Substitutions

I was out of town on business for a few days this week. I've been out of town a lot lately. I feel sorry for Cairo, who has to sit around the apartment for days on end so I cooked up a toy that I thought she would enjoy. I tied an aspirin bottle (her favorite toy) to an elastic string (her second favorite) and suspended it from a step ladder (her thirty-fifth favorite). A meager gesture to be sure, but at least it would give her something to do, right? I got back a few hours ago and she hasn't come to sit on my lap once. All she does is play with that damn thing. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm feeling resentful towards an inanimate object. I always knew that I am easily replaceable, but seriously, this is too much.