Nothing About Cats

I didn't get called into work today. I didn't get called into work today! Now there's plenty of days that I don't go into work, but it's my choice. Today, for the first time in months, they didn't call me. I'm feeling rejected here. A little bummed out. Here I am with nothing to do, except a bunch of stuff I don't want to do. So to delay all that, I will catch up with all of you.

First, this: One of the rarest things in the world. A halfway decent picture of me. Sure it's a little blurry and the color is funny, but if that's what it takes, so be it. This is me and the girl at the champagne brunch reception of the new Mr. and Mrs. Eric Anderson. My good friend Mindi went out and got her own Eric, so now we have a matching set. Okay, they don't match at all, except in name. But how strange was it to get that invitation in the mail? Just a tad bit unsettling, but we're all adjusting.

A few of you out there know my weakness for champagne and let's just say that they weren't stingy with making sure your glass was full. By 1 PM we were back home and I took a little nap.

The man: It's called passing out.

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Friday night, the munchkins and I went to see "South Pacific" performed by the Elyria Catholic drama department. I don't want to talk about it much except for these points--

1. South Pacific has way too much talking and way too many slow songs to ever attempted by high school students. There should probably be a law in place against it.


2. The "auditorium" at EC is the ugliest room on Earth. And I am just saying that because I'm a EHS snob.


3. Sitting on hard, benches for a long, dull musical is very hard on your back, even when you resort to sitting between the benches and have your legs up on the bench in front of you, thus making you look and feel ridiculous.


4. The live band was very nice.

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The kids and I just finished "The Last Battle" which is the last book in the Narnia series. If you've never read all of them (or any of them), I very highly recommend them. I know some people shy away from books in a series, too much of a commitment, but that's what makes these books great. You don't have to have a stellar memory to enjoy them. Each book is a story entirely on it's own, completely understandable without having knowledge or history from the stories previous to it. "The Last Battle" should be read last, but other than that, it's a free for all. I would really like to go into "The Last Battle" and discuss my theories about Susan with someone. I've read lots of online articles about her, but I would really like to have a discussion with someone else who has read them. If you've read them (or if you could please hurry up and read them), I would appreciate hearing from you! If I don't hear from somebody, I'll just have to spit out all my ideas on this blog and ruin it for everyone else. That's not a warning, it's a threat.

Cat Wrap-up

So you want even more news about these cats, do you? Okay, but this is it for awhile because there's only so much of this that a person can take.

Yes, they are our cats now. We did all the right things to get rid of them. Ads in the paper, ads on Petfinder.com, calls into shelters to be put on waiting lists, their own website: I really, really tried. And then something awful happened. It worked.

Someone called who wanted Jack. They saw his exceedingly cute pic online and then wanted to come meet him. I froze. I panicked. Jack? My little Jack-Jack? Some weirdo calls my house and wants my little sweet kitten boy? The decision was quick.

"He's already been taken." I wasn't a lie.

After that more calls came. Somebody else wanted Jack, two people wanted Meg, the APL called and had space finally. Nope, nope, nope. Couldn't do it.

So here we are with a house full of cats. The kittens are seven months old this week. And how is Marco fairing through all of this? The kittens figured him out pretty fast-- If you don't run, he won't chase. And he doesn't. He comes over and gives them a big sniff and a sloppy, wet kiss on the head now and then. (His tongue is as big as their faces!) They bat at him when he walks by, but he doesn't notice. Jack is very fond of sitting on a kitchen chair and striking out at the dog. Marco just keeps on going, never missing a beat. There's one big bowl of water in the kitchen and often you'll finding a kitten or two taking a drink beside Marco. Unbelievably cute. They don't snuggle together; not yet, but I can see the day coming when big group naps in the sun will be the norm.

Mama is another story. First, something happened to her last week which has completely changed her personality. The only way I can describe it is that they didn't just remove her female parts, they also removed her bitch gland. She is a new cat. (And yes, we discussed the possibility of a cat mix-up at wild and crazy Spay/Neuter factory).

Last summer, she was the sweetest little cat ever. She made us love her by being so friendly and cuddly. But she hated Marco and Marco hated her. Then, she had the kittens and we brought her in. Immediately she changed into this sulky hateful thing that was completely miserable. "It's just the kittens." We told ourselves. "She's being protective. She's tired." Once the kittens were on their own and so was she, we thought she would come back to us. But she stayed grumpy and snarly to everyone. She would glare at you with eyes that said, "If I was bigger, I would rip your throat out!" If you reached out to pet her, she would shy away like your hands were made of acid. She hid most of the day, only coming out when nature called or to kick the kittens around, chase off Marco or be ugly to us. Fun pet, eh?

But now, after the surgery, she's back to acting like that cat I found in the basement. She chirps and meows all day long; matter of fact, she never shuts up. She comes downstairs and sits with us. She cuddles with kittens and sleeps all wrapped up with them. It's an amazing change.

But she is the same cat, because she still treats Marco the same. The only difference now is that she has to deal with him much more often, now that she's not hiding. She's on the couch, in the kitchen, around the corner hissing, spitting and striking out whenever he lumbers by. But don't feel too bad for him. He KNOWS that she's going to do it and just keeps coming at her, sticking his big mug in her little face over and over again. He'll learn. Eventually. He has to, right?

So that's the story of how a tried and true dog family, became a dog/cats family. We were hoodwinked, sucker-punched and bamboozled. But as this little cat cuddles in my lap right now, I guess it hasn't been that bad.

What do you do on a day off?

You run around and take pictures of the cats. Yesterday the feline trio had a tough day. It was "Gettin' Fixed" Day. We took them out to the Spay Neuter Clinic in Cleveland out by the zoo. They had to be there at 7 AM and we could not believe the crowd that was already there. Later we found out that they were having a slow day! We picked them up at 3 and they were a sorry sight to see. Back at home, they couldn't walk in a straight line. They just stumbled about looking at you with their stoned eyes. Pathetic. But today at least the kittens are back to normal. Mama's still not up and about much, but even when she's feeling good, she's not terrible active.

Here's Jack and his new favorite toy- the catnip mouse on a stick.

Extreme close-up of Meg. Yesterday her eyes were so dilated! She would look at you with one eye, then the other, then just give up.
Jack in one of his favorite spots, right between the fish tank and the window. The cactus is there to keep him from going any farther. It doesn't work.
Meg sitting in the window. She barks at birds while she sits here.
The girl took shot after shot of Mama, but she is not photogenic, nor cooperative. This is as good as it gets. Mostly she hides all day.

We had the day off today because a tornado touched down near the mall last night and knocked out the power the school administration building. We didn't know until we showed up at school this morning and no one was there. Strange way to start the day, but we've made the most of it.

Books, books, books

I could tell you about how nice and warm it was today. I could tell you how the kids were shooting arrows today in the backyard and got an arrow stuck in the powerline. Then I could tell you how the man knocked that arrow free using a basketball. I could post a bunch of pictures of the kittens since it's been awhile since you've seen them. But instead, I'll pass along this list I picked up off Leesapea over at But Wait! There's more... She's easily the queen of the memes, but she posts everyday, so I'll cut her some slack.

Look at the list of books below.

Bold the ones you’ve read.
Italicize the ones you want to read.
Don't do anything to the ones that you aren’t interested in.

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)--almost done!
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMavrier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce

Luxury?

1. I have been recently been asked what luxury items I would like for myself if price were no object. At first, I couldn't think of a thing. Not a thing. I can come up with list upon list of things I would like for the man, for the kids and especially this house. (The list for the house would probably bring you to tears.) But I have a had a much too difficult time thinking up things just for me. Finally, I have this list:
   

Socks. The majority of my socks are the most pathetic things you have ever seen. But whenever I go to buy socks, the price of them throws me back. Why are socks so expensive? It's not a lot of material and it seems to be in a fairly basic shape. It's a mystery. And I'm not looking for fancy schmancy socks. Basic colors and white would be just fine.

Shoes. I would love all new shoes. Shoes for work, shoes for walking, shoes for looking sharp. The catch is that they would have to fit me and my monstrously high arches. Most every shoe I've ever owned I've just had to settle with almost fitting my arch.

A Cut and a Color. (Did you think pants would be next?) I am way past due for afternoon with foil in the hair. Things are getting ugly!

New Eyes. This is the ultimate luxury item that I would want right now. Laser surgery to fix my eyes. That would be grand. I do have contacts, but most of the time I'm too lazy to put them in. To wake up in the morning and being able to see, to swim... I can't imagine what it would be like, but I know that I want it!

So there it is. Looks like about $4000 to me. What does your list look like?

Down to the last crumb

The cookie sale is finally, finally over! It's been a long three weeks of cookies, cookies, cookies and more cookies. The troop did four cookie booths in the past three weekends and sold a ton! We handed in all the paperwork and money today and I recycled everything else. That felt good!

There's 30 boxes of cookies left out in the van, but they shouldn't be a problem to unload. (You need any cookies?) Now I can get the van seats out of the house and back where they belong. Now I can find the surface of my desk. Now my phone will stop ringing all the damn time. Now I can talk about something else!

SPOON(S)!

Behold the Brewer brandishing my 6 new spoons that he found on Ebay for me. You may remember not long ago I was bewailing my spoon problem. Most of you told me, in not so many words, to suck it up and accept that I would have to have mismatched flatware. But not Brewer. Bravely he dove into the virtual garage sale that is Ebay and came sputtering to the top with not only these 6 spoons, but also 3 knives, 3 forks, 4 knives and an adorable little sugar spoon. My silverware drawer overflowth.

So thank you, thank you, Brave Brewer. I loved seeing you and Weaver again. Enjoy the cookies and the next time you stop by, bring the Numbers along. We'll feed them to Marco.