the belt game

JOURNAL ENTRY
-----Hambone and I play a game every morning. He looks forward to it. I look forward to it. I end up winning everytime we play, but that's sort of out of this totally selfish need I have to get out of the house eventually. The game is this:
-----In my ever vigilant attempts to avoid arrest for public indecency, I wear a belt. Pretty much every day. This belt goes on in the morning after I'm fully dressed. I know this. Hambone now knows this. Hambone watches me get dressed while I try to avoid being creeped out by Hambone watching me get dressed... and waits. He waits patiently for the belt to come down off of the back of the bedroom door coat rack and watches as it splays itself across the bed. I've always done this morning ritual, tossing a belt out on the bed to make sure I'm not putting it on backwards. I know, I know.. this is all very interesting, right? Yeah, well it is to Hambone.
-----Once the belt hits the bed, the game is on. Hambone's whole body tenses, as if he's just spotted a mouse sitting inches away. His head ducks slightly as he goes into stealth mode. Stealth, to hide, I guess... from the "belt creature of morning bed-ness". He inches slightly towards the belt and then with a brimming cup of potential energy finally spilling over, attacks. Attacks may be the wrong word actually. I dont often see 'attacks' wherein the attacker gnaws playfully on it's prey while furiously swiping all four limbs in uncoordinated ectasy, rolling back & forth on his back. It is so freakin' cute, I dont even know what to do sometimes.
As I slowly put the belt on, it draws its way up off the bed.. Hambone following it and attacking, the whole way up. Once it's fully on and buckled, he still swipes at the belt end before I tuck it into the last loop or two. The intensity of his focus is truly amazing and just as intense, every morning. Once the belt is on, he gives me a look that says "same time next morning, then?". Pssh. Yeah, as if I could deprive him of the pleasure.

The ridiculousness of it all makes me smile... Every. Single. Morning.