Friday Cat Blogging

Sooooo sleepy!

Soaking it in

I am loving:

1- the days that are long enough that there is both a) light when I go to work, and b) light when I leave work. Even on the long days.

2- the days with temperatures above freezing. (Not all of them yet, but several in a row at a time, now!)

3- watching little kitty enjoy the sunshine on more days each week.


4- hearing birds when I'm having morning coffee on the porch.

5- having finished my taxes in record time, earlier than ever!!!! woohoo! (Hint, if you are missing important tax docs still, most places are set up so that you can pick them up online, now. Let's hear it for the internets!) (Also hint: online tax prep is the bestest. Big thanks to pietro for suggesting Taxact to me a couple of years ago! It gets even easier the second year in. And, no, I'm not getting any consideration for that blurb. Not on my 4-people-actually-read-it-well-sometimes blog! I wish.)

6- the technology that allows me to work on a weekend day from home, rather than having to go back into the office, one. more. day. (Since there's just no getting around the extra hours at this point, anyway. Would I prefer a 35 hour work week? You bet. But this is the best I can do right now. My supervisor is calling my work group 'lean' and 'efficient' these days. uh huh. Nice way to say it, I guess.)

7- our shiny new president who is taking on really big issues and not flinching. About time, that.

Hope you all are hanging in there, and finding things to love.

Oh my!

Has it really been that long?
Well, not much happening here that is bloggable. Although I will add my own joy to the internets on a good overall election result. And also my regrets for the propensity of my fellow citizens to vote to limit other citizens' access to equal marriage and adoption rights.

Most of what's going on in the Minor household here is unbloggable. We are doing okay, but there is some stress, mostly work related, and not much sense of when the light at the end of the tunnel might be seen to actually be there. We are healthy, and well, otherwise, though, and I am thankful for these blessings. Tiny cat is doing well, too. Much less stressed than earlier in the fall, so: healthy and fine and furry.

My mother's kitty passed on recently, at 17. He was a real sweetie, and she misses him dearly. I know we do, though it's been a long time since he has been part of my daily life, other than via phone calls. I think her lap must feel very empty in the evening. And although she often complained about his being a bed hog at night, I think that must be a strange transition as well. He was a very good boy, and one of the first kitties we ever met with such a fine, gentle and open personality. He loved us all very well, and took good care of his humans for many years.
In other news, I have been tasked with coming up with 'fun' packaging for a paper gift to some of the family children at Christmas. (Think gift card in an envelope.) We want to make it more interesting to open than just an envelope. I have been looking at various papercraft objects online, and of course thinking of creating some bigger box to open, and perhaps smaller related items which might be packaged with said paper gift, and which might make a sound when shaken. Do any of you have good ideas for this? The kids opening the present (together?) will range in age from about 6-teen.

Ewww!

Ok, that's one job just got a lot easier and more expensive.
Here's what is apparently in most of the sofa cushions, and therefore unscrubbable/ unwashable even if I could get the smell out out the cushion fabric:
So the stuffing can't be kept, and the cushion fabric isn't really worth keeping, and likely won't wash well. So now I guess my choices are: keep the couch frame, find or make new cushions/ pillows; ditch the sofa, do not replace; ditch the sofa, replace with new sofa. Anyone want to make an argument for any of these options or another I have not yet considered?

You need to know that:
1) I got this sofa for free about 8 years ago and moved it once.
2) I am exceedingly cheap and like to use things until they are all used up.
3) We might change living quarters sometime in the next 2 or 3 years.
4) I have not yet ascertained if the cat stank is isolated to the pillows/cushions.
5) Despite being cheap, I like to window shop for furniture.
6) Every piece of furniture in our house is hand-me-downs, except for our bed and the futon in the guest room, which has seen better days, too, frankly.
7) Having learned more about the wonderful world of bed bugs since we acquired said furniture (all second hand knowledge, knock on wood!), I am now not too into the idea of second-hand upholstered furniture.

That is all.

Long Weekend- yay!

Woohoo. A long weekend. And I've started an ambitious to-do list. Mostly involving cleaning and de-cluttering. Which have been on my mind for months. So that will be really good. Today, I have an outing with a friend I have neglected too much (that could be just about anyone, but oh well, I can only get to one of you at a time, sorry, if you know me, you know I suck like that, and it's really nothing personal.) I am going to bike over to a nearby museum, then we will tour whatever part we feel like seeing, and then we will have lunch. Very civilized. Then I will hopefully be full of energy and get started chipping away at said list.

Mostly, I am determined to redeem myself in the eyes of relatives coming to visit next weekend, who have seen the Mess of Summer. And also, deal with the cat smell coming from strange places the cat decided to mark/pee on post-visit from another cat earlier in the summer, in hopes that the next cat visit will not see an escalation of the turf wars. Not that this will dispel our reputation as the family slobs, but it will make the place nicer for us all, in any case. Here's to beating back the squalor, and happy, cozy, somewhat clean living!

Projects include basic cleaning, clearing and wiping of hard surfaces, laundry, vacuuming, detoxing of the fridge, and also dismantling of an old sofa, with an attempt to wash any removable parts, and figuring out what to do with the rest, then reassembling of the washed parts, if they haven't shrunk past that point. It will take a while. And then I may need to figure out what to do with the sofa if it isn't salvageable. So it will certainly be a big project, one way or the other. Wish me luck!

I've also started acupuncture, to deal with a number of things, mainly neck and back pain, and migraines, and will continue with that this weekend. And I can say to any of you contemplating it: really NOT scary! Which surprised me. People aren't joshing when they say you really can't feel much at all when those needles go in. But also? Damn. Pretty expensive. And no help from the insurance. So part of today's list is to figure out if at least I can put this on the FSA card, and thus pay in pre-tax dollars. Because the treatment for chronic type things apparently takes a while, and quite a few sessions.

In other fascinating news, I will also be tackling our budget to get us back on track with new savings goals, clearing out some boxes left from materials we received months ago, which are sitting stacked in the LR corner, right where we opened them, and finding a couple of piddly little bills that are certainly lying around somewhere close by, under a stack of Very Important Papers Which Must Not Be Thrown Out. And pay them.

I've been reading folks lists of 101 things to do in 1001 days. I really like lists. But I don't think this kind of set-up would work for me. And I wonder how the publication of such a list might skew people's choice of items for it. And I wonder how the hell people who have put "learn X language, learn Y language, learn to knit, etc. times 4" think they are going to do that in a couple of years, if they have to also check off all the little chore-like repetitive stuff that is on some of those lists, and also go to the gym 5 times a week for 5 months.

It cracks me up that things as small as "eat a vegetarian meal" take up as much space as "learn X language" on a list like this. I have seen people break up their fitness goals into somewhat smaller chunks, but nobody seems to break up some of the other HUGE learning projects into smaller, spread over time, do-able chunks. It's not going to happen by osmosis, folks.

Also, who puts "buy X number of fancy panties" on a public list? Really? I don't need to know that. And what kind of goal is that, anyway? Do you really need to plan ahead to work that into your schedule? Are you worried that you might actually forget to buy panties sometime in the next two years? Or that you might forget, once you are in the store, and buy plain white granny panties by mistake, when you really wanted something sexier? Oh well, list away, if it makes you feel good. I know I like my lists, too, so whatever works for ya. Cheers.

OMG

What freakishly long, effed up day. ugh. I need a day off so badly! One that's really a day off, not a day where I go in to work for half or more of the day because there is just too much damn work to be done. Today, so many little things went wrong for so many people I answer to. I just put out fires all day long. And then, an hour after the work day should have ended, I biked home, had a shower, and got in the car and drove back to work for more of the same.

I just had dinner (at work) at 7:45, and that's pretty darn late for me, and then I did a couple more things, and now I am home, hallelujah. Still, my colleagues and crew are doing really great work and working as hard as I am. So, in that sense, I can't (and won't) complain. But I am really yearning both for time off and for a sense that I am finally a bit more ahead of schedule/less on the spot. And those may be contradictory wishes, at least in some senses.

And yes, you heard right, I biked to work (at least for the first stretch of it!) today, and that's the 3rd time in the last week. So, yay for that. And yay for my sweet LP who saved dinner for me at home, just in case, and for my sweet little kitty who is singing to me and giving me kitty hugs.

Melting...

In which I am an eco-weenie.

I had hopes of not putting in the AC window unit until, say, late July. But it's ho-ot. We sweltered yesterday, and gave in this morning. We both have too much work on our desks to lose another day to fanning ourselves lethargically on the porch. And fitful sleep.

The cat is hiding under the bed. I think I freaked her out with the cleaning of the air-conditioner, which involved her arch-nemesis, the vacuum cleaner. But, I also think she is pouting about the windows all being closed again, so soon. She was actually sitting in the sunniest window yesterday, in between the curtain we had pulled and the glass. Sorry, little one!

And, I'll probably drive to work again, most of the week. I *have* biked a few times without reporting it here, but not enough to merit any good eco-karma, really.

Do you think I can get some points for not flying anywhere this summer?

Ugh.

Cats and trees

Here's a site I found years ago, but was thinking of again, as I browsed the Drs. Foster and Smith site looking at cat trees. The basic, mass market trees are so expensive, and I don't find them very aesthetically pleasing, for the most part. But these people have created an original, whimsical and in many ways beautiful home full of what is basically primitive (in the sense of untrained) art that is also cat-welcoming, and fun. Some day, if I get to tinkering, something similar might happen at our house. Or something like what Smith Industries does with natural trees for catteries.

So much to think about

But not much to blog on, I'm afraid. Most of my musings of late stem from meeting new people, and not really 'getting' them. I wouldn't mind having your input, but I'm not sure it's right to blog about other people if you don't have something nice to say....

It's not so much that I have not-nice things to say, it's just clear that a number of recent contacts of mine and I are not on the same page for a number of items, and I don't want to be judgmental, but deep down I think: I am, oh, I am. So, better just to let folks have the room they need to do things the way they want/need to. Right? But, wow, it never ceases to amaze me how different we all are out there in the world, despite also sharing many dreams/experiences. So here's me, trying to let people be. Because I really hope they'll do the same for me. doo de doo...

KTD minus 2. Wednesday is the big Kitty Transfer Day. I picked up extra litter, lint rollers, litter box liners, and baby wipes for the new/old kitty people. I still need to pick up food. I wish I could buy a vet subscription for them to make the first year check-ups and all less onerous. Does anyone know how to do that? I was recently in a financial class where the teacher said absolutely do NOT buy pet insurance: as things stand now, there is not enough competition between animal insurers, so they don't have to worry about establishing good stats, like say, low number of policies dropped after claims made.... So anyone have any other ideas?

Hibernate

ZZZZZ
Every year, I do this. It's ok, I just slow down in general for the next few months. This is the first time my work cycle has lined up with my body's cycle, though, so I will discover how that feels. Maybe it's good not to have to fight for more energy, maybe having something you have to get jazzed up for was good. I don't know. I do know I just generally feel pretty low energy this time of year. yawn.

Here are a couple more photos from the fall safari (That will be all I will post of them, since they seem to take a while to load):


I took the horsey shot (super zoom) for my nephew, then forgot to send it.

The grass is *still* green, even now that the leaves are gone.

Look at the great scar in the trunk of the tree in the foreground.

A forest path.

I think it's interesting that the BBC and CNN news sites had conflicting stories run about women, fat and cancer on the same day earlier this week. And I might blog about it if I weren't hibernating. Or I might blog about Sarkozy's visit to congress, freedom fries, and what it takes for a French president to 'connect' with Americans and why that makes me sad. Or I might blog about how I am taking a 4-day weekend (yay, need it).

Or I might tell you how I had a chance recently to visit a windmill/electric power creating place and how that was so cool (I have pictures, but I'm not sure they're worth sharing...we'll see.)

Or I might tell you about how I am trying to get ready to give back a loaner/refugee kitty we have housed for the last two years, since the real kitty mama can now do the parenting. Trade-back date is Thanksgiving week, and there are kids involved, so the kitty must go home. But she really is a sweety-pie, and I will miss her. But not stripey kitty. Stripey kitty will not miss her. at all.
g'nite!

Kitties and other

Today I took both kitties to the vet. I thought it was a good idea to schedule them for the same day. Maybe not so much. It's much harder to get two cats into carriers for an appointment than just one. And it also makes for an expensive visit. Tally: one ear infection, two shots, 'suspicious' signs of fleas, enough for the vet to want flea treatment, not enough for me to feel sure it's worth putting poison on the cats, but who am I to argue. And an unsatisfying answer to my question below about cats and toilets (see the comments for my previous questions). Sigh.

I haven't ridden the bike yet this week, and am not likely to tomorrow, given how crummy I still feel. Also not good. I just want to curl up and sleep, and not have to go to work. My boss is sweet, and suggests I take another day, but I feel guilty.

A while ago, a couple of friends and I started a support group for people moving into my area. It's a place that is wonderful, but isolating. The support group is large, but not being used much at all. I find this disheartening. I don't know why folks are so shy about reaching out, but I also don't want to hound people, so I don't. But I wish it would 'take off' and get some momentum. I feel like people are so insular. When people talk to me one-on-one, they mention how hard it is, but nobody seems to have the time? impetus? courage? to really make that effort to connect. I am the same way, much of the time, so I don't judge, but do wish things would magically improve.

Sunday cat blogging

Hi. I have an important question. Sorry, no fun pictures. We are trying to be green, as you may have guessed with my recent posts on biking and car use. We also have cats. Two for now, maybe outsourcing one soonish. I just cleaned out the litter boxes. We have resolved to try to do this more often (we often make this resolution).

In any case, here's the deal: currently we use plastic bags from the market, but sometimes recently we get low on these, as we are trying to bring our own reusable bags. Someone recently suggested on CAP that folks use smaller bags from grocery purchases for this: bags from bread or other products, not the bag you put groceries in at the checkout. I like this idea, and I think it will work for us as we do unfortunately buy a number of processed foods that come in a plastic bag of one sort or another. And, it seems to me that if we clean the litter boxes more often, the size of the bags is less of an issue.

We have friends who use something like a diaper genie for cats to control odors once the box has been scooped. This seems like a great idea for apartment living, and hey, even in a house, who wants the place to smell like cat? But it doesn't seem very green. Currently our back porch is the stinky poop warehouse where scooped, bagged litter waits for the biweekly trash pick up. ew. So, we are going to try bagging the prizes and putting them in a big plastic container while they wait. But, I am still looking for a better way: less stinky, and greener. We currently use Arm and Hammer, which comes in a big, heavy weight cardboard box. We have tried greener litter, and the cats don't like it, plus the odor control is an issue, even with frequent scooping.

a) Is there a litter that is similar to Arm & Hammer Multi Cat, but that comes in a paper bag?
b) What do you know about other options for cat waste? I like the idea of the cat learning to use the toilet, but I've heard that in some states (CA?) this is illegal, for environmental reasons. What are those reasons? Is it better to go this route and thereby avoid the good/bad litter debate? Or would we just be polluting the sewage system by doing this?

Seems to me that training the cat to use the toilet would help us avoid having to use the plastic bags at all, help with the odor problem, help with the never-ending resolution to keep the boxes nicer for the cats. But. I don't want to be the person putting something toxic into the system, if it won't work with current sewage treatment methods....