Paying the Bills

I've resumed a part time remote evening job that reduces my ability to pay individual attention to my housemates. These two are having a hard time adapting. I don't think Kenta has even noticed.
 

Bonds

 A great antidote to another Monday morning. Sorry I have to go to work. 

Cardinal

I came home to see what I think is a cardinal (I’m no bird expert). I’ve never seen one in my yard before but I used to see some in the trees of my parent’s house. I came in excitedly to tell my housemates. They looked at me as if I’d gone bonkers (or more bonkers than I already was). 

 

Alias’ Ask

Alias wants to know if you’d be kind enough to scritch his chin.

Thx.
 

Patience

Kenta stole Alias’ favorite place in the house. He often likes to do what Alias is doing. Often at the exact same time. Alias is pretty patient with his younger brother. 
 

8>

Nothing melts my heart more than when the two of them cuddle.
 

Stumble

I raised my voice toward Kenta for the first time ever. He loves to rub up against my legs, particularly when a meal is being delivered. He and his siblings get fed in the basement so as I was headed toward his dish to fill it, he tried to rub up against me and I didn’t see him almost falling flat on my face not to step on him. I yelled Kenta’s name. This all clearly confused/scared him. 

I love Kenta-beans. 

Kenta Loves His Home

Sometimes it's good to sleep on something other than his favorite cat bed or cat tree or my futon or on top of Alias. 

Norma Jean

 

New Favorite Spot

Alias has found his new favorite spot in the house. It’s on the ledge above the stairway underneath a skylight. I also have to believe he knows how unbelievably handsome he is in the sunlight. 

Norma Jean

Sunday morning I woke up with Norma snuggled next to me under the covers as she often does. She won’t get up until I do. It’s one of my favorite things ever. 
 

Personality Tests

Scientifically categorizing cats personality types, like Myers/Briggs, Insights, DISC human evaluations I’ve had taken during my work years. Here are the different style types I’ve lived with: Mr. Maximoto and Kenta, window watching, deep purrers empathetic lap sitters; Diego-San and Norma, assertively independent, exploring, observations based needy needing; Thompson and Alias, peace making populists, beloved by all. Theo on his own as always. 

Scaredy Cats

So for the second time in the last few weeks, I came home and no one greeted me at the door. I felt a little snubbed, like shouldn’t they be curious about who was making noise downstairs?

Yesterday, Alias was hidden underneath my futon. Kenta was sitting up on my futon. Norma was nowhere in sight. Just like the last time this happened, I heard a noise. It sounded like a chime but I don’t have chimes in my house. Instead, it was the storm door to the kitchen entrance banging against the side of my house. The handle is broken and somehow the latch came undone causing the door to bang in the wind. Both yesterday and the time before Alias and Norma let their fear overcome their hunger. They skipped a meal rather than risk going down stairs.

Kenta had no problem eating his latest meal.

Recount

My housemates didn’t win the Pet Photo Contest at work. I thought about demanding a recount bit didn’t want to come across as a sore loser. But seriously these three are in a class of their own.
 

Cheeze

Smile and say ‘cheese’ Kenta…
 

Clean

I washed Norma’s favorite bed and it’s a completely different color now without all the fur. After the cleaning, she avoided it for a while, I’m sure it must have smelled much different, but she ended up napping in it again.
 

Twins Lose

I was going to go to the Twins game Saturday morning despite very cold temperatures. As I lay down after getting ready to go, Alias took his usual nap spot on my legs. Kenta soon joined him. There was no way I was still going to the Twins game (seen on the TV in the background).
 

Photo Contest

We are having a pet photo contest at work. Lots of cute pets but I’m sure Kenta, Alias and Norma’s photo is going to take the prize. 

 

My Lil Guardian

He does keep an eye on me.
 

Perception

Alias said his stripes make him look fatter than he actually is. He has a point, he's actually pretty scrawny. 
 

In The Family

Norma gets a bee in her bonnet every evening and needs/wants all my attention. She meows, squeals, and begs for a forehead rub. She won’t stop until I give her my attention. I’m OK with that. Alias has a similar routine. Must run in the family.
 

Crash

After working 60 hour work weeks for the past five weeks, our schedule returns to normal for the next couple of weeks. The evening work greatly disrupted our routines but for me, even more difficult were the weekends when I crashed and took long naps. Alias always joined me, napping on my legs. Kenta and Norma joined us once in a while. Whatever combinations, I loved spending time with my housemates. 
 

Alias Puddle

A couple of times a night, Alias will hop up on my lap. It’s like his bones go away and he’s a puddle. I rub his belly. This doesn’t last long however, five minutes tops before he squirms out of my lap and onto the floor.
 

Kenta Shrugged

Kenta didn’t see me round the corner of the house. So I stood outside at the front door until he noticed me. Took a while and when he did, I swear he shrugged. 
 

Norma Is Having None of It

The new toy lasted about 15 seconds before Norma decided to put an end to its shenanigans.

 

Me and My

Norma doesn’t think that looks like her normal shadow. 
 

Kitty Pile

The four of us spent a lot of the weekend napping together. It was a very good weekend.
 

Happy Easter

I won a big ass ham at work. Norma definitely checked it out.
 

Famished

This is Alias' 'I'm starving and don't think I'll last another 20 seconds' look.
 

Nobody's Fool

Seriously I don't know what was happening to their right to make them all look that way.
 

Diego-san Like

One of Norma’s many skills happens to be a skill Diego-San amazed me with throughout our time together. He had this uncanny ability to walk into a room, and notice something I had just brought in, or something that got moved in the room from one place to another. He’d immediately go and investigate these changes. Norma is showing the same skill. She has gotten to know many of the new members of my bobblehead collection.

Roar

Stretching out and doing his lion imitation.
 

Cheek to Cheek

Not all of us are so lucky to find a lifetime partner.
 

Routine

Alias has his routine. Part of it is claiming his favorite cat bed after his last meal of the day before Kenta does. Of course, if Kenta wants the bed he’ll lay on top of Alias until Alias gets up and goes somewhere else.
 

Blast from the Past

This may be the first time Mr. Max and I appear in this blog.

 

And All I Have is a Photograph…

I need my birth certificate for some paperwork I need to file. I remember a couple of years ago moving it out of a desk drawer to someplace safe. The only problem is now I don’t remember where that safe place is. But I did find a bunch of old photographs of Mr. Max, Diego-San, and Thompson (Theo came along in the digital age). 

I showed them to Alias, Norma and Kenta and explained who these three other cats were, each of their personalities and what I loved most about them. I’m not sure why, but it left me feeling good to share my memories of those who came before to my great current group of housemates.
 

Oldie but Goodie

Me: “Hey Kenta, is that a paw in your ear?” “Kenta: I’m sorry I can’t hear you because there’s a paw in my ear.”
 

Smothered

Kenya is smothering his brother with love. Alias actually tolerated this for a fairly long time…
 

Felt Spring Like

It got up to 50 degrees yesterday and it was a bright sunny day. The foot of snow we got over the weekend is melting away. I hope my housemates enjoyed some sun puddles. 
 

Look of Concern

I told Norma if she’s concerned about being shipped somewhere, maybe it would alleviate some of her anxiety by getting out of the box.
 

Snowman

I walked to work yesterday morning. On my way I saw the most impressive snowman I've ever seen. It was Shaquille O'Neal sized and made me smile.

Of course as it gets warmer, I fear I'll feel the same as Snoopy.

Blizzard

We got about a foot of snow over the weekend. All three napping on me didn’t exactly give me any more motivation to get out of bed and shovel.

Nature Norma

I have to drive by my house to turn into the alley where my garage is.Yesterday when I drove by I saw Norma sitting in the window. When I walked to my house I saw Norma still sitting in the window. I hated to tell her that they are forecasting two to three inches of snow on Saturday. There’s probably going to be some curse words if the sidewalk and driveway need to be shoveled. 
 

Unhappy

I got home 22 minutes late from work because of a meeting. I got a couple of glares from those not happy about my tardiness. Usually when I get home from work, they know they will be fed once I change my clothes and clean out the litter boxes. 
 

Safety

Kenta and Norma decided it’s probably just safer to sleep in their own beds. I don’t blame them.