While I was sleeping

Two kitties decided they'd take residence, snuggling in the blankets tangled about my feet. This is a rare treat, Hansel is a frequent snoozer, but Gretel is usually busy "working" in the morning. She stands vigil before the sliding doors, taking count of the birds and neighborhood cats who dare to enter our yard. Maybe it's because I slept in a bit, or maybe it's the chill in the air, but she joined the snooze party. Luckily I had my camera within arm's reach so I could capture the moment without disturbing it. Too bad the reverie had to end. The day has chores, lesson planning, and a bit of comfort food cooking in store.

Snuggly Snuggie Shelf

Up at 5:30 AM they kept me company in the kitchen while I cooked this week's dinners. Matzo ball soup, broccoli and cheddar quiche, and baked ziti are done and in the fridge. This is the only way to avoid driving through, running in, or grab n' go dinner with our schedule. I woke early to cook because we really need to log some miles today. Our next half marathon is in 3 weeks! The dishwasher was loaded, the food was wrapped, and I had the Nikes laced up. One step outside and that was it. It's too darned cold for this tired body to get going. Standing still, without the sun I was shaking. Moving down the block in our walk/jog/shuffle created uncomfortable breezes. I should've taken a cue from the cats, snuggled close on a Snuggie on a shelf. It's fleece and slippers for me, until cast call this afternoon.

The more things change...

Out the door before 7 AM, home for a bit from 4:30 to 6:00 and then back home after eleven. That's been the routine lately. Between rehearsals, school, piano, tap dance, voice, and preparing for the next half marathon, we're visitors in our own house. The permanent residents are not impressed by our busy lives. They expect the delivery of treats on schedule... that is, any time they want them.

356/365 Feeling No Pain...well, the cat isn't

Recovering well after her annual trip to the vet, Gretel enjoys some sunshine. That makes one of us. As if my throbbing jawbone wasn't enough excitement, I reunited with the personal trainer at the Y today. Let's just say that I hope I don't need to use the bathroom again tonight, because lowering myself into the sitting position causes me to see stars. This is good pain, but it's soreness that wouldn't have happened a year ago from what was really just a moderate workout. Maybe I've been using his brain injury/recovery/ my new job as an excuse to stop any training but the kind we do on the trail to Starbucks. The pain is a reminder, and resolution time looms near.

347/365 Co-writer

Only 13 days from the end of blogging 365, Hansel is a bit tired of the experiment. It is taking away from my time spent with him. I am constantly having to go back and erase the characters he types, or the mistakes I make when he plants himself in front of the screen. He stands on my lap when I sit down at the keyboard, rubs his wet nose all over me, and occasionally nips me if I pause to think. His sister isn't much better. Her demands for attention come with soprano vocalizations and the beat of her paws on my back. Crazy cats.

314/365 Not too busy

Things have been a bit crazy for the human inhabitants of 0ur house, with hardly a moment at home but for sleeping time. With all the running around we've been doing, it's nice to know that SOMEONE is able to enjoy the comforts of home. Oh, to be a cat.

279/365 Worth the investment

This is a ritual. I need to leave the bag out for a few hours before I try to pack it so that it can be inspected by the in-house TSA (Trying to Sleep All over?) inspectors. The investment of a little time and money pays back tenfold when it comes to the kitties. As for human children...

277/365 Feeling like that too.

Hansel is helping EG clean out his closet. EG had a mammoth Kohl's excursion this morning, treating himself to a new assortment of khakis and black button-downs that look just like his old assortment of khakis and black button-downs. He has refreshed his teacher uniform rations. I'm feeling just about as helpful as Hansel. It has been ages since I've felt this unproductive, sitting still in denial of a bit of a stomach bug that I've been trying to ignore for going on 5 days. Heating pad on tummy, I watched one football game and listened to another this afternoon, quite a different multi-tasking feat than I'm accustomed to doing. My plan is, bug or not, that I feel better tomorrow.

275/365 Really, really smart

Notice the morning sun, streaming from the bedroom window.
It's 8AM. Fed, watered, and cat-treated, it's time for a nap. Gretel knows how to live.

265/365 Everybody needs a teddy bear

Pardon my indulgence of cat photos, but this was irresistible. There may have been some inappropriate, inter-species activities between bear and cat before this photo. I walked in as they were sleeping it off. Working at home I've had a delightful time observing the (few) daytime activities of the supervising cats around here. I read recently that "time spent with a cat is never wasted." Every nap, grooming, or stretch is purposeful and entertaining.

264/365 Bad Cat

Yep. He's chewing my hair. I'm glad that my cats are bad. Life would be so boring in a house with good cats. I love coming home and finding the cat toys in different places, yet the guilty parties appear that they have been sleeping all day. Hansel thinks he's still a kitten, going on the attack when feet move under blankets, protecting us from unknown predators. A consistent source of amusement.

259/365 Interior Decorating vs. Kitties

With the hubby's new b-day present (HD TV and DVR) we'd considered a donation of the 1990's entertainment system. Even though I still like this furniture, it's way bigger than necessary to house the sleek, new t.v. that even came with a wall-mount option. Ultimately we decided to keep it, and heavy in our considerations were Hansel and Gretel. Using a system of windowsill, fireplace, entertainment system hurdles, they can relax in comfort and view the trees at birds-eye level. Those windows are 7-plus feet up and would be inaccessible. In the end the cats win.

250/365 Where were you?

We may have had a grand adventure, but H & G were a bit annoyed. They each gave us the (four) cold shoulder(s) as they waited for water service at the bath tub.

240/365 Everything Old is New...

We purchased the "catbeds" about 2 years ago, and they were a hit. One with a pink interior and one with blue, these were soft, fuzzy, and the perfect fit for a curled-up kitty's nap. Soon they fell out of favor with our fickle cats, and they were relegated to the floor of the closet. This morning, EJG spied Gretel going into his closet. Fearing that she had ulterior motives (a little "showing off" outside the box) he checked in on her. She was sitting comfortably on top of an inverted catbed.

He moved the bed out to the favored spot, in front of the sliding doors in the bedroom, and left for work. I returned to find Gretel enjoying her "new" sleeping spot.

Of course, upside-down, it doesn't really support her. Maybe it feels more like a hammock. "Gretel was here," this dent says.

220/365 The bear and the boy

All in a day's work.

189/365 Fountainside Dining

They like their water flowing freely, like a trickling stream or a gentle waterfall. We're happy to oblige using the bathtub spigot when we're home, but what of the long hours we must be apart? Enter the Petmate Deluxe Freshflow. Not only a provider of flowing refreshment, but a creator of ambiance. The gentle splashing makes the Iams Multicat even more delicious.

187/365 Claws in the Contract

Hansel has his fourth eye infection in his 4 years. He gets a little drippy stuff going, and then starts a' blinkin. So we go to the vet. Like last time he needs 3 days of eye drops and we are to give him Lysine chews, an immune system boost for cats that comes in yummy chicken liver flavor. We were in and out of the vet, then back home in less than 30 minutes (after dropping $104). It wasn't really stressful for Hans, but he was none too appreciative. Declawed only in front paws, he used the rear to show me his gratitude.

181/365 Back to Badness

With all visits over and the house back to normal Hansel is back on his Bad to the Bone tour, standing everywhere he's not allowed to be. Good thing he's cute and furry...

176/365 "My Sucky Life"

Death and strange ailments all around us, I guess I can understand why the victim of a series of unfortunate and unlikely events may feel this way. It can seem like the world is cruel and vindictive. All the money in the world can't keep you from dying. A beauty queen is eaten alive by a disease. The deliverer of late-night laughter and sweepstakes prizes dies in bankruptcy. Maybe better to be Hansel. Unable to appreciate the nuances of life, his life is good if there is a nap, a nosh, a nuzzle, and a good poop. Really, what more do we need?

166/365 Same Old, Same Old...

For Hansel and Gretel, anyhow. Lined up at the pantry for AM Cat Treats. For us today it's back to Shands for staple removal (goodbye head bling) and a CT scan. The teen starts camp today at Theater Jax, our home away from home these last months. An evening grill and splash with the in-laws is on deck for later today, then hopefully we'll get in our Bucks n' back stroll after sunset.