A birthday party for Fup,
Powell's Technical Books, 33 NW Park, Sat-Sun noon-1 pm
Fup the tabby has lived her entire life within the sizeable walls of Powell's Technical Books, surviving a location move in 1992, a huge remodeling project in 1997, and an in-store fire five years ago. With a profile in this month's edition of the store's newsletter, a photo/profile at the Powell's website, and even a recent write-up in a Japanese cat magazine, Fup is an international geek pet superstar. This weekend the Powell's employees celebrate her 16th birthday with cupcakes, raffles, a coloring contest, and more. I caught up with Fup recently to see how the old dame's dealing with all this hullabaloo.
Thanks for meeting me today, Fup.
FUP: Purr-fectly all right. Heh. Hm.
Oh, you. Such a wit. Do you think it comes from reading all these technical books?
FUP: I don't read technical books. I'm a very slow reader. In my life I've finished Robert Crumb's Waiting For Food, Barbara Hodgson's The Rat: A Perverse Miscellany, and Jim Dodge's Fup, which also provides my namesake.
I see. And is Fup the book about a cat as well?
FUP: No, you dolt, it's about a duck. Sweet, little ducks... so tender and moist...
Er, yes. Ducks. Anyhoo, how's it feel to be 16?
FUP: Well, you know, I'm not as spry as I once was. As a young whippersnapper I walked atop these yonder shelves, batting the heads of passerbys with my pretty paws. Now it's hard just to get up on the copy machine, my favorite place of rest.
Are you excited for the big party this weekend?
FUP: Where there's a party there are customers, and customers adore me. I love attention.
Have you ever tried to escape, to see what's beyond these florescent-lit walls?
FUP: There was one incident involving some birds, where I slipped through the front door to attack some of the winged monsters. However, I was quickly snatched up by the wardens of this prison and escorted back to my cell. It's not so bad, though. They feed me and clean my litter box. It beats most nursing homes. JUSTIN WESCOAT SANDERS
