Forever Just Out of Reach

We haven't had the ever popular laser pointer in our house since the last one pooped out shortly after Theo came to live with us.  I've kind of felt bad about that on multiple levels. Theo loved chasing that pesky red dot all over the house. I would even go so far as to point it at the ceiling and that didn't deter Theo's chase whatsoever. He would leap as high as he could even though he was coming up about five feet short.

To not replace something he (and Diego-san) enjoyed made me feel derelict in my entertaining duties. But at the same time I felt kind of cruel because Theo was never going to rest easy until he caught that dot. (Diego-san would chase it for a while but then realize the futility and ultimately saunter away as if he was telling me he knew it was a game all along and he was just amusing me by agreeing to play.)

Last night I was out picking up some food for the boyz and I decided since Theo has pretty much licked the nip toys dry that I would pick him up a new toy (his routine includes taking toys out of the toy box and playing with them a couple of times a day). I was looking at the variety of nip toys- bananas, cigars, birds, hearts, etc. when an employee asked if I needed help. I jokingly said, "Do you know what my cat would like best?" and the employee trained to be helpful pointed to the laser pointer. "Ever have one of these?" he asked. So that's what I bought. And Theo's eternal chase began once again when I got home.

Reading Thompson

This is Thompson's "I heard the refrigerator door open but I know it's not my meal time but still maybe I should get up for a possible treat?" look.

Fairweather Fan

All this time I thought because he always faces with his back toward the TV whenever the Twins are on, that Diego-san is not a baseball fan. But I recently bought this Twins floor mat and Diego-san spent much of the weekend breaking it in and showing his true home team colors. Now I know it's not baseball he doesn't like, it's the Twins losing ways over the past few seasons.

Party Hearty

It was quite the weekend and Theo is STILL in the bag.

Levels of Alert

When Thompson rests on this side he can prop himself up. When he rests on his opposite side he has the advantage of having nothing in the way of him getting his head right next to the ground.  This is called turning a lemon into lemonade.

Be a Blob

Saturday is a good day to be a blob.  Diego-san is very good at blobbing. He's a brilliant blobber. He's one of the blobbiest blobbers ever.

Paper or Plastic?

Theo makes his preference known although truthfully I wouldn't let him play in a plastic bag.

Hiss

Just moments before I was wistfully complimenting Thompson and Diego-san for the special bond we've developed over the past 11 years and how I admire their partnership.  Then Diego-san got devious and Thompson got snarky.

Out of Mind, Out of Sight

Thompson knows that most days I leave the house early in the morning and do not return until what he considers to be late dinner time.  He does not know what I do in between, and he's not sure he really wants to know.

Both Sides Now

Diego-san sees that all the birds, squirrels, and rabbits in the yard obey his wishes just about as much as a certain younger brother who is on the other side of the window.

The Wheels Spin

What looks large from a distance, close up ain't never that big.

Tough Call

Those of us who are fortunate to be Thompson's housemates are trying to decide if he's a hugger or if he's a snuggler.

Judging a Book By Its Cover

This is what Diego-san looks like when he's happy.  Coincidentally it's also what he looks like when he's unhappy.

Here I Am

The boyz often complain I violate their privacy with all the photos of them that I plaster on the internet... They wonder why I never post pictures of myself on this blog.  Well never say never, here I am with my friend Sydne enjoying a recent Twins game.

Paranoia

I always feel like somebody's watching me...

Diego-san's Summertime Advice

You don't lose when you snooze.

Breaking News

We live within walking distance of the second largest zoo in the state.  After reading this news story I told Thompson that if he ever sees a gorilla walking around our backyard, he should probably let me know...

Gorilla briefly leaves enclosure at Como Zoo

A gorilla at the Como Zoo left its enclosure Thursday morning, but the situation is now considered “all secure,” officials there said.

The zoo said in a posting on Twitter that “a gorilla did leave its enclosure this morning but always [remained] in gorilla proof barriers.”

The posting added that the zoo was “all secure” and that “no people or animals [were] ever at risk.”

As officials sought a return to normalcy, children were congregating at a nearby park and said they were being prevented from entering the Como Town Amusement Park next to the zoo because an animal had escaped.

Zoo spokesman Matt Reinertz said “all gorillas are secure” and the “zoo grounds [are] open.”

The zoo has yet to say which of its gorillas absconded. Reinertz said he would have more to say at a news conference early Thursday afternoon.

The year-old Gorilla Forest is located in the center of the zoo. It opened in June 2013, with six new residents — plus one familiar face, a 525-pound silverback named Schroeder.

The 13,000-square-foot habitat features new interiors and two new outside areas that make up the largest all-mesh gorilla enclosure in North America.

Not His Typical Mode

It doesn't happen often, but once in a while even Theo needs to re-charge his batteries.

Cleaning Inspector

This is Diego-san's "If you need help cleaning up the living room, I can supervise" look.

Volunteer Pioneer

Theo decided he'd let Thompson be the brave one and poke his head from the hallway into the bathroom...

A Dash of Sun

I didn't think it was possible but the sun makes the sweetest little face ever seem even sweeter.

Our Routine

Before I leave for work in the morning I try to find each of the boyz to say goodbye and make sure all is good with them. The boyz know this routine and each has a go to place when they know I'm about to leave. Diego-san lies down outside the upstairs bathroom. Theo roams the living room and dining room (presumably hoping for some last chance food). Thompson is the trickiest to find. He likes to vary his locations- on my office chair; on top of the living room love seat cushions; upstairs in the tunnel near where Diego-san is; and most recently in this space underneath our oldest cat tree.

That is All

Diego-san has decided he is going to spend his evening sitting in the empty laundry basket.  Any questions?  Any concerns?

Agenda Setting

So little to do, so much time to do it in.

Sun Grabbers

What could be better than grabbing some sun on a Sunday? Having a dependable brother to share some of the sun grabbing.

Choosing Our Entertainment

Diego-san would rather make biscuits than watch a stupid baseball game.  I'm entertained watching both.

His Perspective

Thompson noted that while everyone was gratefully celebrating Independence Day, he is equally glad to have a roof above his head and dependable meals every day. This wasn't the case the first year of his life and though he may not be as  'free' as he used to be, he sees the benefit of a much smaller world.  (As long as the windows are open as much as possible for sniffs and observations.)

It's His

Shaggy and Scout, our friends on the other side of town, saw Theo resting on top of this 'bunk bed' the other day and asked if it was new since they hadn't seen it before. The answer is no, it's not new, however none of the boyz has shown much interest in it up until recently. I bought it a couple of years ago because there's room for one boy to rest on the bottom and one boy to rest where Theo is.  For the past few weeks Theo has taken advantage of both areas. He loves to catch some sun up top and loves to hide in the bed below. Here he is showing me how bored he is because no one will play with him.

Nobody Knows

Nobody knows the troubles he's sees... Like having to endure some knucklehead trying to learn guitar and not showing much progress and a little brother who thinks your tail is the greatest toy ever and tries to swat at it every chance he gets...

Premature Bracing

I told Thompson to brace himself for the noise of fireworks, firecrackers and other explosions this weekend. He's already taken the advice to heart...