Telling me something can't be done

Means I listen, nod politely, and then try to do it. And sometimes succeed.

My son told me we can't re-inflate the bottom level of my blow up pool, that most of, if not all, of the water has to be drained out to re-inflate the pool.

I went out to clean it today, as some of the heavy rain caused the tarp to get weighted in the center, and part of it fell into the pool, dropping some dirt and leaves into it. After I cleaned that up, I checked out the pools inflation valves. The light bulb went off over my head.

I brought the vacuum cleaner out, put the hose on the exhaust portion of it, and plunked my butt down onto the bricks. I used my feet to push on the pool, until the valve was facing me. While I kept my feet there propping up the side of the pool, I turned on the vacuum cleaner, unscrewed the cover, removed the rubber stopper, and topped up the air in the lower level of the pool. Then I did the same to the upper part.

Hot and cold

Oven warm cocoa pecan mud brownie, with vanilla bean icecream.

The kind of photography where you can eat your subject. *snrk*

I am going to miss his healing tattoo

I am going to miss having us all at home for dinner, since Aikidomayland's tattoo is healing up, he will be going to aikido training starting next week.

*le sigh*

Oh... my

Aikidomayland and I had a cocoa and pecan mud cake brownie with a scoop of vanilla icecream.

I swear his toes curled.

A Sweet Treat

I did say rainy days come in handy.

Home baked (by moi) mud brownies with pecans.

Cloudy weather has its uses

Other than the promise of rain to give the ground a good wetting, and cooling things off, but for getting indoor chores done.

Shifted the bows off the wall to dust them off.

Opened up the windows, and a miniature tiger decided that the view outdoors was very interesting.

Yeah, she is really getting into being a pet, rather than a mom in a cattery. :)

Ziggy, feline explorer

    

She finally came into the back lounge on her own, and 'discovered' the cat tower.

           

           
           

Ooo, bouncing ball!

   

        
            
        
    

   There's the ball UNDER here now!
    

       
            
               

           
        

She fits nicely on upper part, and she didn't ooze over the sides like Loki did.
    

This is just mind blowing

Mind the crevasse: The amazing 3D pavement art that has pedestrians on edge

Ah the joy of new kitties

Doesn't matter if it's a kitten, or a new adult cat, the adjustment to a new household can give lots of amusement.

Both Loki and Ziggy like playing with a certain feather tease toy. This object as been a great way to get all the cats in the same room together where they can become accustomed to each other, sans hissing, and a method to get Ziggy feeling more comfortable in her new forever home.

Aikidomayland was kept up later than he wanted by Ziggy. I had put the feather toy away, but she hunted around until she found it, and with a mouthful of feathers, proceeded to show Aikidomayland she wanted to play some more, NOW!

This morning, after he went to work, I went to tend to the birds and noticed the wood stove door was open. Not just ajar, but open. I looked inside at the thin layer of ash. Sure enough, there were paw prints, dainty small ones and larger pug marks, inside of it, on the floor around it, and on furniture in the room.

'Princess' Ziggy enthroned on an antique table.

I think we need a bigger boat.. err cat tower

Loki oozes over the sides of the upper part of the cat tower.

Battlestar Galactica, Season 4, Episode 16

Hasn't Saul Tigh had enough grief in his life? Geeze.

The Saturday Routine has been changed

Don't know for how long, but I have a feeling it will be a long time to change again.

Tai Chi was amazing. It's surprising just how muscle weary I am after over 2 hrs if it. I have to 'cheat' a bit, as one of the 'twisty steps' really torqs my knee, so I have to lift the foot instead. The nifty thing is Tai Chi is adaptable to each person. No two people move exactly the same way, so differences are to be expected

Aikidomayland noticed a small spot on his tattoo that appeared to be infected. We came home. I swabbed it, and looked at is closely. Turns out there was a small hair (remember, tattooed area had to be shaved) that was blocked by the healing tattoo. I grabbed my tweezers, and tweaked it out. Aikidomayland yelped a little bit. No more icky. I told him if he notices any more like that, I would do the same them.

Pillaging was typical, with the exception of getting raw meats for Ziggy. Aikidomayland still fusses about her, wondering if she eats enough, if she is being picked on by Keito and Loki.

Spent about an hour in the pool, just floating and relaxing.

Chip and dip

Took Ziggy to our vet today to be micro chipped. Man, is she loud!

Told vet assistant about my conversation with Cat Haven, and they surprised at Cat Haven's behavior. Ziggy now has more fans, as they thought she was beautiful.
There ends the tale of the chip.

Now the Dip:

Although he is smart, Loki isn't always the brightest of cats, and with Ziggy running around without a collar/bell she is silent. She vanished on Loki. He jumped up to the small shelf next to the front door. Ziggy proceeded to slink along the bench, up onto the trunk, and sat down about 3 inches behind him.

He yawned, and looked around.

Have you ever seen a cat go "EEP!"

*insert witty subject line here*

Today hasn't started off too well. Disagreements are never a lot of fun first thing. *sigh*

Ziggy made Loki levitate. She came around one corner, he another, and she MROWED at him. He leapt straight up, tail all fluffed out. We just about choked laughing, as he is twice her size.

I swear she was giggling when she jogged away.

Since when?

Being the responsible pet owners, we want to get Ziggy microchipped. Even more so than Keito or Loki, as she just will not wear a collar with an ID tag.

So, I called Cat Haven to make an appointment, as we did with Keito. I was asked when did we adopt from them. When I told her Ziggy was adopted elsewhere I was curtly told "We no longer chip 'outside' of Cat Haven." to which I responded "Since when? Didn't bother you that Keito wasn't a cat haven cat."

I got sputtering and hemming and hawing, and in the end I said "We prefer to support your good works. Your loss."

Ziggy goes to the vet instead to get her microchip.

Ziggy as an LOLCat

moar funny pictures

Every time you turn around...

You hear on the news about yet another Multi-million dollar fraud, compliments of the 'ol deregulated, no accountability for money spent, no bid contracts Bush Administration.

I think after all is said and done, and some of the dust has settled, we will find out that Bush and his administration squandered more money than the Obama Stimulus package is handing out in an attempt to fix the mess he has been left with.

And I equally sure that GOP supporters will somehow say all the no bid pork belly contracts that Bush handed out to friends of his and his administration were Obama's fault.

Bets?

Truth in Humor

Fishing for Ziggy

Finally got Ziggy to other parts of the house. She had been staying in the front three rooms only due to 'the boys' . So, we tossed them into our room, shut the door and brought Ziggy back into the lounge room.

Sometimes the simplest toys are the best.

Ziggy snags a knotted boot lace.

Click on image for full sized. It's a big'un.

Q.O.T.D.

Quote of the Day: "If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito." ~His holiness, the Dalai Lama

More Ziggy antics

Ziggy and a toy caterpillar scented with catnip!

Attach a string to the toy, and you add a whole new dimension!

Some Ziggy butt, as she balances on the edge of a chair to catch the to attached the caterpillar.

She almost hogtied herself!

Ziggy is going to have to learn

If she persists in making "I am the cutest thing in the world, come play with me" noises and postures, she has no business hissing at Loki when responds and tries to.

You should have heard the words that came outta his mouth

But he got it done.

Aikidomayland's new tatt.

Taff at W.A. Ink did the work. He said that the side is one place he tells people to not get tattoos. The rib area is ticklish therefore a bit sensitive to pain.

Oh well, he got it all done in one sitting. I till look better once it heals.

At 5:30 on a Sunday Morning...

Keito decided Aikidomayland had slept long enough, and did his damnedest to wake him up, which of course meant Aikidomayland ended up waking me up. Of course he is back in bed, and I am wide awake. At least he helped to feed the cats, and make pot of coffee.

I checked email, and was pleasantly surprised to find I had sold a stock photos at BigStock Photos. No, not enough to retire on, but hey, any sale is a sale. :)

Our date last night was wonderful. It's not often we get to go out just the two of us, and make goo goo eyes at each other. :) Yeah, even after 10+ years.

I finally got a real replay back from SanDisc about their Sansa View, and it's excruciatingly slow scanning forward or backward. Especially after you have listened to 12 hrs of a 14 hr audio book, only to have your cat nudge your arm when you are trying to turn the volume down, and end up going to the very beginning of the thing. I was told it's a concern of theirs, and they will be working on a firmware update to speed up scanning. Yay.

Off to archery!

Battlestar Galactica, Season 4 episode 15

ShadoutCarver , Jedi Nightwolf and I were right about "The Dying Leader"

And no explosions!

Ziggy and Loki have a close encounter. No hissing, no growling. Loki is wild eyed from both her approach and his just playing with his feather toy.

All three in the same room checking each other out.

Keito rudely tries the 'cold nose goose' again, but this time Ziggy's tail was down. She did hiss at him, and just walked away.

All in all, not bad for them only being together less than a week. Ziggy is now in her 'forever home'.

Early pillage

Aikidomayland kindly forewent his aikido training session so we could go shopping tonight and do our part in the Coles 'giving all of Fridays' profits to the Victoria Bushfire" survivors. Every little bit will help.

Keito and Ziggy

Ziggy discovered that she can sit on the top of her 'free cardboard toy '. Mistress of all she surveys.

She is fast, and extremely nimble. Each time she got her feathery toy, she would drag it off into the box, or under the table or bench.

Keito had an interesting interaction. (Sorry about the blur, too close for quick focus)

He peeked into the box

She growled at him, and he decided distance was a good thing.

Sneaky bastards

The CEOs aren't going to get bonuses. They are going to get "Retention Awards".

This is like calling shit 'crap' instead.

Someone didn't proofread on CNN again*

This article

But his place has sat on the market for three months without an offer. Located in a tony neighborhood in Manhattan's Upper East Side, apartments used to sell in a matter of week

Thank heavens he isn't living in a Bruce neighborhood!

And I do agree with his sentiments. Even more so when Merill Lynch gave their CEOs bonuses when they got their whack of the stimulus package. Wow, royally f**k up the economy and get paid for it.

*Or, should not use slang.

Well that's annoying

I had finally found a small desk fan that clamps onto the edge of a desk or table. I noticed that it had, by virtue of Loki constantly walking behind it to get tot he window sill, dust and fur on the fan blades and grill, really choking off the breeze it created.

So, I decide to clean the thing, doing it the right way. Now, it sounds as if something is abrading in the motor. I used some fine grade machine oil on it and it's a bit quieter, but sometimes the fan blades won't start unless you give em a little nudge. :/

Here's hoping I can get another one.

Another way to help those in Victoria

If you do you grocery shopping at COLES, all profits on that day, no matter which COLES store will go to help the Bushfire survivors.

Feline homestead update

Ziggy has been out and about a lot more now. Last night she found her voice. She jumped onto the breakfast bar then jumped down to the chair and started 'talking' to us. BOTH Loki and Keito came into the room, and sat sphinx style and just watched her antics from the floor, like good little minions.

Breakfast bar Snooze.

Strike a pose!

Ziggy enjoys playing with the free cardboard toy that came with the new cat tower. Convenient holes allow for feet to grab at toys, people or other passers by.

Loki sleeps like a human on the sofa.

Preventative cooling

It's supposed to hit 36c (97f) today, so I have the evaporative cooling going already. It's not use getting it going after the heat has it.

Pool has been prepped and is ready for use too.

Ziggy after one day

Loki and Ziggy spent a goodly part of the day just rubbernecking at each other. I think the 'cold nose goose' was what bothered Loki more than anything else.

We got her a nice deep litter pan which she seems to prefer over the storage box, a feathery toy of her own, some 100% natural dry food, found out that she like her meat at room temperature. Gave her tip of chicken wing, and she took it into the NEC box we had laid on its side.

She YOWLS until one of us comes out there so she can get scritches and pats. She has also picked out HER window, which works out fine. Loki takes car port window, Keito computer room window, and she has the small front lounge window. They treat that big bay window as 'community territory', but on a time share.
Here are some assorted pics of Ziggy and one of Loki too.

Loaf Ziggy

Ziggy picks a window.

Ziggy is staring intently at something.. or is that someone.

Someone, Loki, is staring right back.

Oh really? *snrk*

Seth Meyers on Kellogg's --_Michael_Phelps_-_Really__

108

One hundred and eight dead, and expected to go up.

Fire caused by arsonist(s).

Sorrow is warring with anger.

The Ziggy has landed!

Alison arrived shortly after 6 with Ziggy in a carrier.

After letting Ziggy out, we started chatting, pretty much ignoring Ziggy and letting her gt used to the new surroundings.

Loki, as usual, came out to see the new person to claim new human as his, and Ziggy walked up behind him, and stuffed her cold nose right under his tail.

HISSSSSSSS HISSSSSS YOWL! That was the 2nd time in Loki's life that he has ever hissed. Loki squared off and made himself BIG, so us humans just sat down between them, and all was sort of well. Loki is sulking on the window sill, but he isn't growling and hissing.

After a few hours, Ziggy 'found' Keito sleeping under Alan's bed, and came running out. Keito came out, gave a languid stretch, snuck up behind her and gave her the same cold nose under the tail greeting she gave to Loki. Funnily enough, her reaction was the same as Loki's. She started hissing and yowling/growling at Keito.

And Keito, the Wonder Wuss wasn't a Wonder Wuss! He is so blasé about her and is just going about his merry way. Anyone who knows how Chicken Little Keito is, and how bold Loki is, this role reversal is kind of funny.

Stalking a toy!

Successful pounce!

Tai Chi

There is something bordering on obscene getting up at 5:30 am on a Saturday morning, but you do what you have to do.

Got up and got the furry gods taken care of, and got ready for first Tai Chi class.

I am sore in places I forgot I owned. And I am quite sure if I had full feeling in my left leg/side, I would be just as achy there as I am on my right side. But on the good side, I know I got an even full body work out, meaning I am putting my weight equally on the left and right legs.

Pillaged right afterward. Got supplies for furry gods and Ziggy, including new collar (with bling on it of course) and her diet of raw meats.

Damn, I am knackered, but I feel good.

MIA friend resurfaces

Much to my relief.
This person has been one of my best friends for 15 years. I know life hasn't been all that great for him the past few years, and he sort of dropped off the radar.

I would still send birthday, holiday, thinking about you emails, cards messages, so he knew he wasn't totally forgotten or abandoned.

I sent him one earlier this week, and heard back. I was right, life was still serving him tons of shit, but he was surviving. He said he was grateful for the messages, and they did him good. Seems some of his other 'friends' pretty much wrote him off. I'm not that shallow.

After 3 weeks

I have to drain my pool. Not because the water is dirty, but because it needs to be re-inflated, and the access is too close to the ground. *sigh* Bad design idea, I think.

Gonna bucket out as much as I can use on gardens.

Updates on Ziggy

I emailed this happy snap to Alison, with the info I got from our vet as to why Ziggy likes to chew on plastic bags, and about Aikidomayland hustling through the house making sure everything she might find chewable was under cover or thrown out.

Technically (and even according to the breeders site) her adoption is 'pending', but this email tells me the 'home visit' is just a formality.

Hi Sandra & Wing,
A fab pic!! :)I think Ziggy's going to have a wonderful time!! LOL - she's so intelligent - she's getting a little bored at the moment & running around playing with phantoms!!

Oh really?

Last Monday, my son received his acceptance letter to TAFE. (YAY!) Said the last day to pay fees was the following Tuesday. Nothing like short notice, huh?

Hustle him down there, pay the fees. (YAY!)

Today, he gets a letter in the mail saying he paid his school fees late, so has to pay another $75 for a late fee. (Boo hiss)

Oh really? Their office sends letter out late, and we have to pay for their mistake?

Anyone care to wager the odds of their success at squeezing an extra $75 from us?

New furniture angst

We got a new sofa.

Loki was quite used to climbing behind and under the old futon.  There is no longer an 'under', but it didn't keep him from trying!

"Where did my UNDER go!?"

Not so afraid after all

Keito and Loki vie for the top seat.

Sorry about the crappy quality. Only had my camera phone nearby.

Small changes

New sofa arrived today. Makes the room not so claustrophobic. Computer is still on a table in front of the sofa, but that is something I had planned on when I got the computer stand with the wireless keyboard. Loki of course came in and lounged on it, claiming it as his.

Delivery guy had a slight accident. Knocked my drink over onto the computer and keyboard. Luckily, since I both noticed it quickly, and it's on a down slant, I managed to vacuum it clear and there is no damage.

Feeling the need for the pool right about now. Hot and sticky weather again today. Yeah, I think the pool is a great idea right now.

Miserably hot

For the past two days, it has been hot and humid.

Went to dinner in a 'hawkers cafe' style restaurant with Mom In Law. Pleasant enough company, but the place was like a sauna. We all bailed as soon as we were done eating, An to head off for a shower, and me for my pool! Immediate relief from the heat. Floated around for at least an hour.

Archery today. There was another club competition, but it was so hot many of the participants left before the end of it. Went to Foo Gwai, where we sacrificed two pork buns to Aki-God. *urp*

When we got home, Aikidomayland took a cool shower. I, on the other hand, visited the pool again. Blessed relief again. I will be going back out there again before the day is through.

Battlestar Galactica Season 4, ep 13

Kara should have shot Gaeda in the head, not the leg.

Maybe if I had roller or in-line skates

That would be the only way I could have done more today.

Went from store to store checking and testing sofas to replace the hunk of scrap metal masquerading as a futon. Found one perfect for the room. Headed off to pillage, and sent son down to get hair cut.

Then drove out to Anketell to 'meet' Ziggy, the retired queen Bengal.

She liked me, and is an absolute darling. She is such a little bit of a thing. We got interviewed by her owner, Alison, to make sure we knew what we were getting into, and were able for it. We gave our cat history, including all the trials and tribulations we had with Affy, and after about an hour, we were given the green light. Aikidomayland and I came home and discussed it. Loki smelled a strange kitty on me, and I underwent a sniff fest from him. When he was done, he stropped his body back and forth on my shins, thereby marking me as his yet again.

We called Alison, and said yes, it's a go, but we want a few days to prep the house (Ziggy likes to gnaw on and eat plastic bags) to get things ready for a new addition. :) Ziggy will be here next week.