Got To Get Up Pretty Early in the Morning...

I should know better by now than to think that I can outsmart Theo...

I finished up a bag of cat food but had enough to fill the dish of one of the boyz. Even with the difference in freshness I thought I was doing Theo a favor by giving him the last of the old food since the new bag is "light" food and if cat food is anything like people food, then diet probably isn't as tasty as the regular stuff. But Theo was having none of it. He kept trying to get at Thompson or Diego's food and wouldn't touch his own. I finally asked Thompson (before I picked him up and plopped him down) to switch places with Theo. Thompson, ever the obedient boy, complied.

Auto Be Home

While the boyz were napping at home they probably didn't realize that I was out on a freeway where the clutch of my car gave out. So as they snuggled together, I got to roll my car out of danger's way, call a tow truck and have the car hauled off to a repair shop. Oh and then I had to get a rental car to get home.

The boyz may have slept through all this but they may pay more attention when the cost of a new clutch means none of us will be eating for um, twenty five years or so.

Not So Sick Day

Some mornings it's really hard to leave the boyz and go to work.

Newspaper Boy

I haven't been too successful teaching Thompson how to read a newspaper. He prefers getting his news through osmosis.

Wacky Times

So I sez to the boyz, "I'm going downstairs to watch a little TV" (always polite enough to run things by all involved). Theo and Diego-san both shot me looks as if to say that since I recently bought a 32" flat screen HDTV, it really isn't accurate to say it is a "little TV."

Oh the fun we have.

A Household Saying

In darkness or in light, Theo is alright.

Black Cat Bone

Last week, one of the stories that Bob Dylan told on his Theme Time Radio Show episode devoted to music about cats, was the story of the hoodoo legend of the black cat bone.

According to this legend, black cats have an extra bone that has the power to bring back lost love and also allows one to be invisible (it's not clear to me if there is a connection between the two powers). To get this bone you are supposed to boil a living black cat and when the process is done, the bone that floats to the top is this magical bone.

I swear this was the first I heard of this legend. I hope no one now thinks that the great soup incident of 2008 (where I spilled some soup on Diego-san and burned him) was in any way deliberate. As we chronicle on this blog every day, Diego brings me much more than the power of invisibility and the return of lost loves.

Bored Now

There's the old analogy that nothing is more boring than watching paint dry. I tested that analogy today.

The small chip in my windshield has quickly become a full fledged windshield wide crack. So I brought my car into the auto glass repair shop today and they warned me it would take three hours to replace the windshield. I thought to myself that they were just doing the customer service thing of not over promising so when they finished quicker than they told me it would take, they would look good and I'd go home happy. How long could it really take to replace a windshield?

It didn't occur to me the replacement work wasn't what took a long time. The issue was allowing drying time for the glue they use to help keep the glass in place. So I spent a good part of my afternoon not watching paint dry, but waiting for glue to dry. At least the shop did get me out sooner than expected. It took about two and a half hours before they sent me on my merry way. It did make me wonder how the boyz are so good at avoiding boredom even if their day consists of waiting for me to get home to feed them their next meal.

An Observation

I can't believe how quickly a vacuum bag fills up in a three cat household...

Groundhog Who?

Our nation's foremost weather forecaster, Punxsutawney Phil may have seen his shadow yesterday dooming us to six more weeks of winter, but a far more accurate indicator is Theo. Theo first basked in the sun, and then he chased his shadow all around the room. This means that even if winter does last forever, Theo will do his part to keep us all warm by being endlessly entertaining.

Iron Chef 2

Since I had a post about my love of the Iron Chef last week, I thought this was appropriate...

Super Super Bowl

The boyz and I enjoyed Super Bowl XLIII. I think the boyz were rooting against the Cardinals because they don't like birds very much but I'm not sure they know what a Steeler is. It was a darn fine game nonetheless.

TTRH

One of my favorite hours of the week is listening to Bob Dylan's XM Radio show, "Theme Time Radio Hour." You can tell Bob is having a ball sharing music he loves (mostly from the 30's, 40's and 50's).

Every week he chooses a theme and plays songs related to that theme. This past week the theme was "cats" and it was fun to hear all the music and tidbits about my favorite animal. My favorite song from the show was Emmy Oro's "Fish House Function" a funky blues number that I had never heard before (nor had I heard of Ms. Oro before). If you get a chance track down a copy of the song. You'll be glad you did.

Bittersweet

Sometimes I wonder how much Thompson thinks about his disability. He keeps up with the other boyz pretty well but when they are tearing around the house all he can do is watch.

Recently he has been doing a lot of kneading while standing on my chest. This isn't easy for him since it essentially requires him to do a little hop with his one front paw when his other missing paw would normally be pushing down on me. This makes me happy and sad at the same time. I truly admire Thompson. He has a wonderful soul and in a way he is the glue that keeps this household together.

Allez Cuisine

I recently purchased DirecTV. I've lived all these years with just over the air broadcast TV, picked up by my antique rabbit ears antenna. I bought a digital converter last summer and didn't like that when the signal is not strong, the whole picture pixilates. So I splurged and bought DirecTV and now have a zillion channels to watch.

I was ecstatic to learn that the Fine Living Network broadcasts the original Japanese version of the Iron Chef. My dad used to tape the show for me and I just loved everything about it. Unfortunately the Food Channel took it off the air and replaced it with the lame American version. I came home the other day all excited to watch the show. I was sharing the great news with the boyz- "We get to see the Iron Chef!" I exclaimed. I think Thompson and Diego-san thought they were going to get some kind of treat given the peppy tone of my voice. They were a bit disappointed when I plopped myself on the couch and enjoyed a great Foie Gras battle.

Fine Qualities

The boyz are nothing if not well groomed.

Ouch

I got a package in the mail that was sealed in a LP sized envelope. I was swinging the envelope by my side when I heard a semi-loud "whack." Theo quickly scampered away. He had been walking by my side and the envelope must have nailed him in the head.

My bad. It must not have hurt too badly because he quickly hopped up on the kitchen table where I open my mail and where the routine is for him to get his forehead scratched. Sorry buddy.

Happiness is a Warm Kitty

With the cold weather and my reluctance to turn up my furnace, there isn't a more energy efficient and effective source of heat then when Diego-san crawls underneath the blankets with me and cuddles close. I appreciate his willingness to share his heat.

Getting Organized

I spent the weekend alphabetizing and organizing my CDs. The boyz spent the weekend lounging in the sun and occasionally knocking over the piles of CDs I was trying to organize.

Bang Bang

Watched the remake of the movie 3:10 to Yuma. I saw the original a couple of weeks ago. Thompson did not like all the gunshots. He's such a sensitive boy.

Relativity

When it comes to perspective, it's all relative I guess.

Last week the weather around these parts could best be described as "frigid." We had a series of days when the temperature never got above zero. It dropped to -22 below at one point and when it got back "up" to -5 below it felt absolutely balmy. Well, this week it got up around 30 above zero and today when I outside and it was 5 above zero I couldn't believe how cold it felt.

Why does anyone live in Minnesota?

Diego Part Deux

I think Diego-san has gotten addicted to the furminator. He just can't get enough of being so thoroughly combed. I've taken enough fur off of Diego to make him a twin brother. Yet he keeps coming back for more...

A Wednesday Date

I had the rare pleasure of spending all of an evening with Thompson. We watched the movie Wall-E together, and then Thompson followed me upstairs for a grooming session. Things returned to normal however when Theo joined us and started a fight by sniffing Thompson's butt.

Project Complete

The remodeling of the basement is complete. Today the final piece (for now) arrived- an Amish built electric fireplace (don't ask). It's a stylish space heater that looks very nice. The boyz all checked it out- watching the fake fire with more interest than they've ever watched the TV. I don't think Theo quite knows what to make of it.

New

My dad brought me to Ikea to pick up my Christmas gift- a new TV stand. In preparation for this new piece of furniture I did some rearranging of several of my rooms.

The biggest change for the boyz is they now have access to all the rooms in the house. I've always kept my home office door closed because all the stuff I don't want broken or damaged is in that room. I'm putting some trust in the boyz allowing them access to that room.

Getting the TV stand put together was a chore- Theo supervised the whole activity. My remodeled lower level of the house is taking shape and hopefully I haven't traumatized the boyz too much with all the changes.

Just Trying

Theo and I were playing fetch when Diego-san sauntered in between us. Without missing a beat Theo dropped that ball at Diego's feet and looked at him to throw the ball. I thought it was very polite of Theo to try to involve Diego in our game.

Woof Woof

I often kid Theo that he must have some canine blood in him with his relentless energy and his mastery of the game fetch. Kidding aside I do also remind Diego-san before he starts feeling too smug with his pure felinity, he is the only one of the three boyz who will come to me when called. Often before I go down to the lower level of the house to watch a movie, I'll say, "Diego, let's go watch some TV" and he'll come prancing downstairs with me. I guess an afternoon of TV and snuggling is more important than a cat's pride.

Three Day Weekend

Yipee!

Egads

It was twenty two (22!) below zero when I drove to work yesterday. I betcha Thompson was glad he no longer is an outdoor kitty.

Bail Please

Diego-san is a cat that doesn't believe in a lot of rules. And I don't think I impose that many in the house. I don't allow the boyz behind the TV where all the electic wires are; I don't allow the boyz in the kitchen sink where all the dirty dishes are; there's no stealing the other boyz's meals. Other than that the only other rule (seldom enforced) is no waking me before the alarm clock goes off. Still with this limited set of rules I think Diego often feels like he's living in a metaphorical jail where his freedom has been restricted. In his heart, he's a feline anarchist.

Chores

I've mentioned the boyz's chores before: Theo is responsible for making sure all the towels in the house remain hung on the towel racks; Thompson is responsible for making sure all hairballs are hacked up somewhere other than the carpets and rugs; Diego-san is responsible for taking care of any insect that gets in the house. The boyz all share another chore that I haven't mentioned: they are all responsible for being irresistibly cute. All three are pretty darn good at that chore.

A Different Kind of Persuasian

When it comes to meal times Theo is very persistent in letting me know through a series of mews and dashes toward the kitchen that he is just dying of hunger. Likewise Diego-san is not shy when it comes to combing time with his roar, howl, and rolling around the floor.

Thompson is more subtle when it comes to asking/expecting something. He is much more patient then the other two boyz. All he really needs to do is look at me with his big sad eyes and I'll do just about anything. Sometimes he utters his firm meow but it never sounds like a beg- it's more like he knows that I know what he wants and he is confident we are on the same page.

Moody Monday

This is Diego-san's Monday morning look. I think we all know what it means.

Which Way is Up?

Theo and I were folding laundry upstairs when we heard Diego-san getting into some type of mischief downstairs. Every time Diego made a noise Theo would look... up. Sometimes I wonder about my little buddy.

My Favorite Poet

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.