My mom dragged me down to the neighboring hamlet of Cottonwood so that we could pick up a new DVD player for the den at the Walmart. I've got her hooked on movies, signed up for Netflix and all that.

I was wandering around the cat toy aisles, as I'm wont to do now that I'm back in the good ‘ole USA, and I spied this toy that I couldn't live without. It's a long wand, about 20 inches long attached to a longer piece of leopard print felt with a piece at the end that looks like a gigantic fly fishing lure with feathers and such.

The cats go crazy for it. Insane, really. They are on a mission to kill it. I can get Mak running around in circle until he nearly passes out from exhaustion, such is his devotion to annihilate this little toy. Both Mak and Fil perform mighty aerobatics in attempt to bring it down out of the sky when I flutter it above their heads. Oh, what fun we have.

It's far and away the best four dollars I have ever spent in my life.

(if you're interested, you can find out more information about the SmartyKat™ WildStreak™ Wand here)