Sunday report

Another week of not breaking my New Year's resolution! I exercised 3 times. Twice at the gym at work, and once at home. This morning I got on the Nordic track. It wasn't as bad as I was dreading, due in large part to watching Game Show in My Head while I worked out. That show is unbelievable!!

I know, I know, I have broken my other resolution several times by missing a few days of posting here. But you have to admit I'm doing better! Yesterday I was out all day, first at bagels, then looking at houses with my friend Kim from work, and then at my parents' house. Today I exercised, had breakfast, took down the Christmas tree (finally!) and had my massage. There were many other things I had hoped to get done this weekend--one of these days, my loyal California reader (you know who you are) you will get your belated delivery from Santa!

I am very much looking forward to the inauguration next week, and I wish I could see every moment live. It turns out that my heater needs to be worked on (it is running in the "emergency" mode too often) so we'll see if I can schedule an appointment for Tuesday so I conveniently have to be home.

In other homefront news, my pipes froze Friday night! It has been bitterly cold here the past few days, and when I tried to take a shower Saturday morning, I had all the cold water I could want, but zero hot. Boo. So that evening I went to Lowes with my parents and bought a hot water insulation wrapper (that's just for energy efficiency) and some foam tube insulation for the exposed pipes. As we were leaving Lowes, we saw this beautiful sunset:


Oh and in case you were wondering, the hot water was functional when I got home Saturday night, and I left the faucet running ever so slightly so as to prevent the pipes from refreezing, and everything was kosher this morning. Good thing, because me after two days of not showering isn't very pleasant.

I will leave you with a picture of Comet sitting in the box I use to collect recyclable paper.


I saw him in it this morning, and he's sitting in it right now as I type this. Cats are funny.

Decoration photos

What my tree looks like in the daytime.
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Comet loves to sit under the tree. Just like Gabrielle's Pumpkin.

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Had to have this as soon as I saw it.

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One of the many snowmen my dear friend Nicole has given me over the years. His name is Joey Jingles.

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Bell stocking holder

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Countdown stocking holder

Total bum

I have things to post about but I'm being a complete and total lazy bum. I think because there are so many topics I could discuss, it's overwhelming to consider which one and where to start, so I just avoid the whole kit and kaboodle.

I'm in Michigan right now, staying in a very quaint bed and breakfast. I'm about 90 minutes west of Detroit in Marshall, and it's definitely got heaps of small town charm. Too bad it's such a short stay. But I'm glad to be hurrying home to take care of Comet. He got in a fight with another cat on Friday night, and Saturday he had a high fever and wasn't acting himself, so I took him to the vet. She shaved him in several spots to reveal bad cuts, some of which had become infected. So he's on antibiotics and I have to give him a pill everyday. Tomorrow's dose will be late but ce la vie. Needless to say, no more outside for Comet. Apparently he's a lover AND a fighter. Guess the screened porch will have to be higher on my list of home improvements.

Quick note

I want to write about my 2nd trip to St. Louis, as well as my trip to South Carolina to visit an old friend, but I don't have it in me right now to recount it all. I'm in Wise, VA this evening, about to climb into a bed that is not my own for the fourth time in five days. I like travel but am feeling more than a little burned out at the moment. Thankfully after tonight I will have seven blissful nights at home. Poor Comet. He is very vocal when I'm there now. Probably yelling at me, asking, "So when ya gonna leave me again?!"

It is ridiculously hot right now. In the span of a couple hours, a heat advisory, an air stagnation advisory(?), and a thunderstorm warning popped into my inbox. Nuts. For the next couple of days it's going to be like 101 degrees with a heat index of 110 due to humidity. I am just so thankful for air conditioning. How on earth did people manage before it was invented, especially wearing all those layers??

More soon.

Uncharted waters

Comet has always been an indoor kitty. It's safer for him, and easier for me. But now that I live in a house with a backyard, he has been staring out the sliding glass door longingly. I decided to let him explore one evening while I sat on the patio where I could keep an eye on him. It was fascinating. He made three laps around the yard, each one quicker than the last, sniffing and investigating every single thing. And then he started bounding around chasing a fly or something. It was adorable, and, strangely, made me proud. My baby in touch with his inner kitty!


Since then, he meows to go out all the time. I don't like the thought of his pristine white coat getting sullied with all sorts of outdoor dirtiness, but so far he hasn't rolled around in the mud or anything. I'm also leery of the neighbor's cat invading Comet's territory and them getting in a scuffle. Sometimes I try to resist his cries to go out, but then I look in his cute wittle face and, I know it sounds corny with a capital C, but I think of that old saying, "If you love someone, set them free." I'm totally the overprotective mommy and I need to let Comet go forth and play...at least in the relative security of an enclosed backyard. :-)

The other day, I let him out while I was getting ready in the morning. I kept looking down in the backyard from my bedroom window, checking on him (and taking the above photo). When I couldn't see him anymore, I figured he was close to the house, lying under the patio table, perhaps. But when I came downstairs, there he sat on the kitchen floor, the screen door wide open. He must have figured out how to slide it open to let himself back in! He's more resourceful than I give him credit for!

Spoiled kitty

Comet was trying to tell me last night that he is tired of his Science Diet food. I suspect he would never have known what it is to be unsatisfied if I hadn't tried out the expensive stuff (as if Science Diet isn't already pricey enough!). But now he likes the spa cuisine. Yes, they have spa cuisine for cats. I bought a bag of it a couple months ago because I was basically pressured by this lady at the pet supply store. She went on and on about how much better it is for the cat's health. Well, of course, he loves it. And last night he kept giving me this urgent look then running to his food bowl. Usually that means, "It's empty, you lazy bum, feed me already!" But there was plenty in it. So I knew he wanted the good stuff. Thus I found myself at Petsmart today purchasing kitty spa cuisine. I'll be darned, though, if that other stuff is going to waste. He'll get a mix and be happy about it.

While I was at the store I decided to spring for a new cat scratcher. He already has two, but they get worn out. They are only made out of cardboard, after all. These scratchers are the only thing that he reliably loves. You know how you buy a toy for your pet or your child (for some, pets are like children--me included!) and you are so pleased with yourself that you will bring happiness to your pet or child's life, and then you give the toy to your pet/child and they look at it/sniff it and walk away? Major let down. But imagine there was a toy that they would always dig. These corrugated cardboard scratchers (laced with catnip, naturally) are a guaranteed winner. I can barely finish unwrapping it before he is ON that thing, scratching away, rubbing his cheeks on it, and in the case of the ramped version, playing with the ball underneath. Such satisfaction. For both pet and owner.

Comet up close and personal

Comet is the best kitty in the world. He greets me at the door like a dog, only better--there's none of that jumping and slobbering. And he likes to be hugged. When he's sitting on my bed, and I put my arms around him, he starts purring. But my favorite is when he climbs up on my tummy and just lies there purring. What a lovebug!

Mazda vs. Comet

I leave for Philadelphia tomorrow for six days and am more than a little concerned about the pet situation I'm leaving behind. I've taken in Mazda, my parents' cat, as a temporary measure. With them staying in a hotel room accompanied by three dogs, there is no room for a kitty in there, especially when the dogs aren't particularly feline-friendly (it's really just Speedy who can't help himself...the others just join along out of peer pressure). So Mazda was staying in the fifth wheel, which is sitting in the hotel parking lot. Not an ideal situation, being so isolated, but better than the alternative. However, with the weather getting chilly at night nowadays and there being no heat in the RV, I offered to foster Mazda at least until my parents' new house is finished.

Well, Comet and Mazda have not exactly been getting along. I confined Mazda in my closet (not as cruel as it sounds because it's huge in there and even has a light) for 24 hours and let the cats sniff each other under the door. Then Mazda started getting restless, probably because she wanted attention, not because she was cramped. So I let her out. She was hissing more than Comet, who seemed merely curious. Keep in mind, Mazda is at least 16 years old, while Comet is a comparatively spritely seven-year-old, so her hisses were crotchety "Leave me alone" types. Also, it's worth mentioning that Comet weighs in at about 17 pounds, while Mazda is about six. For the past few days we have had a somewhat tenuously peaceful coexistence. Hissing, yes, but limited and manageable. Comet's reaction to Mazda became almost one of playfulness, but again, she's too old for play and not in any sort of mood.

This morning, however, we had a disruption in the truce. Mazda was on my bed and Comet wanted to jump up there and be with his mommy. Mazda viewed this as an attack and lashed out. Comet responded in kind and we had a full blown cat fight at 7 am. Naturally I leaped out of bed and broke it up. I shooed Comet out of the bedroom and closed the door, but he started scratching on the carpet because he doesn't like being kept from where he wants to go. So I had to open the door. By now Mazda was in the closet (she chooses it now as her safe place) so I closed that door to keep them separated.

I seriously hope these animals get along while I'm away. It could be very bad if they don't. One hopeful thought: When I lived with Jane, my roommate for a year in Playa del Rey, and her two cats, she frequently reported that there was no fighting while I was at work, and it only happened when I was home...some sort of territorial thing, I guess. So maybe when I'm gone they'll get along because there will be no owner to fight over. My dad will be checking on them daily, and if he detects any problems, Mazda will have to go back to the fifth wheel. She did okay out there for a couple days, burrowing under blankets. I mean, in the wild, cats give birth in the snow and the kittens manage to survive. So I'm sure I'm overreacting to the temperature. That, or I'm rationalizing that 40 isn't too cold for Mazda in order to be overprotective of Comet. Nah, I never rationalize.