Let’s see if I can find something to talk about. Considering I haven’t been paying attention to the world at large and haven’t been doing much of anything but existing in the kitchen with my art supplies, there’s really not too much to talk about.

Well, there is Saturday’s flash mob event! I’m so glad I did that. It was a blast! I rarely do silly things in public, or rather, when I do silly things in public, it’s just me being a weirdo goofball and I’m doing them all on my own (and almost nobody notices). This time I got to be a weirdo goofball doing something silly in public with a whole bunch of other people. It was nice to have fun with complete strangers for a couple of minutes and not be doing something silly all by myself. This one will be followed by others, as the ultimate goal of all this is to have a world record breaking event with some thousands of people doing it at the same time to draw attention to the issue of worldwide malnutrition. I’m going to stay involved and go to as many as possible, because everyone needs some public silliness in their life, especially when it’s for a good cause.

After the event, we went to eat at the Flying Saucer, which is at The Triangle, an urban development I was somewhat opposed to having been built. Oh yes, it’s nice, and there are nice shops and restaurants there, and it’s very pretty, but I still miss the big open green field with trees that used to be there. I’ll be putting my grumpiness about the loss of green-space into reserve though, because I really like the Flying Saucer. If you like beer, they have beer. I mean the beer list is HUGE. Pages long. Now I’m not terribly crazy about beer, though I like a good one every once in a while, so this is the kind of place I like. I can try something different every time I go … for the rest of my life. Who knows, maybe I will find a beer I really, really like! Next time, I plan to splurge on a $10 pint of beer made by Trappist monks. A bit pricey, but come on … beer made by Trappist monks. I have to try it. Oh, and they also have the best hot German potato salad I have had since my grandmother died. I could taste the apple and cinnamon! So very good. As was the bratwurst and the beer and cheese soup!

Sunday Lin cut back the overgrowth in the yard, so our property looks a little more civilized. It hadn’t been completely awful until we had that week recently when it rained every day, and then the prairie grasses grew exponentially. Some of them were at least waist high! I still need to get out there and chopped down the bits that invaded the garden area, but it’s over 100º outside these days, and I just can’t bring myself to do it. Maybe one of these mornings I’ll just force myself to go do it, but I’ve not been terribly inspired to pay too much attention to my garden.

Which brings me to the topic of my garden. Last year things went poorly because of the drought and heat. This year the weather has been nicely moist and until recently not too blazingly hot, which means things like bugs and fungus have been a pain in the butt (and weeds, OMG, the weeds). We got a good number of tomatoes before it got too hot for them to set fruit, and there’s still occasionally one or two every so often. Not as many as I’d like, but there never is. I never went without basil or cucumbers or carrots, so those were all big wins. The onions, garlic, and herbs all either died or were destroyed by bugs and large-footed neighbor dogs. And though the beans grew healthy and bloomed like crazy, we did not get bean one. Not a single bean. I’m not even going to bother mentioning any of the other failures, of which there were a few.

So this year’s spring/summer garden can be summed up as … somewhat unsatisfactory, just like every garden before it. Will this stop me from gardening? Of course not, because the NEXT garden is going to rock! Such is the way of gardeners. In fact, since it’s now August, I really need to get out there and clear out all the seedy basil, pull up the last of the carrots, and start clearing things for fall planting. I have no idea what I’ll be planting. With the art project taking up so much of my time and energy, I haven’t put much thought into it. I imagine I’ll just plant whatever seeds I already have from last year and see how they do this year. I expect the end result will be somewhat unsatisfactory, but that’s gardening for you.

Speaking of the art project, I am in the middle of drafting the pattern for Figure Two, and it’s going as well as the pattern drafting for Figure One went. In other words, not well at all. But I worked out the problems with the first one in a week or so, and I’m sure I’ll work out the problems with this one too. I’m grumpy about it all, but I am feeling surprisingly stress-free. The new deadline is in a couple of weeks, but having Figure One done was the initial goal, and I can finish it up in an afternoon. If I manage to get Figure Two done or the combined Figure One and Two piece done, well that’ll just be icing on the cake. I’m going to shoot for the final combined figure, but if it doesn’t happen, I’m not going to beat myself up about it. I’ll just finish it after the deadline, because it’s going to be an awesome work of art whenever it gets finished. So all I can say about the art project is that I am still huffing away on it.

Yesterday was the cats’ birthday! I totally forgot until I opened my calendar for another reason and noticed it was already August 1. I usually make a big deal out of their birthday, even though I know they don’t especially know why they are getting new toys and treats. Though I do have to say that they were all being terribly sweet and affectionate yesterday, so maybe they DO know when their birthday is. LOL! Anyway, Ronin and Myu turned four, and Tora is now two. My kittens are all grown up, not that they act like anything other than bratty babies though. I need to sit down and make a post about the cats soon, because there’s been some upset in the hierarchy among the cats, and it’s been pretty funny. I need to go clear the kitchen floor and tables of artsy stuff now though, and if I start babbling about the cats, I’ll be here for an hour.

I guess that about sums up things around here. Like I said, I haven’t been paying much attention to anything outside my own little world. Just been working on my artwork, doting on my cats, trying to keep the house maintained, and sleeping and eating and watching a bit of TV. In the grand scheme of things, from my point of view, life is good. This likely means the world has gone to hell while I have been ignoring it, so perhaps I’ll read some news with my morning coffee tomorrow. I’m sure no good will come of it, but I don’t like being completely in the dark about current events (even though I’ve discovered that ignorance really can lead to bliss).

It seems a lot of people have already seen this, but it is SO worth seeing again and again. OMG. The cuteness is almost painful!

Being carefully inspected by Tora, of course!

Bored and lazy, just like a human teenager. LOL!

Already had a busy morning. Watered and weeded in the garden. Applied flea goo to the cats and treated the rugs and carpets with flea egg inhibiting spray. Did the dishes. Started the rest of the laundry. That’s quite a lot, considering it’s only 9 am. I usually don’t even get started really moving until 9 am. Go me!

The cats, though, are a bit disturbed by so much activity so early in the day, especially the flea goo and spraying of stinky things. They are quite a bit less than happy with me at the moment. I can feel them staring holes in me from their usual hiding places, and when I enter a room, all I see are flashes of cats disappearing to other parts of the house. Poor dears. I know the flea goo sucks. It’s a stinky liquid applied to animals that hate both stinky things and liquids touching any part of them, so yes, it’s not exactly pleasant for them … though they will be thankful when what fleas we have are gone. The kitten brought fleas into the house right at the tail-end of a flea goo application and before my quarterly rug treatment, so while we humans weren’t experiencing any problems with fleas, each cat must have had a couple. Not that anyone could check them without sitting on them and having an assistant, but they were scratching, and these cats only scratch when they have a flea.

It only takes one flea to cause a flea crisis. I never, ever want to have another season like the first one we had in the house. The house had fleas when we moved in, which we didn’t know until we introduced a cat to the situation. Then … it became pure insanity. I shudder to remember it. The stuff of nightmares for humans and cats alike.

I don’t blame the cats for being grumpy. It’s certainly not pleasant for me to have this awful chemical smell in the house, not to mention the chemicals themselves, but we have to do what we have to do. I don’t like spraying myself with mosquito repellent when I know I’ll be outside when those pests are active, but I do it. Mosquitoes love me, and I’d like to not be exposed to the West Nile virus, thank you very much, and Texas lead the pack in cases of West Nile. I may hate chemicals, but better safe than sorry on some things, like fleas and mosquitoes.

Now I need to go make myself look at least somewhat human and run to the store for milk. When I went shopping the other day, they only had half gallons, and while that used to last us a while, now that I am back to using actual milk in my coffee, it’s not lasting so long anymore. I better get to the store quickly too, before the last cup of coffee wears off, because I need another cup of coffee to be fully charged, and there’s no way I’m drinking it without something milk-like in it. LOL!

Jen uploaded two videos of Calypso, the Kitten today, and OMG … the cute HURTS! Even more amazing than the dazzling amount of adorableness is the fact Jen’s other cats aren’t actively trying to eat the little nugget of fuzz (as mine most certainly would be). LOL!

Now that I’ve had my kitten fix for the day, I better get back to doing something quasi-useful and constructive … like housework.^†

Awesome videos Jen! I take it you figured out iMovie. LOL!

1. † Or keeping my cats from killing each other. Seriously, Ronin is still on a post-kitten exposure bullying bender. It’s as if he’s forgotten he’s been living with the other cats for years. [↩]

This photo did not catch Myu in mid-movement. This is where that cat lounges for HOURS every day. One would think a hard wooden chair back wouldn’t make an especially comfy pillow, but Myu is one weird cat. She’ll drape herself across the stool and chair back and just hang there hour after hour after hour … until it’s time to move to the bed for more lounging. Her life mission is to do as little as possible at all times.

I’m finding myself a little more boo-hoo about the kitten being gone than expected. So easy to get attached to such an adorable little thing! She’s off to a good home though, and I’ll still get to see her growing up, so it’s all good. But still … waaaaah!

I cleared the living room of kitten tending goods, treated the rug and furniture with flea spray, have the bedding in the laundry, showered my cats with affection and playtime, and after a little bit of lunch, I do believe a nice long nap will be in order. I’m hoping that once my monsters have had the chance to share the sunny spot on the bed with me again, peace will return to the household. It hasn’t yet. Ronin is still being grouchy, and he’s making sure we all know about it.

I’m sure I’m not the only living creature in the house looking forward to the end of the hissing, growling, snarling, and whining. He can really be obnoxious when he feels put out, and it doesn’t take much to make him feel put out. The tiny interloper seems to have pushed him entirely over the edge, but I’m sure he’ll get over it in a day or two. He better. It’s becoming intolerable. LOL!

Well, time for lunch … and then cat cuddling and snoozing. I am seriously wiped out! I was wiped out pre-kitten, so I could definitely do with some sleep.

And cat cuddling. I haven’t spent much time with my own monsters for two days, and that’s really unusual. I miss my monsters!

The kitten squeaked a few times, but she was quietly playing in the carrier, so I just left that be. She’ll get hungry shortly, and there’s no ignoring her when she’s hungry. She’s got a squeak that could break glass, and she knows how to use it. While I’m sitting around waiting to make some formula and feed the baby, I’ve gone back to the beginning of Ronin’s and Myu’s life with us. I can’t believe it’s been four years. It’s been making me smile to remember their early adventures.

The night before we went to pick them up, while I was frantically getting the house ready and making sure we had everything we would need for kitten safety, health, and fun, I posted this:

They may be perfect angels from the get-go and won’t need to be locked up often. Or … they could be total hellions who get into everything.

If ever there were famous last words, those would be them! I’m still waiting for them to become perfect angels. Ronin and Myu are both mental in their own unique ways. Ronin is Emo Cat, and Myu is Needy Cat. They can be perfect angels, but only if they really, really want something, and they didn’t fully figure out that method would work until Tora came along two years later. Tora is my Perfect Angel.

I better go check on the kitten again, and if she’s not ready to eat, I am going to go to sleep for a little while. There’s no chance of me sleeping through her squeaking, not with the carrier right by my head. LOL!

Because I’m feeling reminiscent, here’s the what Ronin and Myu looked like on their first night home:

And the first photo I took of Tora:

Ah, the memories!

I would love to stretch out and close my eyes, but I know as soon as I do, the kitten will wake up and be hungry or require some other kind of attention. As soon as she is back to sleep after the next period of kitten activity, I will set my alarm for three hours, I will stretch out on the couch, and I will go to sleep. I got a few hours of sleep this afternoon, so I am not completely the walking dead, but I was already somewhat wiped out when I unexpectedly found myself mothering a kitten. I’m tired. Really, really tired.

In fact, I can’t remember the last time I was this tired. I think it was when Final Fantasy VII was released and I worked my full-time shift at my corporate job during the day and pretty much stayed up all night playing that game while simultaneously working on artwork. There are two good things about achieving this level of being tired: the calibration on my Tired Meter has been reset, and insomnia will likely not be a problem for a while. Always look on the bright side of life!

Then, of course, there has been the kitten. I can’t complain about the unexpected kitten. Stressful? Yes. Delightful as well? Oh yes. Especially delightful as soon as I knew she was going to a fantastic home where she’ll have a life full of adoration, love, and spoiling. At that point, I could start enjoying this as one of life’s interesting diversions. Memories. Sweet, adorable kitten memories.

Oh, right on schedule … I hear squeaking coming from the living room. Time to go baby the baby, and then … at least a couple hours of sleep.

Zzzzz.

I’ve been on Kitten Time for an entire day now. About three hours of snoozing followed by an hour of semi-rambunctious activity. This system may work well for kittens, but it’s not working so well for the human who was already sleep deprived and physically under the weather when the kitten arrived. I’d bet good money that tomorrow afternoon will be devoted entirely to sleeping … in the bed instead of on the couch … without any alarms being set.

She’s finally eating better today. A little more than a teaspoon at each feeding, which is more or less about what she should be eating. She’s still not into eating from the bottle, so this last time I put the formula in a tiny little glass bowl and held it at an angle, and she went at it with gusto. I’m just glad she’s consuming more than she was yesterday, because I was beginning to worry. I also offered her some water in the little glass bowl, and she had some of that too. Yeah!

And we’ve finally had some poo. Not the healthiest looking kitten poo ever, but I’ve seen worse. Good thing she has a vet appointment in the morning. She may have a bacterial infection, and while I would be surprised if she didn’t have worms, I didn’t see any really obvious evidence that she did. I still wish I could do something about the fleas, but aside from the few I got off with the flea comb (ever try to flea comb a tiny wiggling kitten – ha!) and just picking them off when I see them, I’ve got nothing appropriate to use to deal with fleas on such a tiny little baby critter.

With the higher intake of food, the little thing has become WAY more active. She’s not a fast-mover (yet), seeing as she’s still not 100% coordinated, but oh she tries! This afternoon she’s been very playful, basically attacking toes, fingers, and folds in fabric … even trying to pounce, without much success (though totally hilarious to watch). She’s going to be a handful once she figures out walking, running, and pouncing. But boy … is this an adorable kitty.

Lin just got home and Ronin realized he’s been in the same room with the kitten. The silly cat has been in here with me for at least 30 minutes and even rubbing against my leg and getting head scratches without a single hiss. Lin comes home, pays attention to Ronin and then dares to pet the kitten. Nothing but hissing, and now he’s off in the bedroom sulking. I described Ronin as “24 pounds of emo” this morning, and that is possibly the best description of him ever. Silly moody (jealous) beast. We’ll have to shower him with attention all weekend so he knows Mommy and Daddy still love him best of all. LOL!

The other two cats have settled into their usual routine, and their method of dealing with the small intruder is to simply not acknowledge its existence. After all, their food bowls are overflowing, the water is fresh and clean, the litter box has been scooped, and their still getting belly rubs and ear scritches, so there’s really nothing to get upset about, right? Well, until the little dear squeaks at them and the illusion of kitten non-existence is broken. Then the two girls hiss lightly with little conviction and toddle off for a nap. Good kitties.

I need to start contemplating what to do about dinner. It’s pizza night, of course, but I’m pretty sure I am not up to making a pizza, though I did run to the store to get cheese this morning. I intended to make pizza tonight. Maybe I still will, just not right this minute. The kitten just woke up again and wants to play. Once she’s expended her energy and passes out again, I’ll tuck her into the carrier and try to get the pizza made. Then, of course, she’ll be hungry again too!