Omar's Diary to 22nd September 2019

As some of you may already be aware, I have been slightly concerned about a slippage in the standards here at Omar Towers. The catalyst for this appears to have been the invasion of trade during the month of August.

To engage my Servants in some professional development I bought them tickets to attend a training session at the Regent Centre in Christchurch where Downton Abbey was being shown last night. When I first suggested this, they both regarded the film as ‘entertainment’ so I had to be quite firm with them and remind them it was for ‘training;’ an opportunity to see how things should be done especially when royalty is concerned. And that they should take a notebook and pen.

After they left for their training with their grab bag I discovered that the note book I had specifically put out for them had been left on the telephone table in the hall. Something told me they were not taking things seriously and this was confirmed earlier today. Breakfast was served late but worse, much worse than this, Man Servant managed to mix up the place settings for Mitsi and myself.

I really did drop my marmalade when I realised the mistake.

BREXIT still looms large even in the somewhat protected and sheltered life of felines. We are not immune to the concerns and worries this is causing.

The British Government’s document “Yellowhammer” was released about ten days ago. This is a document setting out the worst case scenarios should the country leave the European Union without a deal at the end of October.

“Yellowhammer?” It sounds like a file James Bond would be presented with in the confines of M’s office on an “FYEO” basis. Mind you, the way in which the Government had to be forced to release this document they must have considered it as “FYEO.”

Man Servant and I read through all two pages of it. One paragraph I found quite concerning was the section on the food supply chain which is one of the twelve identified areas of risk. There was no mention of how food supplies for felines and other domesticated creatures could be affected but that does not mean there is not a risk. As a precaution I have insisted that the Servants start stockpiling Dreamies. Normally Mitsi and I consume one package between us which is replaced on a weekly basis. Now, in the most recent shop the Servants followed my precautionary instructions and bought three additional packages.

If the supply chain for Dreamies is uninterrupted then as Dreamies have a very long shelf life they will not be wasted.

“Yellowhammer,” who dreams up these names?

Our reading material today has been The Observer and as usual Man Servant went straight to the food critics section. Man Servant particularly enjoys the writings of a servant named Jay Rayner. His words are a sort of intellectual appetizer to be followed by the main courses of the analysis and opinion pages.

In the paper’s pages this week there was mention of servants referred as prime ministers and presidents along with their entourages flying to somewhere called ‘New York’ for discussions on the environment. At one time when Man Servant worked from Omar Towers I know he used to be involved with meetings with other servants across the country and Europe. They did not fly hundreds of miles to attend meetings here. They used video and phone conferencing services which meant they were able to be back at their respective homes at the end of the day to look after their own felines and canines.

My own Servants, Mitsi and I have made small changes to our lifestyles here at Omar Towers. These include recycling paper, mostly Man Servant’s rough notes for his own writing, cardboard and plastic all being placed in a special recycling bag for weekly collection. They may or may not make a difference, but they have become a habit. Those efforts at a domestic level, as grandiose as they are, pale into insignificance verging on the futile when considering the amounts of carbon generated from fossil fuels to get all those servants to New York. I have told Man Servant not to feel too guilty about the Red Thing’s fuel consumption.

I wonder who is looking after all the felines owned by the presidents, prime ministers and their respective entourages? I do hope their care is not sacrificed at the high altar of international politics.