Brrrrrr

It's been a pretty brutal winter here in Minnesota. Between the abundance of snow and the extreme cold it's been one of those winters where I have to wonder why in the world I live here. The boyz don't seem to mind too much though. There's always somebody around to snuggle with.

The Soloist

I can honestly say that only one in our current household has sat on top of the refrigerator.

There's one in every crowd.

Best of 2008

The boyz and I finished tallying our score sheets and here are our favorites from last year:

Favorite Movie:: The Dark Knight- Everything that's been written about Heath Ledger's performance is true. What a sad sad loss.

Favorite TV Show:: 30 Rock-We were in love with Tina Fey before she was Sarah Palin.

Favorite CD: The Bridges Limits of the Sky- The sunniest music we heard in a year that needed sun.

Favorite Concert: Liz Phair at First Ave in Minneapolis- She performed her masterpiece CD, Exile in Guyville, song for song in one of those 'I never thought I'd be lucky enough to see this' moments.

Homecoming

I loved visiting Memphis and New Orleans but it wasn't hard coming home to three happy kitties. Going back to work after a week and a half off was a bit more difficult especially when I saw my overflowing in box.

Catching Up

While I was out carousing last week here is the report of the boyz activity from their sitter(s):

12/26: The boys were a little surprised to see me walk through the door instead of you. They were so hungry though that they didn't care too much. I don't think I've seen house cats eat quite so fast before! After they'd eaten Diego was the only one brave enough to actually hang out with me.

12/27: Today was much less stressful for the boys. No one greeted me at the door and it took till the third scoop of cat food was filled before Thompson arrived followed shortly by Theo. Diego was nowhere to be found until I went down to scoop the boxes. I heard a meow above me and there he was perched on top of the frame work! All three have been much more affectionate today.

12/28: Well Diego certainly knows how to get what he wants doesn't he? Thompson and I were doing a little bonding when Diego just marched right up, pushed Thompson aside, climbed up on to my shoulder and started rubbing my head. Not shy at all!

12/29: The boys were all over me today. Theo wouldn't even eat until I picked him up and gave him a thorough snuggling. They are obviously starting to miss you.

12/30: I gave the kitties all a good brushing today. You weren't kidding about Diego liking it. He went nutty! The other guys enjoyed it too but not like Diego did!

12/31: Everyone was surprised to see someone new walk in, though they warmed up to me right away. Diego was the most friendly and we spent time playing. Theo asked for some loving before leaving to eat. Thompson just kept his distance.

-Rick and Cherie

From Grinch to the Anti-Grinch

I realize it wasn't the nicest thing to leave the boyz alone for Christmas. I think I made up for it though by buying a new brush called the "furminator."

The instructions say to brush the cat or dog in a place that can be vacuumed. I can attest to the wisdom of those directions. I furminated Diego-san and ended up with a baseball sized clump of fur. There also was a pile of hair all over the carpet. Diego loves the furminator- every time I get close to where I keep it he comes over meowing. He purrs throughout the combing process. Thompson too seems to like the furmination process. Even Theo- who I can't keep still long enough to comb- sits pretty patiently when he is being furminated. I think the boyz like their Christmas gift...

Y'all Come Back Soon

Not that I can blame him exactly, but every time I left the house today, Thompson gave me a worried look as if I wouldn't be back for a long time...

Happy 2009

Got back last night just in time to count in the New Year with the boyz.

I took a trip on Amtrak with my friend M- to Memphis and New Orleans- two cities I had never been to before. I greatly enjoyed visiting both cities- the music history was right up my alley and the food was fantastic. I was especially impressed by New Orleans- a city I would consider moving to some day.

The boyz seemed happy to see me although Diego-san did his normal conflicted act between wanting to punish me for abandoning him and wanting me to lavish him with attention. I'll post some of their sitter's notes from last week over the next few days because I was amused by her observations (let's just say I think Diego dominated her visits...)

Goodbye 2008

This is our final posting of the year. I've abandoned the boyz as I'm on my way to Graceland.



Merry Christmas



Happy Hanukkah



and Happy New Year everybody.

Fetch Obsessed

Theo has become pretty demanding in his expectation that fetch is a 24 hour game. No matter where I hide the crinkly balls that we play fetch with, he seems to be able to find one and when he does he cries at the top of his lungs that it takes two to play fetch. I'm usually more than happy to accommodate him except for when it's past midnight and I'm already in bed.

Rearrange

You move a little used cat tree from one room to another and Diego-san immediately claims it as his own. Go figure.

Couch Hogs

Hey guys... I really wanted to sit on the couch.

Walloped

It's never good when the local weather forecast includes the word "wallop." We got five inches of snow. The wind chill is supposed to hit 30 below tonight. It's just not very pleasant outside.

Even Diego-san couldn't believe his eyes and what was falling from the sky this morning.

Secret's Out

The boyz got their first hint that I'm not going to be around for Christmas or New Years. I hired a professional petsitter to come over and feed them and keep them company while I'm gone. She came over tonight to meet them and get all the instructions on the routine. Theo was his usual friendly self, happy to meet a new friend. Thompson surprised me by eventually coming out and greeting the sitter.

I think Diego-san figured out what all this might mean and he went sulking off to the kitchen.

Stretch

Thompson knows that as you get older it's even more important than ever to do some proper stretching before engaging in such an important activity like taking a nap.

The Boyz Christmas Gift

Diego-san and Theo gave me an early Christmas gift: an evening of peaceful co-existence. I don't expect it to last forever but it was nice for one night...

F%$^&* Weather

Sunday afternoon it was rainy and around 37 degrees here. This morning when I left for work my car thermometer read 11 below zero. It started snowing in the afternoon so not only were the roads snowy, but there was a layer of ice as well. It took me two and a half hours to slip and slide home. It usually takes me about an hour. I was able to listen to Kanye West's new CD three times.

I was never as glad to come home to see Theo expectant face.

New Treat

For the last week or so, when my alarm clock goes off in the morning Thompson takes this as the signal for the morning routine to shortly begin (I'm not sure he quite understands the loveliness of the snooze button). He is such a polite and well mannered boy that unlike Theo and Diego-san, he knows I don't like to be woken up before the alarm clock goes off.

Once that alarm goes off however he knows that I'm awake. He'll hop up into bed with me and do his best to get a face rubbing from me. This usually means he'll either lick my hands or my face in encouragement. It's kind of painful for me when Thompson stands on my chest since most of his weight is pressing down on his one front paw but still it's a nice way to be woken up in the morning...

King of the Hill

Ain't nowhere in the house Diego-san can't get to. And he is very good at letting Thompson and Theo, who both lack his leaping ability, know that.

Pacifiers

There are days life seems to be careening out of control and then I come home and see the boyz all calm, and comfortable. The guys are so good at helping me keep things in perspective.

Theo's Motto

"If you can't join 'em, lick 'em."

Shocking

With the cold arctic air, things are pretty dry around the house and static electricity is becoming an issue. Every time one of the boyz jumps up on me they get a shock. I think Theo is starting to take the shocks personally as he looks at me with his big eyes and wonders why I would do such a thing.

The Look

This is Diego-san's 'oh really, you have to go to work and earn money to feed me while I do some serious relaxin?' look.

Wordy Wednesday

Thompson is my talker. He loves to let all of us know whatever is on his mind through a variety of grunts, mews, and an admirable arsenal of sounds. I love his voice and I love that he speaks his mind. And the other boyz are catching on as Diego-san more frequently lets out his roar and Theo is squeaking much more often.

A Little Schtick in Memory of Pixie

Theo: "Diego-san, do we not have any bananas?"

Diego-san: "Nope."

Theo: "I'm not sure I understand."

Diego-san: "I'm sure you don't. And why are you asking? You don't even like bananas."

Theo: "I'm just checking. And I'm still unclear on the status of our banana supply. So let me get this straight. Do we have or do we not have any bananas today?"

Diego-san: "YES. We have no bananas. We have no bananas today!"

Playtime

I think I made Theo happy by playing with him (fetch, chase, rub the belly) for quite a while this morning. He returned the favor by taking a nap with me in the afternoon.

Our Lil Groomer

Thompson wins the award for the best groomer in the house. He not only keeps himself immaculately clean, but he likes to clean the other boyz as well. And after he's done grooming himself, I often will stick my hand in front of his face and he'll lick that clean as well.

Sleepy Saturday

Theo is trying his best to learn all of Diego-san's tricks- even the best way to take naps on a Saturday morning.

A Request: Turn the Blippin Heat Up

I know it's cold in the house when all three boyz come to bed early to try and claim a warm spot to sleep for the night. If I don't get in bed before this happens I end up spending the night trying to sleep in a contorted position.

6 by 6

Kellie the Orange Cat tagged the boyz with a meme. Here are the rules:

"Go to your picture folder on your computer, or...wherever you store your pictures.Go to the sixth folder and then pick the sixth picture. Post it on your Bloggy and tell the story that goes with the picture..."

So, following the instructions here is the picture that I found:

This picture is actually pretty timely. It was taken last January after a snowfall and Thompson seems to be mesmerized by the bright white that appeared overnight. Since we received our first lasting snow over the weekend- I feel like Thompson looks in the picture full of amazement and wonder- wondering where the warm weather went and marveling at how fast life is flying by...

Thanks for tagging us Kellie. That was the most fun meme we've been tagged with. And any of you who haven't been tagged yet? Consider yourself tagged.

Appreciating Sweetness

At meal times, Theo gets so happy that he'll begin purring away and rubbing up against my legs. He likes to try to wander between my knees so he can rub up against all sides. He also likes to try to rub up against Thompson and Diego-san all the while purring away. Thompson and Diego-san aren't too fond of this particular Theo behavior and it's kind of funny to see Thompson hop up on his back legs and do everything he can so Theo doesn't actually touch him.

OJ

I walked into the kitchen the other day only to find Diego-san staring intently at the orange juice container. I asked him what he was up to. Then I noticed he was just doing as instructed. The carton said, "concentrate" and that was what Diego-san was doing.

Denial

It snowed enough last night that I had to shovel today. I was hoping it would melt throughout the day but by late afternoon I realized it wasn't going to happen. I'm not ready for winter.

Let the Sun Shine In

The boyz are better than me at a lot of stuff but perhaps the thing I admire most is their ability to find the best spots in the house to sit and relax.

Gesundheit

Theo has been having sneezing fits the past few days. I hope it's a passing and not lingering thing. It's especially unpleasant when he's sitting on my chest and sneezes in my face. Hard to teach him to cover his mouth when he sneezes. Even worse is I heard Diego-san sneeze a couple of times today as well...

Lucky

Thompson and I were taking a nap and watching TV in the lower level when we heard a crash come from somewhere upstairs. I got up to investigate.

Here's what I was able to piece together: Apparently Theo was chasing Diego-san and like so many of their chases it ended with Diego-san hopping up someplace higher than Theo can jump. He apparently hopped up into the cupboard where I store my dishes, glasses, cups, and coffee mugs. Diego managed to knock two glasses out of the cupboard and onto the kitchen countertop below. But he managed to do this without shattering or even breaking the glass.

Note to self: Leave the doors to that cupboard closed from now on.

Thanksgiving 2008

Among other things I'm thankful for:

1) Diego-san's deep deep purr;
2) Thompson's spirit;
3) Theo's love of the game fetch.

Bein' a Bum

The cat's out of the bag... Theo was right with revealing a little secret yesterday... I get to spend five whole days home with the boyz, hopefully catching up on some sleep and getting plenty o' rest...

Psst... Thompson, I've Got a Secret

"I hear the food fellow might be home all day a couple of extra days this week..."

Freaks and Geeks

A few weeks ago I bought the DVD of the TV series, "Freaks and Geeks." Over the weekend I watched the entire series. I always heard it was a very good show and the reviews are right- it was a very good show for all of us who were miserable in high school. Thompson slept on my chest for most of the "Freaks and Geeks" marathon. I wish Thompson would have been around when I was in high school. Maybe I wouldn't have been so miserable.

His Own Portable Heating Unit

It must be getting cold in our house. Theo has taken to sleeping at my side every night- something he doesn't do during the summer.

Silent Saturday

Strike a pose...

Another Milestone

This is our 1001 posting. Gee the next 500 are really going to be easy if I just keep noting the posting number every day... Just kidding. (Thompson never smiles at my jokes.)

Milestone

This is our 1,000 post to this blog... Back in 2006 when I published the first posting, I never imagined that 1,000 days later I'd still be chronicling my observations about three pretty special boyz.

I'm not sure how much longer we will continue 'bloggin' but one of the benefits is this: I'm glad I have a record of the day to day life with the boyz. I enjoyed 12 years with the original boy, Mr. Max, and though I have a lot of very fond memories of our time together it would be nice to to be able look back on just the day to day life we lived throughout that time. I'm glad I have that available with Thompson, Diego-san, and Theo.

TGIHD

Theo and I agree... thank goodness it's hump day.

Superstar

I was interviewed by a local TV news station on a work related matter. When I got home I watched my TV appearance with the boyz. They didn't seem at all impressed that their roommate, the food guy, was on the big electronic box that he often has on at night. Nope, they seemed more attentive to the real person in front of them and I guess that is a good thing.