally, the pains shook ever so slightly with a gust of wind. Mother Nature was blowing off some steam, and it was a noisy affair, but as much as Augie's ears were noticing the storm, it seemed like the rest of her did not. At her advanced level of maturity, she knew well that the most rollicking rainstorm outside the house only made the inside cozier. A downpour on the street was a problem for dogs, and there.

Starting point is 00:05:51 They did insist on going outside in all weather, which she found to be frankly ridiculous. Why should anyone go out? She sometimes asked herself. It was clearly evidence of their inferior intelligence. Staying inside was the obvious choice on such. today. Norgie did what any intelligent feline would do. She stayed close to her bed, or perhaps a soft corner of the couch. It was always wise to keep an eye on the heat vents after all.

Starting point is 00:06:33 When the warm air started to blow, she needed to be there. At the moment, the house had mysteriously withdrawn the comforting supply of warm air, unfortunately. She couldn't fathom why. But as she learned it was pointless to rage against the dying of the heat supply. Instead, it was best to wait out the paws in her nice, poofy bed, and so it was that everything other than her ears was slumbering peacefully, curled up in a big circle such that her fluffy tail overlapped her nose. It was especially necessary to catch a nap, thanks to to the extra commotion that had been going on in the house earlier. The noisy, sucking floor machine had been in almost every room,

Starting point is 00:07:35 causing Augie to scuttle from place to place and disrupting her routine. And there had been an unusual amount of activity in the kitchen, too, as if the humans were making lots of meals at once. How tiresome it had been for her, she thought. They really could be so inconsiderate sometimes. Meatball was not as smart as Augie, which she would have told anyone who had bothered to ask. He had seemed unperturbed by the extra busyness in the house.

Starting point is 00:08:15 And now he was wasting valuable napping time by trying to catch raindrops that were on the outside of the window. Had she engaged in self-reflection, Orgy would have had to admit that she had fallen prey to this activity in the past, but since she felt no need to humble herself, she had instead dismissed Meatball's game as a sign of his immaturity and left him to it. Splash, went the storm, throwing a miniature river of water in Meatball's face. He patted the water on the other side of the glass with his monstrously large paw and watched in confusion as it vanished at the bottom of the window.

Starting point is 00:09:07 Splash it went again, causing him to repeat the cycle. Had he known the myth of Sisyphus, he'd have felt the futility of this game deeply. But he was just an enormous orange kitty, and he never lost hope that he'd catch the raindrops if he kept trying. In fact, he felt he must keep trying. But even Meatball began to fall prey to the afternoon energy slump, and his eyes were soon feeling heavy. Although he was loath to abandon his post at the window,

Starting point is 00:09:49 he thought perhaps he would hop over to the couch and snuggle up for a little nap, dropping heavily to the floor, he stalked over to the sofa like a jungle cat and launched himself onto the cushions. Once there, he gave himself a cursory bath and then stretched himself very long into the crevice of the furniture. Wiggling a little bit, he turned his tummy skyward and was almost instantly asleep. Little did Augie and Meatball know. Their cozy afternoon snoburned, they're cozy afternoon was to end very shortly. A few minutes after Meatball had gone belly up on the sofa, there was an occurrence that Orgy always put at the top of her list of very bad things.

Starting point is 00:10:47 The doorbell rang. Within seconds, Augie had transitioned from the bliss of Dreamland to a fight or flight response. And of course, since she was not really at fighting weight, She fled. By lightning, she bolted from her bed and zipped up the stairs, where she scooted under the bed in the largest room. Meatball was also disturbed,

Starting point is 00:11:19 but instead of running, he flipped himself over into an alert position that mimicked the sphinx. Head up, enormous pause forward, pointy ears at attention. A thumping of feet ensued as the older, A child in the house came plummeting down the stairs and tumbled to the front door. Once there, she yanked once, twice, and then got it open on the third try. Immediately two unfamiliar humans pushed inside, dripping wet. One was a lady, and the other was a little one, like the small ones who lived with meatball.

Starting point is 00:12:07 Then his own lady human hurried to the front door. making sympathetic sounds at the newcomers and greeting the strange lady. Meanwhile, Meatball's small human and her new friend whooped and jumped as the wet visitor kicked off her boots and shrugged her raincoat to the floor. Then, without tidying anything, the two children went tearing into the house and disappeared to the upstairs bedroom, where they commenced to make squeals of delight. Augie was nowhere to be seen, and Meatball knew that it fell to him to investigate this surprising event. Standing eagerly at attention, he reported for duty near the entryway,

Starting point is 00:12:59 watching the two grown ladies with interest. But the extra lady human didn't stay. Instead, she pulled the hood on her coat back up, opened the door, and went back out into the rain. She did, however, leave behind an intriguing bundle and a small bag. The resident Lady Human picked up the two items a bit gingerly as they were damp. Walking across the house, she set them in the family room to dry. Then she turned her attention to the commotion upstairs and vanished in that direction. Meatball trotted into the family room and sniffed the bundle curiously.

Starting point is 00:13:52 It smelled foreign but not entirely unpleasant. Then he stuck his head in the nearby bag only to collide with something soft inside. He pulled his head back out. Interesting, but he'd never fit in there. Before his train of thought could continue, the doorbell rang again. The two girl children let out a cry. of excitement, and the lady human quickly descended the stairs, rushing to open the door to the rain once again. In this way, another girl was deposited with a bundle and a bag of her own,

Starting point is 00:14:39 and then another, and then one more. Each time people arrived, the new girl was dragged upstairs, and the noise increased. With each new bundle, the foreign smells were magnified. Every bag mystified Meatball more. What in the world was going on here, he thought. The fact that Augie was still hiding under the bed upstairs did not help him answer his question. He imagined that she probably knew what all of this meant. The fact that she was staying out of sight was not a good sign. But Meatball was not one to be easily deterred from his curiosity. Once the doorbell had stopped ringing, he knew he must go upstairs to look into this gathering of children. As he stealthily climbed the steps, the lady human came down them and went into the kitchen.

Starting point is 00:15:49 While he ascended further, he could hear the telltale signs of cupboards opening and bags being poured into bowls downstairs. People's snacks were happening. He could tell. He was interested to see if this would drag Augie from her hiding place. She was, to be honest, the cat who was always the most eager to plunder the human food. When he reached the landing, Meatball peered down the hall at the biggest bedroom. There was no sign of Augie. He knew she must be concealed by the bed skirt. Or, he mused, she might have gone so far as to bury herself in the back of the closet. She did hate the doorbell, though. Then he walked to the partially open door of the girl's room. Inside, there was cacophony.

Starting point is 00:16:53 Two girls appeared to be bouncing on the bed. The three others knelt on the floor digging through the toy box. All of them appeared to be talking at once, which seemed like a bad way to communicate. But Meatball had never understood why humans were so loud to begin with. He thought he was invisible, but Meatball soon found he had pressed his luck a little too much. One of the bed-bouncing girls let out a shriek and pointed a finger straight at him as he inserted his head in the gap by the door. All at once, the portal had been flung open and he found himself lifted very awkwardly in the air with his legs dangling.

Starting point is 00:17:45 Then all the girls grounded around him, cooing and stroking his head as he wiggled to gain his footing. He knew if Orgy could see him, she'd think he deserved it. With admirable patience, he writhed just enough that the visiting girl human dropped him on the bed. As soon as he was seated, he hastily groomed his fur, smoothing the places where it had been disturbed. All the girls piled around him, softly petting him, and the level of noise in the room was much more tolerable for a moment. Ah, this was actually nice. He leaned his head to the side, inviting them to scratch his chin. But then the resident girl, his very own small human, did something he didn't see coming.

Starting point is 00:18:50 She put a doll bonnet on his head. Oh no! he thought. No, no, no, no. Before he had time to jump to the floor and make a graceful exit, a tutu had been strapped around his middle. Squeals of delight emanated from the children, and one of them tried to comb his tail with a pink brush. He froze, thinking that perhaps if he was very still, they'd forget about him and go away. The girls all plunged into the toy box. and he could tell another article of clothing was being sought. He made his move, jumping out of the tutu, which was honestly far too large,

Starting point is 00:19:44 and slinking out through the crack in the bedroom door. Quick as a bunny, he ran down the stairs, appearing in the family room with the bonnet hanging off one ear. One big shake of his head, and it had dropped to the floor. Meatball was relieved. He did not want to wear a bonnet. He noticed that enticing aromas were coming from the kitchen, and the lady had placed the snacks on the coffee table.

Starting point is 00:20:19 He wasn't terribly interested in the dry, crunchy ones, but he suspected something more delicious would appear if he hung around long enough. He resolved to remain part of the gathering as long as possible, with the understanding that he would resist all efforts to put more clothes on him. As the volume of noise upstairs rose and fell, Orgy slunk down the stairs looking displeased. She paused at the bottom of the steps,

Starting point is 00:20:55 clearly interested in the food that had appeared in the family room and the kitchen. However, Meatball could see that she was conflicted. She was also keen to find another hiding place that was farther away from the shouting children. In the end, as it usually did, greed got the better of her. Orgy strolled into the family room and jumped a little awkwardly up to the coffee table. Having done so, she got her nose in one of the bowls before the lady cried,

Starting point is 00:21:33 No, Augie, and covered it with a sheet of plastic wrap. Clearly miffed. Orgy retreated to the corner of the couch and settled down while the lady picked up the remote control and chose some moving pictures. While she was doing this, the younger child appeared, pleading with his mother about something and pulling on her shirt hem. She turned and spoke to him with exaggerated patience

Starting point is 00:22:04 and offered him a snack, shooing him away. Happy with his morsel, he vanished quietly to his upstairs room and closed the door. When an appropriate selection had been made on the television, the lady walked to the bottom of the stairs and called out to the girls overhead. A great thumping and banging ensued as the girl children tumbled through the door and pounded down the steps to the family room. Some of them were wearing unusual articles of clothing that draped and floated around them. More than one had something sparkly on her head. They piled into the family room

Starting point is 00:22:53 with exclamations of delight, and gathered eagerly around the bowls and other snacks on the table. Meatball sat nearby, cautious, but interested. Orgy, meanwhile, assumed a horrified posture and skulked away from the family room couch, giving the girls a wide berth. Once she was clear of them, she regained a dignified posture and walked into the living room to flop down in her cat bed. From this position, she kept a close watch on their activities. A great settling happened then.

Starting point is 00:23:39 Several of the girls opened up the bundles they had brought, making long, rectangular beds for themselves. After much discussion, two of them unzipped one of the rectangles and draped it across the top of the couch, tenting it with some of the cushions. This was a popular decision, creating a wave of agreement, and three of the guests squeezed into this delightful new cavern. From there, they could reach out to the coffee table and constantly grab more snacks. Meatball thought this arrangement was very clever indeed.

Starting point is 00:24:24 In fact, he also wanted to be inside the tent. So, having temporary amnesia about the incident with the bonnet, he hopped up and inserted himself between two of the girls, sniffing speculatively at a snack one of them was popping in her mouth. She giggled loudly and offered him a small bite of something fluffy-looking and white. It tasted salty and made a surprising crunching noise. He wasn't sure if he liked it, But he was willing to try more.

Starting point is 00:25:03 The story on the television began to play, and the girls made ooze and ars, delightedly discussing their show. The girl, who had fed meatball the snack, continued to give him one piece at a time, but the price he had to pay for such treats was to allow her to hug him. He didn't exactly mind a good snuggle, but he also wanted to see what other.

Starting point is 00:25:33 other interesting things were happening in the room. He wiggled away to her coos of disappointment and sat on the ground by himself once again. A song was playing on the television show and two of the girls were soon dancing and singing. Meatball and Orgy both laid their ears back as her performance was rather tuneless. In protest, Augie curled herself resolutely in a ball.

Starting point is 00:26:06 and appeared to attempt to nap, but Meatball could tell that she was just pretending, and that every note of the song was grating on her nerves. He had to admit he did have sympathy. Augie was set in her ways, and this was a completely unauthorized activity during a time of day when she was supposed to be peacefully recharging her batteries. But he was glad he was awake. because Meatball didn't have to wait long for another exciting development. Much to Augie's chagrin, the doorbell rang again.

Starting point is 00:26:52 She bolted upstairs and Meatball knew she'd soon be sorry. This was because the person at the door was carrying a padded bag full of wonderful smelling, flat, square boxes. The lady thanked the doorbell man, and he retreated, into the darkening rainy evening. She then carried the stack of boxes to a nearby table and began laying them out next to each other in a single layer. With exclamations of happiness,

Starting point is 00:27:32 the girls paused their television stories and crowded into the room with the table. Each box opened to another heavenly scent as they talked amongst themselves. As they did, they pulled long, stretchy food out of the boxes, placing pieces of it on plates. Meatball snuck around the back of the dining set and hopped up on a chair attempting to stick his head above the level of the table. He'd just let his ears and his eyes show at that level, figuring that he would not be noticed by the

Starting point is 00:28:14 humans. He saw one girl watching him, and she started giggling. He froze, hoping she would go away. Sure enough, she became distracted and returned to the family room with her plate. When all the humans were similarly occupied, he got up on the table. As he did, he spied Augie's eyes glowing at him from between the spindles of the banister on the upstairs steps. She was casing the table as well, that she was also hesitant to return, lest the doorbell ring once more, but meatball had no time to waste. He stuck his face in a nearby box and began to taste one of the delicious round pies inside.

Starting point is 00:29:15 Unfortunately, before he could have more than a couple of bites, his human girl started crying out, no meatball. He could almost feel Augie's regret as he was shewed from the table and all the boxes were summarily closed. Looking guiltily at his fellow feline, he hung his head. Now it would be twice as hard for her to steal a piece for herself. The youngest child had emerged from his room, and his mother sat him at the table with a piece of his own food.

Starting point is 00:29:54 He consumed it hungrily, eyeing meatball as he ate. He didn't offer so much as a morsel, which Meatball thought was pretty miserly. But Orgy hadn't given up, and she was no amateur. She held her head high and walked down the steps with a purpose, and, he suspected, a plan. Meatball watched as Orgy seated herself safely out of reach of the girls, where she stayed motionless in the shadows. The children chatted loudly while they ate their food, but they soon lost interest in dinner, leaving their plates unattended. Clearly finished with her repast, the resident human girl went up to her

Starting point is 00:30:49 room and returned with some items in her hands. A shriek of delight went up among the guests, and they all crowded around. Soon, they were not paying any attention to the television or to their discarded plates. Instead, they were smearing creams on each other's faces. Everything they touched began to sparkle, but this was of no concern to Augie and Meatball. They had more important plans. Completely unnoticed, Augie slunk around the perimeter of the room in the shadows. Then, as smooth as can be, she walked right up to a plate on the edge of the group and dragged away a half-eaten piece of the pie.

Starting point is 00:31:48 sat in the corner, wolfing it down as if her life depended on it. Nobody had seen her at all. Meatball was fascinated and inspired. First of all, he'd rarely seen Augie do anything as quickly as she was consuming that stolen snack. Second, he was encouraged, thinking he might still get his own portion. He attempted to imitate Augie's stealth, approaching. another plate that had been left on the floor. But, alas, neither his luck nor his technique was as good. Just as he was about to grab the food, the lady human reappeared. With a cry, she snatched up the plate and shook her finger at Meatball. She then walked around the room, picking up all the abandoned plates and carrying them into the kitchen. Meatball's good humor rarely failed.

Starting point is 00:32:56 but he was quite put out this time. Smugly, Augie strolled into the living room and curled up in her bed, ostentatiously beginning to have a bath. But all meatball could do to console himself was to hop up on the abandoned dining table and sit in the middle of one of the empty square boxes. It caved in under his weight, but he felt oddly comforted. Positioning himself in the very middle of a square

Starting point is 00:33:29 was just the thing to lift his spirits. However, when the children's television program ended, he realized his luck hadn't quite run out. The lady human got some containers out of the freezer and began scooping something into bowls. Meanwhile, his human girl got some other containers out of the refrigerator and the cupboard. Some of these had to be squeezed and others shaken.

Starting point is 00:34:03 All the guests, and even, Even the younger child gathered around the table and made a big mess, piling the ingredients into their dishes. Despite the increased noise level, Augie now hunkered in her bed and did not respond to the chaos. Her belly was obviously full, but Meatball was still hopeful that he could get some of the people's food. He sat patiently while the girls ate their sweets. The human lady conducted the younger ball. boy child up to his bedroom, and then went to help him run a bath. While she was gone, something wonderful happened. The girl human quietly called out to Meatball. As soon as she had

Starting point is 00:34:55 his attention, she put her nearly empty bowl on the floor. Meatball ran to the bowl and stuck his pink tongue into it. The milky sweetness that coated its sides was beyond anything he'd ever tasted. He eagerly licked the entire bowl clean in moments. Then, as he sat up, smacking his chops, another girl put her bowl on the floor, and then another. Meatball was filled with joy. While the lady human was busy with the younger child upstairs, Meatball got to lick every single bowl once the girls had finished their desserts. It was the greatest day of Meatball's life so far.

Starting point is 00:35:54 After this feast, he needed a moment to compose himself. He sat near Orgy in the living room and had a bath, giving extra attention to his sticky face fur. As he did so, he was vaguely aware that the girl children were disappearing one by one and reappearing in nighttime clothes. Meanwhile, bedding was being rearranged and some fluffy stuffed out. animals appeared. Through all of this, the lady human walked amongst the children, helping to make room for everyone. When they were done, the floor was absolutely covered with soft bedding and small

Starting point is 00:36:39 humans. Once again, a show appeared on the television. All the girls are now lying down, rolling around and whispering. Once in a while, a stuffed animal would fly through the air, eliciting a giggle or a squawk of indignation. When the noise level began to rise, the lady would appear and lightly scold the group, and whispering would recommence. Meatball felt clean and orderly once more, and he was still curious about this pile of soft things in the family room.

Starting point is 00:37:23 Strolling in, he received a celebrity's welcome. Quiet cries of delight ensued, and many arms opened, inviting him to cuddle. Stepping over one little person after another, he found his resident girl, who was lying amongst the others. She made a little nook with her body, and he turned one time, two times, three times, and then collapsed awkwardly into her side.

Starting point is 00:38:00 The girl stroked his head softly, while the guests got quieter and quieter. The television continued to play its stories. But after a time, it seemed that one or two of the little voices have been replaced by a steady breathing. Looking into the living room, he saw Augie zonked out in her bed. She would be up later when the entire house was quiet. That was when she liked to prowl about.

Starting point is 00:38:39 A warm drowsiness descended upon meatball, and he felt a low purr, rise up in his throat. Leaning his head against the small human, he noticed her breathing had also become quiet and regular. And as he felt himself floating away on his sea of dreams, he was dimly aware that the lady human had come into the room and turned off the television. She quietly walked away, stepping carefully around the children on the floor, and went back upstairs, leaving some lights on nearby. The rain had started again. It was quite heavy. Meatball could hear it intensify from a light, pitter pat, to a regular drumming on the window nearby. Burying himself deeper into the embrace of his resident girl, he let out a deep sigh of satisfaction

Starting point is 00:39:47 and readied himself for a little nap. Later, he would adventure through the house with Orgy, he mused. And then, with a small feeling of anticipation, he thought of the morning food that he might get a taste of when the girls ate breakfast. There were so very many little plates coming his way. And in his cat dreams, Meatball was very, very happy.

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Auggie and Meatball Host a Sleepover (Auggie #7)

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.