Growing Up

Squirt is growing up- he has evolved from a sweet kitten to a full out 'tweenaged' 'kittykat'. He's bigger, badder- thinks he owns our pillows, our bed, the world. No foot is safe from his attack, and he is spoiling for a chance to get at bear. Thinks he's a big cat, he does.

And a big cat needs a grown-up name. His baby name is Squirt- and he will always be squirt- but he found his real grown-up-tom-cat name this morning. It's Torello.

It came to us when we were watching Crime Story- the cat formerly known as squirt jumped up on Charles in a surprise attack. The manz says "We shoulda named you Torello"...then we started looking at the screen, and darned if the cat doesn't *look* like Torello. Heavy black eyebrows, mustache. Everything black but his bit of white chest (and drawers). And just take a moment, compare his ears to Torello's hat.... yep. That's who he is!

Until I looked it up, I thought Torello was Turrillo. Like the steakhouse. The BEST steakhouse EVER. Daddy and Mother would go there often- it is in Jennerstown. Red white checked oilcloth on the tables, candles in Chianti bottles, rolls wrapped in a napkin. Steak like melted butter it was so tender, and the best salad dressing in the world. (I grew up with *real* Italian dressing from places like Turillo's and Rizzo's... nothing like the bottled kind)...mmmm.... and a bit on the shady side- you could imagine Torello and the G-men sliding up to the bar while Luca plotted evil in the backroom. Just one step away from real live drama...