i am a cat person . . .

so, it's almost 1:30 a.m. and i am still awake.  since a little wine usually helps, i lumbered downstairs to drain sip politely from a bottle of 337, my current favorite.  kidlet heard me rummaging around and asked me to give boots some fresh water . . . she having forgotten earlier.  but let me explain.

kidlet's good friend jen, came home from work friday to a flooded apartment.  her hot water heater had exploded and their two dogs were paddling around in four inches of water.  combine that with her mom's birthday and jen, tim and d are home for the duration.  her mom's house is dog friendly so fritz and lola are with the family. boots, however, being of the feline persuasion, was not as welcome.  being second cousin to a cattery, she has come to stay with us in the 9TS's cave. 

naturally, boots is a little freaked by the transition.  made entirely worse by the fact that the door from the dining room to the cave is glass and all three of my curious beasties have, at one point or another, marched down to glare at poor boots.  pippin in fact, has practically taken up residence there.

when jen came to make a second visit after dropping boots off, we all tromped in to pay homage to the stricken animal.  bad idea.  although i was a good five feet from her, she bared her teeth, hissed and lunged.  blood trickled down my leg.  hummm.  she needs a little peace and quiet said i as i retreated quickly.

saturday afternoon i sat with her for a while, crooning to calm her frightened carcass.  after twenty minutes with no respite from the hissing and growling, i backed out for a second time.

which brings us back to wine and water.  i laid down my wine bottle glass and headed to the cave to retrieve the water bowl.  one foot into the room and boots lunged again . . . in the same not so welcoming manner.  i screeched for kidlet who it turns out was right on my heels.  get out of the way she barked as i scrambled onto one of the overstuffed chairs.  did boots relent for her old friend kidlet?  hell no.  she was a ball of fur on a mission and kidlet and i tripped over ourselves trying to retreat in the most unceremonious of manners.  add pippin trying to get in while we were trying to exit and i must admit, boots will have to wait for tomorrow for fresh water. 

now i have always been a cat person except for one twelve year aberration into dogdom with a goofy, liver spotted dalmatian named sam.  i clearly understand boot's boots' bootses the cats distress but my feelings are frayed. it's a good thing pip is, as i type, curled up, sound asleep at my elbow.

i am a cat person . . . i will make friends with boots yet.

malta . . .

bored and playing.  i really, really need new photos.  really.

i loved that all of the parks had feeding stations for the local cats but had a hard time with all the dogs pooping in the streets.  it was a minefield!!!  nothing against the pooches themselves.  and in the middle of all of this antiquity, the only mickey d's we came across.  don't ask.  don't even think it.  we did not partake. 

moving on . . .

richard, husband of my friend tara, who passed away last fall, has moved on and he and carrie are, as facebook puts it, "in a relationship".  i love that he is happy again.  he tended to tara for the long ten years she battled ovarian cancer.  daniel, their son, is almost ready for college, and his very own new relationships sure to follow.  the posted pictures show affection, warmth and all the other emotions that move ones soul.  they are dear to see.

susan, who lost her dear husband jim, a little over a year ago, also posted that she was now "in a relationship".  i am so happy she is happy.  susan is a wonderful soul, she deserves every ounce of joy that comes her way. 

so why am i so torn?  while i am truly thrilled they have moved on and found that comfort that envelops the heart, i am still beyond sad that the 9TS is no longer with me. and i am not discounting that they still have huge caverns in their hearts for their tara and jim, because i believe that with all that i am.

i'm not sure if it is because i don't want to move on or i don't know how to.  i miss the companionship of my best friend.  i still miss watching him do the south philly shuffle.  i miss his touch.  heck, i even miss his odorous farts. maybe that is the point.  i miss living with the person who i feel so comfortable with that anything goes. 

so here i am. for now, i am content.  if things change somewhere down the line, good for me.  if they don't, then good for me too.  life just keeps flowing . . .

p.s.  our visas came today.

the world spins . . .

sporting a new boo boo.  yes, i got into the newly sharpened knives again.  i think i need childproofing . . . you know, like the round tipped scissors we used in kindergarten . . . the better to slice you with, my little chicken thigh.

have you ever tried to pull a pair of latex gloves on over wet hands?  don't, it's like sticking your elbow in your ear.

read a free Nook book.  it drove me crazy.  one quick example:  "His other hand gently swept up the side of my body to my nipples and  brushed his fingers over my pointed traders."  and because she can't stand to use a phrase just once, i got to read it twice more by which time i realized she was trying to say "traitors".  i had to wash my brain out and start Twelve Years as a Slave.  p.s. yes, it was a self published book.  will i ever learn?

kidlet and i went to burger king for her weekly infusion of cholesterol.  she placed her order and i handed the cashier her debit card.  luckily she glanced at it before we drove off.  her burger and onion rings totaled $33 plus change. the poor guy tried valiantly to cancel the charge with little luck.  he finally just refunded her the amount in cash and then asked her to repay in cash.  huh?

i love the way my world spins.  not quite on balance.  a little quirky.  just right.

damage control . . .

i did it.

i needed a pair of bling-y, strappy black heels and i found them.  i'm excited.  it's not that the 9TS was vertically challenged, it's more that i am vertically gifted.  i'm almost 5'9" in my stocking bare feet . . . who are we kidding, i haven't worn stockings in over a 1/10th of a century.  do they still make them? i would post a photo but they have to ship mine because their only pair in my size were damaged.  probably because Donald Duck tried them on before me . . . yes, we wear the same size.  my feet are gifted as well.

so kidlet and i went on a mission.  i made it out alive with one pair of shoes.  kidlet didn't fare as well and came home with two pairs.  but then i hit Victoria Secret while she hit Bath and Body Works and the damage was fairly evenly distributed. 

of course with kidlet's heels, she is almost as tall as i am.  yep, they are THAT high, complete with platforms:

we have more damage to do.  apparently our wardrobes both petered out at the same time.

no damage control at this address, we are going with gusto.  why you ask?  we have a secret.

unforkingbelievable . . .

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a recent facebook posting:

Jeanne:  In case you were wondering, yes, you can drop a fork off the counter and have it puncture your foot. @@

Sue:  Only you, Jeanne.  Only you!  Are you okay??

              Dawn:  Oouucchhh 

              Jeanne:  LOL, beside the embarrassment and the neat row of holes, I'm fine.

              Sue:  Glad to know you don't need stitches or anything. Be careful!

Linda: Stick a fork in you, you're done.

Me and smelling vaguely like pork butt.

       Ta To:  :::marking that off my bucket list: 

Kelli:  Fork you!!!

Kelli:  Or should I say, "you really forked yourself this time"?

Deb: Ouch ! 

Michelle:  You're taking "May the Fork Be With You" a little too seriously! 

Adrian:  Oh no!!! That's forked up!! 

Tere:  Better a fork than a paring knife.

Diane: OUCH! 

TaTo: That's unforkingbelieveable! 

Ali: Ouch! 

Lisa: Oh no! 

Bethany: yikes

Chris:  Ouch. Want the crown? 

Jana:  Oh no! Ouch! 

Terry:  ouch! haven't done a fork but have dropped my meat thermometer and I know that hurts. 

Cathy: When things like that happen to me (and they do!) I always think, "if I'd been TRYING to do that, I never could have! But doing it by accident...EVERY TIME!" I'm glad you're ok--well, except for the holes! 

Leonore:  I'm glad you're okay. These puns are cracking me up! LOL

Michelle:   Cathy's holes comment made me think, "Jeanne needs Crocs!!!" 

Marsha:  Ouch! 

Bridget:   Stop forking around like that!

Tinka:  'all are forking hilarious!

Liane:  OUCH!!! So sorry! 

Grace: poke me with a fork.. I think I'm done! 

Anke:  haha, that is so you. I miss reading about your antics! 

Lynda:  I believe you're an accident waiting to happen! 

Ruth: "Yikes" 

don't i have the oddest friends????  i wouldn't trade them for anything!!!!

recycling . . .

still playing.  i may need a new hobby. 
i got all the way finished with this one, resized it, posted it and then realized it was portofino not positano.  gah!  not changing it.

i need new photos.