A Birthday Party for Critter Shut-ins

Every March 21st, my body shifts out of torpor mode, as the Beast Within is roused by aromas of “birthday Bear food,” lovingly prepared in the kitchen by Mousie. This past weekend was no exception to our yearly routine, proving that it takes more than a cave lockdown to throw a pink mouse off her birthday party-throwing game. 🤜🏿🐾

Per usual, I awoke to a festively decorated cave. Given current circumstances, Mousie dubbed this year’s celebration a “very special party for critter shut-ins,” which was cool with me... so long as it still meant cake and pizza for the birthday bear! (When do I ever go out on my birthday, anyways?)

This year’s springtime smorgasbord consisted of a breakfast of bacon and eggs, followed by scrumptious salmon sandwiches for lunch, and, of course, the requisite pizza dinner… which I single-pawedly devoured, given no other bears were around to cut in on the pie. While being confined to a cave is better done of one’s own volition, Mousie’s 'total cave lockdown' has had certain advantages. 😊

Just as my knife was poised to make a first cut into my oh-so-chocolatey birthday cake, Mousie announced that we had come to the part of the "critter shut-ins party” where we respond to teddy friends, pinging birthday wishes online. During a Skype call with Teddy Yeti and Boo Bear, Mousie thought it might “be nice” to extend our chat time into a video watch party, which Boo Bear promptly responded to by putting on a really “super” alien documentary.

As the ravenous Beast Within welled up inside, it took every ounce of self-restraint I had to sit through the mixture of exaggerated intrigue and disinformation being spouted by the onscreen charlatans. I could only hope that after this torture was over, no further obstacle would remain between me and the chocolatey decadence screaming out my name from the kitchen counter... and as for Boo Bear, I’ll have a talk with him later about how to identify ‘legitimate’ alien documentaries...

‘Birthday activities’ only served to spur on my already ravenous appetite, so it was a really good thing the cake Mousie made was as big as me. The cake was, in essence, a virtual ‘Bear’ replica, in both size and appearance.

(As you may have already noted in last year’s birthday post, Mousie tends to make chocolate baked goods in my image… an unsettling detail I choose to overlook, given their deliciousness.)

Right: Last year’s ‘Bear cakes’. I didn’t have to share any cake THIS year! 😜

First, Mousie presented me with the ‘Bear’ cake’s “tender tootsies” 😐... which were delicious. Next up, was the coveted chocolate-treat-holding paw piece. By the end of the night, the ‘body’ of the cake had been entirely carved up, leaving only the face intact, which Mousie insisted I save to "enjoy" on Sunday... it was gone by breakfast.

I now lounge, languid in my chair, savouring this rare, fleeting feeling of satisfaction, contemplating how there is no more potent stimulant to kickstart the spring season than a good solid hit of chocolate-induced dopamine. For me, this time of year is generally marked by a slight uptick in physical activity, i.e., less napping, more trips to the refrigerator, more helping Mousie with creative projects, and periodic bouts of intense rocket building/escape plan design. This spring, however, seems to have provided me with the perfect excuse to extend my hibernation. In such times of crisis, is hibernation not the most logical course of action for a well-fed bear?

Take it easy and take care of one another–Mousie wants to see all you humans out there, healthy and strong, on the other side... of torpor time. 🐻ZZZzzzz….