The escapologist [shriek!]

[desperance]

So a week or so ago, I emptied the tall bookshelf that stands right beside the front door, in hopes of stabilising its wobbly structure or otherwise fixing it to the wall.

And failed, really, on both counts: but didn't reload it with books, on account of I'm hoping to have to move it in a month or so anyway, when nice people are supposed to come and replace my front door.

Anyway, you have the picture: empty shelves, immediately beside front door.

To this picture you should now add cats, ever eager to get past that infuriating door into the wild & exciting world beyond.

I myself am not so eager today. I did have it in mind to go to town, on the same errands that I forwent yesterday; but yesterday's blizzards are today's compacted ice, and it is very slippy out there. Which I do not like, being much inclined to fall over.

Still, I thought I might give it a try; and so I opened the front door.

I am very used to sweeping back imperative cats with my feets; it's automatic now, and still effective.

Except that Mac suffered a brainwave today, and realised that he could use one of those empty shelves as a tunnel, an alleyway, a road past my impassable feets.

As soon as the door was halfway open, there was a whoosh! of tabby along the shelf, and suddenly a small cat in the street.

Shriek!

Happily, he had forgotten (well, yesterday was a long time ago) that he doesn't like snow. He stood there for a few seconds, half-crouched and uncertain; then, as I stepped out in hopes of grabbing him, he dived back inside.

Phew.

But no, not going to town this morning. Errands must be put off another day; work can wait till later. I have a bookshelf to reload. Snarl...

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Could you block it off with something temporary and easier to move (shoe-boxes, saucepans, dvds?)
Horus greeted this morning with severe disdain, picking his way down a three-inch snow-free line in front of the hedge, with his ears flat. We are in trouble.

[footlingagain.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad he changed his mind. Thoughts of chasing nimble tabby cats down an icy paths fill my soul with terror.

[karenmiller.livejournal.com]

There are few things more heartstopping than an animal being where they're not supposed to be -- and within a breath of disaster. So pleased that the little snoggin went quick smart into reverse!

[(Anonymous)]

If you don't want bookcases to wobble, make small wooden wedges and shove them under the front. Mine are six feet high, and I once caught my six-year-old climbing them. Only the wedges held them n place, and they didn't move a millimetre.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Eek for climbing six-year-olds! (They're heavier than climbing cats...)

The problem with this bookcase isn't overtoppling, though, it's a sideways collapse. It needs a diagonal brace across the back, and I used to have the perfect strip of metal, and seem not to any more. I will just screw it to the wall, which will fix the problem entirely - but there's no point doing it now, when I'll have to move it in a month.

[martyn44.livejournal.com]

It could have been worse, you know. He could have closed the door after himself when he came back into the house.

[agoodwinsmith.livejournal.com]

Little dickens. Yay for snow. Could you leave the bookcase empty and turn its empty shelves to the wall? Or will it collapse utterly?

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Turning it round wouldn't help, as it doesn't have a back. Which is why it's so unstable; it's supposed to have a back, to hold everything square and rigid. A very solid, steel back. Um. All my many hundreds of feet of shelving is ex-library, out of the Lit & Phil; when they took it all down, for some reason some of the backs were folded over & over, and then stamped on for better compression. They wouldn't exactly unfold to any good purpose, so I had to throw 'em out. And so have a few sets of dangerously unstable shelves. Not grumbling, mind. Many hundreds of feet of free library shelving, after all...