Monday, August 30, 2010

Awesome Storm!

This morning around 6am the skies opened up and DUMPED on us! There was booming and flashing, and all sorts of excitement. I tucked the suddenly snuggly kitties under the blankie with me and fell back asleep listening to the storm. It was awesome!

Oscar's putting on new feathers and is all full of bawks and attitude! His "flappers" are coming in and he can ALMOST fly. It's entertaining when it's not terrifying. He loves snuggling and wants to be my buddy...until it's not his idea. Then he wants to bite my fingers off and make me miserable. So normal.

We started the new semester of college + they're re-doing the intersections surrounding our house, so it takes forever to get anywhere! Also the sidewalks are all blocked off, so I can't even bike/walk to work without a TON of hassle. Hopefully it gets better soon!

Worn out, boring life, but at least I've put together a few entertaining thoughts!
LIVE LONG & PROSPER!
-m

Thursday, August 26, 2010

FULL OF GUILT

I am a bad blogger, also my spelling for some unknown reason has gotten worse than usual. Even so, I've had so many things not all of them bad going on, and I haven't shared. The pessimist says "no one reads this damn thing anyway", the optimist says "if I don't keep up on this my friends will stop checking". Therefore, I am going to string together the few thoughts I can gather and throw them on here! In no specific order. Hopefully things improve with practice.

New Kitty. Outsider the very snuggly porch cat who we've been watching/feeding for a month has somehow (we shall not name names nor place blame) become Sider...as in IN-Sider. He is a smart affectionate, cat who had some really bad luck in his adoptive family back in May. We found this out after we took him to the nearest vet & had them scan for a microchip...HE HAD ONE. The chip was still registered to the shelter, they gave us the number for his adoptors, and the vet tech called his people. When she showed up she had no interest in the cat and we got the vibe that she'd be dropping him into another neighborhood on the way to work...BAD PEOPLE. So we told her how cute we thought he was (she agreed but said he didn't care for her 3 year old, and wasn't a good replacement for her pit bull who had been "stolen"). I'm pretty sure they got him at one of the "free cat adoptions" they've been having and then when he didn't fit in they dumped him in our neighborhood. BAD PEOPLE. He's obviously not suited to being a wild cat, and in 100 degree temps dropping a cat in a strange neighborhood close to major traffic is akin to murder! However, he found us. I'm still not forgiving them. Once Sider realized it was either Out or In at our house he's shown a lot of appreciation for being ours, and may just prove to be the exercise program Yahzi desperately needs. He's four years younger than Yahz & Spazz & LOVES to play chase. Also he's learning that Oscar is not food...hopefully soon!

Speaking of the Bird Brain (his official title). His newest word is "Kibble". I stumbled into his room at 6:30 the other morning and the dialog went like this:
"...brawwwwk" (his version of my alarm clock going off)
"Good morning"

"Morning Baby Bird" (I try to be positive even though I'm not awake)

"Breakfast" this means his seed mix that also includes fruit and other noms, as I scooped seed into his dish and tucked back his blanket

"Drink-o-Water" so I took his water dish to the bathroom for a quick scrub and refill (all the while in zombie mode because I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON) as I'm tucking it back into his cage he hits me with his latest acquisition

"Kibble!?!" clear as day...his words usually start out as baby talk only I can understand, but apparently this one's important! So I scooped kibble into his bowl and walked away to realize I had just been completely bossed by a little green monster.

Last weekend was the Murray Family Reunion (Mom's step kids). We all camped at South Fork, and my friends the Rivera's came to camp with Scott & I. Despite a very stressful week for me (Fran took part of the week off to go on vacation & left Adda, Byron, Judy & I to hold the fort down) I had a good time. I actually got pictures of my Moose! Scott & I were floating in the river tied off to rocks when my pet river stick got away from me (yes the purple one I've hauled around for 2 years, it's a mini tragedy). I waded ashore & hurried down stream to where the Rivera's were camped in hopes that it might get caught on the shore & I could get it back. I had to hurry through a thistle patch in my water shoes, so I was watching my feet more than the river. When I hopped onto a rock and looked up, all I could see was Moose...AAAAAAHHHHHGGGGGG! At least that's what my hind brain said as I scrambled back to shore and the moose turned to nod at me. Either he recognized me (this is not our first or closest meeting, he's the same one that wandered past Royla & I while we were in the hammock and who came through camp every week last summer) or I didn't seem like enough of a threat. Either way I'm glad! My stick floated within a few feet of him. I decided at that point it was a reasonable adventure & went for my camera. As soon as I find my camera card reader there's gonna be a whole bunch of pictures!!!!!!!

I'm off to brown meat for my chile verde experiment, wish me luck!
-m

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Only so many hours in a day!

Work's been busy, home's been hectic. I've got some awesome pictures, but can't find the camera card reader...so next time.

We've camped the last 2 weekends in a row. Had fun both times, but we're definitely staying home this week!

Two weeks ago was Monte Cristo. We camped on top of a mountain during an awesome thunder storm, burnt 100 lbs of hardwood, and quite enjoyed ourselves. Also found out my former supervisors are spreading malicious rumors about me...not a big surprise. Kinda telling that they feel the need to make up lies. Makes me wonder how much of the problem they've figured out was their fault or had explained to them by their superiors. Not my worry anymore, and we had a good laugh at the stories their making up and the OBVIOUS holes in them (like all the problems that I was inviting have now moved "across the road" when there's not another campground on the other side of the street for 30 miles either direction). Also saw our friends Jim & Jerry (the ones who have a pickup camper and cats) at Willows on the way home. While we were there we got a peak at the new hosts and their camp site. They seam like nice folks who will tell the supervisors exactly what they want to hear. Seeing all the kids toys and junk strewn across their site sure made me feel better about how things looked when I was living there.

This weekend was the Andersen (my Dad's family) reunion. It was great to see them, I haven't spent much time with that part of my family in too long. We all stayed (some of us in campers) at a cabin near Bear Lake. There was tie dye (yes, I'm plotting a way to wear tie dye in one way or another every day of the year now!) paper rockets, an adorable cabin cat who was an expert at mousing and knew how to spot a good skritcher people. Oscar had a good time socializing and even had fun while his cage blew off of it's perch and landed on it's side (thank goodness cabin kitty wasn't around right then). Saturday we all went to the beach. Somehow we catered lunch for 50 from mine & Mom's camper kitchens, and it was delicious(at least everyone said so). I even got Scotty to play in the lake(yay for SPF 100). Saturday night Scott & I headed away from the beach with no specific plan and ended up in charming St. Charles Campground. Other the site being a bit of a trick to park in & the fire ring (attached grill) tripping Scott and creating a few FANTASTIC bruises. It was pretty ideal.

I've got many other things that I would love to chat about, and I promise to do so soon, but I must go tuck Oscar into his bedtime cage now so that our newly adopted cat Sider & I can both relax (he still thinks Oscar's prey).

Keep peace in your hearts and minds.
-m