(no subject)
Sep. 21st, 2012 08:48 pmMild rough throat, but not drastic; considering the sleep I did not get this week, probably not as bad as it could be. ( tmi cats )
(no subject)
Jul. 3rd, 2012 05:26 pmSince today has included: two cat fights, two catfood upchucks on separate carpets and much positional eating confusion (Jenny took Beautiful's 'reserved' spot and would not be moved, Beautiful was too upset to eat with Toby, who was upset because Beautiful was upset, and neither of them could keep down anything with beef in it); a speculative trip to the diner (closed, not sure when it will reopen because it's cleaning all its freezers), co-op (ditto), and grocery store (fresh food, yay! 99-cent strawberries for the win. Ice cream or frozen food? no.) while dodging the not-working traffic signals and the deliberately rerouted roads (no left turns, no right turns, no turns), and the closed roads (trees down, wires down, you do not want to go there, what was that odd smell, no, I don't want to check it out)...
some links that have nothing to do with weather:
The Reichenbach Fall's climactic scene depicted as the Bayeux Tapestry. And also the do-it-yourself Bayeux Tapestry creator for further fannish merriment.
Declaration of Internet Freedom.
Software that diagnoses Parkinson's by listening to your voice. Color me dubious.
Texas Republicans endorse ignorance, lack of critical training and inability to think.
How a single grad student found that Google was putting surreptitious cookies on iPhones, and what that means for privacy.
Nature, 1; Monsanto, 0.
Okay, I lied: one about the weather. What to do when you see a dog in a hot car. Or a cat. Or a baby.
A California bill would let children have more than two legal parents.
And, for any of you who have a Krups espresso maker and far more knowledge than I have: what's the secret to getting good crema on the espresso? I'm getting tasty coffee, but none of that light-brown crema that's supposed to be the signature of espresso. I'm getting good milk foaming for cappucinos, but that's not the problem. Suggestions? More tamping on the coffee? Less? Different?
some links that have nothing to do with weather:
The Reichenbach Fall's climactic scene depicted as the Bayeux Tapestry. And also the do-it-yourself Bayeux Tapestry creator for further fannish merriment.
Declaration of Internet Freedom.
Software that diagnoses Parkinson's by listening to your voice. Color me dubious.
Texas Republicans endorse ignorance, lack of critical training and inability to think.
How a single grad student found that Google was putting surreptitious cookies on iPhones, and what that means for privacy.
Nature, 1; Monsanto, 0.
Okay, I lied: one about the weather. What to do when you see a dog in a hot car. Or a cat. Or a baby.
A California bill would let children have more than two legal parents.
And, for any of you who have a Krups espresso maker and far more knowledge than I have: what's the secret to getting good crema on the espresso? I'm getting tasty coffee, but none of that light-brown crema that's supposed to be the signature of espresso. I'm getting good milk foaming for cappucinos, but that's not the problem. Suggestions? More tamping on the coffee? Less? Different?
Now that our experiences and conversations and memory are virtual, tied up in electrons instead of ink and paper, how much is being lost?
Too smart to fail: notes on an age of folly. Or what happens when people who don't get it right are rewarded for this, with power, money, politics, etc.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
siliconshaman on how to to defeat corporate sociopaths. Keep this in mind, dear reader...
Electoral hijinks:
Romney: backtracked on promised judicial reforms as Massachusetts governor. Also, cannot spell "America". I doubt he's actually running for a job in A Mercia. (Seriously, dear British readers, you wouldn't want him.)
This is what the US looks like right now, even though you may not realize it. Pay attention:
There's a Gilbert & Sullivan song that includes the phrase, "I have a little list; they never will be missed." Richard Nixon had a little list, an enemies list that included people like Joan Baez and anyone high up in the Democratic Party and, oh yeah, anyone from the Washington Post. Much as I would like to think that the enemies list is a Republican fanaticism from the past, I'm wrong. Barack Obama has a kill list, people he thinks we'd be better off without. Americans he thinks shouldn't be allowed to have a fair trial. Americans whom he tells other Americans to kill. Ta-Nehisi Coates has quite a bit to say about this. And, besides the political killings of Muslims, there are the lists of people to be harassed in the Republican Party. Why is the President doing this? Isn't it supposed to be well below his pay grade -- as well as Not A Part Of His Job? As well as, let's not forget, illegal? immoral? unethical? And not what a head of state in a democratic republic should be doing?
And in this corner, the schismatic Pope and his men:
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, former head of the US Catholic Bishops, paid pedophiles within the hierarchy to "disappear". Quoting: ( some details )
Why the Pope is out to get the women religious of America. However -- there are possibilities for another way for the nuns to take the Leadership Conference of Women Religious: Theologian Mary E. Hunt, co-director of the Catholic feminist resource center, WATER, told me in a telephone interview from her office in Silver Spring, Md., that the Vatican set its sights on LCWR because, as an organization that is part of the church structure, its members are "canonically vulnerable" -- meaning that they are subject to the law of the hierarchy, known as canon law, as interpreted by its appointed enforcers. Should the group dissolve itself and incorporate as a non-profit, it need only operate within the bounds of U.S. law, under which the religious freedom of its members is guaranteed under the First Amendment. And for why they might want to do that:( only in America )
One of the things I find most ironic in the current situation is the push toward political involvement by the hierarchy -- especially considering the fact that several theologians of liberation theology were silenced and/or laicized by the Vatican during recent decades for getting involved in the politics of the countries where they were living.
It doesn't help, also, that the Washington Post sides with the Pope. Seriously poor reporting all around.
In Florida, all 67 election supervisors have suspended the de facto racist purge of Hispanic voters that had been ordered by the governor's office. Such a purge, of course, violates federal election law.
In California, the Center for Constitutional Rights is suing the state for keeping 78 prisoners *in solitary for more than 20 years*. That, right there, is torture by international standards.
In Wisconsin, voter fatigue -- after 7 votes in 14 months.
The good news today is that the Feliway appears to be working. Jenny is perkier and more able to run around the house without being harassed, Toby and Beautiful seem to be reasonably laid-back -- and I am having NO allergic problems from it (which was a big concern). And Toby seems to be going back to his much more cuddly and less aggressive self, wanting to play and asking me to throw his toys for him. Thank you, everyone who talked about it and told me of your experiences and how it affected various cat issues.
It may not be a big thing, to counter all of the political issues, but it's something positive, and I'll take that as good news any day.
Too smart to fail: notes on an age of folly. Or what happens when people who don't get it right are rewarded for this, with power, money, politics, etc.
siliconshaman on how to to defeat corporate sociopaths. Keep this in mind, dear reader...Electoral hijinks:
Romney: backtracked on promised judicial reforms as Massachusetts governor. Also, cannot spell "America". I doubt he's actually running for a job in A Mercia. (Seriously, dear British readers, you wouldn't want him.)
This is what the US looks like right now, even though you may not realize it. Pay attention:
There's a Gilbert & Sullivan song that includes the phrase, "I have a little list; they never will be missed." Richard Nixon had a little list, an enemies list that included people like Joan Baez and anyone high up in the Democratic Party and, oh yeah, anyone from the Washington Post. Much as I would like to think that the enemies list is a Republican fanaticism from the past, I'm wrong. Barack Obama has a kill list, people he thinks we'd be better off without. Americans he thinks shouldn't be allowed to have a fair trial. Americans whom he tells other Americans to kill. Ta-Nehisi Coates has quite a bit to say about this. And, besides the political killings of Muslims, there are the lists of people to be harassed in the Republican Party. Why is the President doing this? Isn't it supposed to be well below his pay grade -- as well as Not A Part Of His Job? As well as, let's not forget, illegal? immoral? unethical? And not what a head of state in a democratic republic should be doing?
And in this corner, the schismatic Pope and his men:
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, former head of the US Catholic Bishops, paid pedophiles within the hierarchy to "disappear". Quoting: ( some details )
Why the Pope is out to get the women religious of America. However -- there are possibilities for another way for the nuns to take the Leadership Conference of Women Religious: Theologian Mary E. Hunt, co-director of the Catholic feminist resource center, WATER, told me in a telephone interview from her office in Silver Spring, Md., that the Vatican set its sights on LCWR because, as an organization that is part of the church structure, its members are "canonically vulnerable" -- meaning that they are subject to the law of the hierarchy, known as canon law, as interpreted by its appointed enforcers. Should the group dissolve itself and incorporate as a non-profit, it need only operate within the bounds of U.S. law, under which the religious freedom of its members is guaranteed under the First Amendment. And for why they might want to do that:( only in America )
One of the things I find most ironic in the current situation is the push toward political involvement by the hierarchy -- especially considering the fact that several theologians of liberation theology were silenced and/or laicized by the Vatican during recent decades for getting involved in the politics of the countries where they were living.
It doesn't help, also, that the Washington Post sides with the Pope. Seriously poor reporting all around.
In Florida, all 67 election supervisors have suspended the de facto racist purge of Hispanic voters that had been ordered by the governor's office. Such a purge, of course, violates federal election law.
In California, the Center for Constitutional Rights is suing the state for keeping 78 prisoners *in solitary for more than 20 years*. That, right there, is torture by international standards.
In Wisconsin, voter fatigue -- after 7 votes in 14 months.
The good news today is that the Feliway appears to be working. Jenny is perkier and more able to run around the house without being harassed, Toby and Beautiful seem to be reasonably laid-back -- and I am having NO allergic problems from it (which was a big concern). And Toby seems to be going back to his much more cuddly and less aggressive self, wanting to play and asking me to throw his toys for him. Thank you, everyone who talked about it and told me of your experiences and how it affected various cat issues.
It may not be a big thing, to counter all of the political issues, but it's something positive, and I'll take that as good news any day.
(no subject)
Jun. 3rd, 2012 08:02 pmWe're going to try a variety of approaches and see if we can get things to work out -- I'm going in search of a Feliway tomorrow, and I've given Toby and Beautiful some treats that are mild kitty sedatives, which seem to be working.
Which is just as well because nobody has said they'd take them. ( concerns )
Good thoughts, candles or other offerings to Bastet or any other patroness of cats and small creatures (St. Francis, I'm looking at YOU), and any other good wishes are very very welcome. Also, anyone who does Reiki, if you would be willing to send my kitties the sort of general beneficial calming energy that you can do, please feel free. I'm doing what I can, but there's only one of me and three of them.
Which is just as well because nobody has said they'd take them. ( concerns )
Good thoughts, candles or other offerings to Bastet or any other patroness of cats and small creatures (St. Francis, I'm looking at YOU), and any other good wishes are very very welcome. Also, anyone who does Reiki, if you would be willing to send my kitties the sort of general beneficial calming energy that you can do, please feel free. I'm doing what I can, but there's only one of me and three of them.
Seeking a home for two cats
Jun. 3rd, 2012 12:32 amI think I'm going to have to find another home for both Beautiful and Toby Chaplin. I don't want to. They're my furry kids. But I think I'm going to have to do it.
They're trying to kill Pirate Jenny.
Singly or together, they're trying to keep her from food, from water, from the litterbox. She isn't truly safe unless she's next to me, and not even then sometimes.
If it was just Beautiful, I think they'd come to some sort of equilibrium. Beautiful is concerned about making sure there's a place for herself; she will annoy Jenny but runs away at a growl. Toby is being a pushy thug, and I don't know what to do. It doesn't matter how often he gets water thrown at him or squirted on him. It doesn't matter if I growl at him, which I have. He still tries to corner her and beat her up.
Toby plus Beautiful together? Friendly, playing with one another, tumbling, chasing balls and playing with toys. Splitting them up is not an option.
And letting them torture my Jenny is not an option either. We have to locate extra water bowls around the house so she won't be dehydrated, and extra litterboxes and food bowls. She's so nervous she's chewing the fur off her legs; she looks like she's been mugged by moths. She's a gentle girl; she's never had to fight before and she doesn't know how. Simba, who was here when she was a kitten, was fairly gentle with her and very kind; he never did anything like this.
Does anyone have room in their homes for two cats? Both shorthairs, not much coat maintenance needed (a little brushing with a soft brush occasionally? Both indoor cats? Toby is more outgoing, Beautiful is more shy but responds to gentleness (she cannot and should not be treated roughly, as she was so badly abused before.) And where there are no other cats at all and no other pets, so the same issues won't recur. Beautiful is about 6.5 -7 lbs, Toby is about 13 lbs.
This isn't something I ever wanted to do, but I don't see a way around it.
They're trying to kill Pirate Jenny.
Singly or together, they're trying to keep her from food, from water, from the litterbox. She isn't truly safe unless she's next to me, and not even then sometimes.
If it was just Beautiful, I think they'd come to some sort of equilibrium. Beautiful is concerned about making sure there's a place for herself; she will annoy Jenny but runs away at a growl. Toby is being a pushy thug, and I don't know what to do. It doesn't matter how often he gets water thrown at him or squirted on him. It doesn't matter if I growl at him, which I have. He still tries to corner her and beat her up.
Toby plus Beautiful together? Friendly, playing with one another, tumbling, chasing balls and playing with toys. Splitting them up is not an option.
And letting them torture my Jenny is not an option either. We have to locate extra water bowls around the house so she won't be dehydrated, and extra litterboxes and food bowls. She's so nervous she's chewing the fur off her legs; she looks like she's been mugged by moths. She's a gentle girl; she's never had to fight before and she doesn't know how. Simba, who was here when she was a kitten, was fairly gentle with her and very kind; he never did anything like this.
Does anyone have room in their homes for two cats? Both shorthairs, not much coat maintenance needed (a little brushing with a soft brush occasionally? Both indoor cats? Toby is more outgoing, Beautiful is more shy but responds to gentleness (she cannot and should not be treated roughly, as she was so badly abused before.) And where there are no other cats at all and no other pets, so the same issues won't recur. Beautiful is about 6.5 -7 lbs, Toby is about 13 lbs.
This isn't something I ever wanted to do, but I don't see a way around it.
minor update(s)
Mar. 21st, 2012 01:51 pmBeautiful's test results came back; all negative. No heartworm or other worm or parasites or diseases. Other than fleas. We are dealing, with lots of laundry and showers and vacuuming and flea treatment for the others. If this was the fall I wouldn't be concerned; they tend to die off toward winter. But it's not.
A thought: is there such a thing as a map of where the bombs fell on London during the Blitz? I checked out Googlemaps, and the Wyndham Street address where John and Margaret lived is now very elegant townhouses that were certainly built since 1851; the South Abbey Place address where John lived ten years earlier is now apparently an overpass for some road. I'm thinking that if I had a better idea of which areas of London (if any) still appear somewhat the way they did in the early Victorian era, it would be helpful as I attempt to navigate around and find where someone was 150-180 years ago.
For reference, remember that my family has long generations. I was a late baby, Mom was the youngest in her family and it's likely that Sam was the youngest in his. Mom was born 1914; Sam was born 1871. John, my great-grandfather, was born in 1828.
And when I think of the amount of technological and other changes since then, in three generations, it makes my head spin.
A thought: is there such a thing as a map of where the bombs fell on London during the Blitz? I checked out Googlemaps, and the Wyndham Street address where John and Margaret lived is now very elegant townhouses that were certainly built since 1851; the South Abbey Place address where John lived ten years earlier is now apparently an overpass for some road. I'm thinking that if I had a better idea of which areas of London (if any) still appear somewhat the way they did in the early Victorian era, it would be helpful as I attempt to navigate around and find where someone was 150-180 years ago.
For reference, remember that my family has long generations. I was a late baby, Mom was the youngest in her family and it's likely that Sam was the youngest in his. Mom was born 1914; Sam was born 1871. John, my great-grandfather, was born in 1828.
And when I think of the amount of technological and other changes since then, in three generations, it makes my head spin.
The subject comes from Beautiful's current occupation -- attempting to get a trackball out of the enclosing track it moves in; the perfect cat toy when it works, as there's nothing to clean up and it just keeps moving. This girl's smart, though. She played with it a little and then went back up to look out the window.
At this point she tolerates us, but from what I have seen she has never been 'civilized' the way Toby has, nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnb -- she just erased three paragraphs with her foot. argh.
I went for a walk this morning and she watched out the window and saw me leave. She was surprised when I came back. But all her questions are 'can I get out of here?'
Anyway, it's clear that she has never been told no by a human and had it mean anything nondrastic. She wanted to drink out of my glass instead of her bowl, and hissed and scratched at me when I said no, so she got a big hiss from me -- that's how mama cats train kittens, it means "I'm the big cat around here". And she grumbled and went over to drink from her own bowl. And came back to make up afterward. She is testing us.
It will take a while. The SU raised the possibility that she might have a chip -- though I think it unlikely since someone who would go to the trouble of chipping her should also be willing to *feed* her -- but if she does, she may have to go back to that person. I'm not crossing that bridge until it's a bridge.
Toby, meanwhile, is the anxious lover outside the door -- he knows her scent markers from his small ventures outside -- but his rattling the door is not making her any easier, though mainly it makes her go sit in the window and growl toward the door. He sat out there most of last night, waiting to meet her, patiently being a large lump in the hall.
The SU is calling the vet to get an appointment for her. And then we'll see.
At this point she tolerates us, but from what I have seen she has never been 'civilized' the way Toby has, nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnb -- she just erased three paragraphs with her foot. argh.
I went for a walk this morning and she watched out the window and saw me leave. She was surprised when I came back. But all her questions are 'can I get out of here?'
Anyway, it's clear that she has never been told no by a human and had it mean anything nondrastic. She wanted to drink out of my glass instead of her bowl, and hissed and scratched at me when I said no, so she got a big hiss from me -- that's how mama cats train kittens, it means "I'm the big cat around here". And she grumbled and went over to drink from her own bowl. And came back to make up afterward. She is testing us.
It will take a while. The SU raised the possibility that she might have a chip -- though I think it unlikely since someone who would go to the trouble of chipping her should also be willing to *feed* her -- but if she does, she may have to go back to that person. I'm not crossing that bridge until it's a bridge.
Toby, meanwhile, is the anxious lover outside the door -- he knows her scent markers from his small ventures outside -- but his rattling the door is not making her any easier, though mainly it makes her go sit in the window and growl toward the door. He sat out there most of last night, waiting to meet her, patiently being a large lump in the hall.
The SU is calling the vet to get an appointment for her. And then we'll see.
last update of the evening.
Mar. 19th, 2012 03:00 amBeautiful has eaten some soft food and some hard food, had a little water and a bit of a nap, and is now under the SU's eye for the night. We've found that if one of us sleeps in the isolation room the adjustment is quicker later on. So it's his turn tonight; mine tomorrow, after she visits the vet. Also, Toby keeps trying to break in to see what's going on, and he's less likely to do it when I'm out here than in there (since he is My Cat Who Wants To Know What I Am Doing All The Time Even If He Doesn't Really Care About It.) Jenny is maintaining radio silence while keeping a weather eye on all of it.
But while I was in with her I talked with her a lot and sang a little, and was just generally there, and she came over to be petted a few times, all the time asking to be let out and go back to her life and I misunderstood and did not do it, which I think she saw through since I generally understood what she was saying pretty well. But she was tolerant enough to let me get away with it, so far.
Getting her into the carrier to go to the vet is not likely to be pleasant, but I have some thoughts on how to make it not as traumatic as it might otherwise be, such as putting some treats in the back of the box...
But while I was in with her I talked with her a lot and sang a little, and was just generally there, and she came over to be petted a few times, all the time asking to be let out and go back to her life and I misunderstood and did not do it, which I think she saw through since I generally understood what she was saying pretty well. But she was tolerant enough to let me get away with it, so far.
Getting her into the carrier to go to the vet is not likely to be pleasant, but I have some thoughts on how to make it not as traumatic as it might otherwise be, such as putting some treats in the back of the box...
And the Beautiful story continues...
Mar. 18th, 2012 11:42 pmBeautiful came by today, and I called her and she ran to me... and I picked her up and came indoors before she could get over being startled. She is now isolated (with litter pan, food and water and the SU, switching off with me) in the front room, the only place that still has that awful shag carpeting, so that whatever happens nothing of much value will be messed up.
She spent a lot of time pacing back and forth on the windowsill and growling/muttering/howling a bit, not that it made a difference to me. She is, in fact, acting as if we have kidnapped her out of a cult she liked and she didn't want to be deprogrammed, thank you very much. We, on the other hand, are saying things like, "Food every day, whenever you want. Soft beds. Friendly people who will not hurt you." Though she may be really sarcastic about that last, after she sees the vet tomorrow. We, for our part, are hoping that she will accede to the feline version of Stockholm Syndrome sooner rather than later.
But for now she's quiet, hiding under my late uncle's shabby-antique two-sided kneehole desk, keeping an eye on the door. With good reason -- when I was in there, and she was howling, Toby was leaning hard on the door, bouncing it (and he's got considerable strength in that 12.5 lbs) and saying concerned things about how he was sure I was being torn limb from limb and he was *worried* about me, and why wasn't I out there with him and away from That Stranger?
However, she came over every once in a while to the cot I was lying on with my phone (as I texted the SU every five minutes about what was going on) and let me pet her, though she wasn't pleased at being picked up and put on the cot; she didn't want to be THAT close, thank you. And some of the time I think she was growling at dogs walking by outside, and possibly at people. Not at me.
So we will see. We have friends who just lost a kitty, and if she is truly unhappy with us after a couple of weeks we will find her a different home, further from her old stomping grounds, though I would rather have her decide to be happy here. After all, she stalked us and observed us for a good long time. She has some idea what kind of people we are. I have to hope that counts for something with her.
She spent a lot of time pacing back and forth on the windowsill and growling/muttering/howling a bit, not that it made a difference to me. She is, in fact, acting as if we have kidnapped her out of a cult she liked and she didn't want to be deprogrammed, thank you very much. We, on the other hand, are saying things like, "Food every day, whenever you want. Soft beds. Friendly people who will not hurt you." Though she may be really sarcastic about that last, after she sees the vet tomorrow. We, for our part, are hoping that she will accede to the feline version of Stockholm Syndrome sooner rather than later.
But for now she's quiet, hiding under my late uncle's shabby-antique two-sided kneehole desk, keeping an eye on the door. With good reason -- when I was in there, and she was howling, Toby was leaning hard on the door, bouncing it (and he's got considerable strength in that 12.5 lbs) and saying concerned things about how he was sure I was being torn limb from limb and he was *worried* about me, and why wasn't I out there with him and away from That Stranger?
However, she came over every once in a while to the cot I was lying on with my phone (as I texted the SU every five minutes about what was going on) and let me pet her, though she wasn't pleased at being picked up and put on the cot; she didn't want to be THAT close, thank you. And some of the time I think she was growling at dogs walking by outside, and possibly at people. Not at me.
So we will see. We have friends who just lost a kitty, and if she is truly unhappy with us after a couple of weeks we will find her a different home, further from her old stomping grounds, though I would rather have her decide to be happy here. After all, she stalked us and observed us for a good long time. She has some idea what kind of people we are. I have to hope that counts for something with her.
in which there is a singing cat
Sep. 25th, 2011 02:27 amIt's not easy to sleep with cats. Toby is dedicated and devoted and wants to plaster himself to me longways, as much as possible (and he's gotten even bigger, so he easily stretches from shoulder to knee), and all that heat will be wonderful in a few months but right now is just a bit much. Jenny... is something else. We never know exactly what she's going to be thinking, except that it's For Our Own Good.
She did wake me up last night to check on the SU when his foghorn imitation sounded odd (he has a head cold), which I appreciated. So, today when I wanted to take an afternoon nap, I should have expected not to be able to do it quite as easily (or solitarily) as I'd thought.
First she settled herself next to me in classic "I will sing you to sleep now" position, and began the Aria Purr. This is a purr that varies in tone but is definitely loud. It's not the Miss Evinrude of 2006 motorboat imitation, but something more operatic. Not Mozart, unfortunately. More like Gluck. But today I think I gleaned just a hint of a translation ...
'Close your eyes, dear, and I will tell you about my adventures in the Pyrenees...'
But you've never been to the Pyrenees, or even to Europe--
'And you've never been to half the places you write fiction about, either. As I was saying...'
Some time passes. I switch position. She switches position.
'Are you sure you're quite comfortable?' Wraps tail around my arm, which wakes me up.
I move, she moves.
'You don't look well. Let me check.' Sniff. Lick. Lick. Lick. Nuzzle. Earnest look. Sniff. Lick.
'Oh, was that a mosquito on your arm?' Stare. 'Hmm. I couldn't classify that one's subspecies. Perhaps when it returns. As I was saying, we were heading through the mountain pass...'
Being awakened by a mosquito nibbling on my inner wrist isn't one of my favorite things. I pull up the covers.
'I'm sure I saw something over there.' Climbs over me. 'No, it was back here.' Climbs back. 'Now, as I was saying, the yaks were upset about the avalanche ahead of us on Nanga Parbat --'
And she's off on another aria. To do her justice, if I manage to fake going to sleep she gradually quiets, and settles down for a nap. But tonight I've managed to sneak in here ahead of her, and if I can get to sleep before she comes in I may have a chance of getting through to morning without listening to the recitation of The Epic Tale of The Three Snow Leopards and the Yeti.
We can only hope. I mean, it's a great story but I'd rather be awake for it. I keep missing the ending.
She did wake me up last night to check on the SU when his foghorn imitation sounded odd (he has a head cold), which I appreciated. So, today when I wanted to take an afternoon nap, I should have expected not to be able to do it quite as easily (or solitarily) as I'd thought.
First she settled herself next to me in classic "I will sing you to sleep now" position, and began the Aria Purr. This is a purr that varies in tone but is definitely loud. It's not the Miss Evinrude of 2006 motorboat imitation, but something more operatic. Not Mozart, unfortunately. More like Gluck. But today I think I gleaned just a hint of a translation ...
'Close your eyes, dear, and I will tell you about my adventures in the Pyrenees...'
But you've never been to the Pyrenees, or even to Europe--
'And you've never been to half the places you write fiction about, either. As I was saying...'
Some time passes. I switch position. She switches position.
'Are you sure you're quite comfortable?' Wraps tail around my arm, which wakes me up.
I move, she moves.
'You don't look well. Let me check.' Sniff. Lick. Lick. Lick. Nuzzle. Earnest look. Sniff. Lick.
'Oh, was that a mosquito on your arm?' Stare. 'Hmm. I couldn't classify that one's subspecies. Perhaps when it returns. As I was saying, we were heading through the mountain pass...'
Being awakened by a mosquito nibbling on my inner wrist isn't one of my favorite things. I pull up the covers.
'I'm sure I saw something over there.' Climbs over me. 'No, it was back here.' Climbs back. 'Now, as I was saying, the yaks were upset about the avalanche ahead of us on Nanga Parbat --'
And she's off on another aria. To do her justice, if I manage to fake going to sleep she gradually quiets, and settles down for a nap. But tonight I've managed to sneak in here ahead of her, and if I can get to sleep before she comes in I may have a chance of getting through to morning without listening to the recitation of The Epic Tale of The Three Snow Leopards and the Yeti.
We can only hope. I mean, it's a great story but I'd rather be awake for it. I keep missing the ending.
a bunch of stuff makes a post
Jun. 27th, 2011 09:45 am-- I'm reading the third book in Bujold's The Sharing Knife series -- I read the first two while recovering from surgery, which meant they were just my speed then -- and I find myself *really* wishing for an intervention by a Vorkosigan. Pretty much any Vorkosigan relative, actually. Aral would do, Miles or Ivan would be fine, but I yearn for Alys to materialize and *sort people out*.
-- A pill crusher is a lovely invention. It makes taking a baby aspirin a day something relatively innocuous, instead of something that rips my stomach up. Or, as the hospital nurse said when I had the heart scare, "Chew it up and let it dissolve in your mouth -- we want it in your bloodstream not your stomach." So I let the crusher do the chewing, because I like my teeth, and Target has orange-flavored baby aspirin (like the old St. Joseph Aspirin for Children) and all is well.
-- Toby is behaving. I think Jenny gave him an almightly smackdown the other day -- fur was found, but nobody seems to have any missing. Anyway, he is much more mannerly toward her, and will curl up with us until she shows, and then will tuck his paws in and attempt to look scholarly and harmless -- a Daniel Jackson imitation that is more like Downey's Sherlock looking over his glasses at Watson. But that's fine for now.
-- We had a firefly in the house last night, buzzing at us hopefully, and relocated him outside where he could cruise the bushes for ladies. Fortunately, I saw him before Jenny did. Or Toby, who has a habit of jumping first and noticing what's going to fall after it falls.
-- The family reunion (which I am not going to) is next weekend, not last weekend as I thought, but the relatives are in full swing online already, attempting to sort out bits and pieces of genealogy with poor spelling and not so great file settings (I have nearly every kind of Mac wordprocessing software and I couldn't open the file that was sent.) I suspect that more of this will occur; perhaps I should dig out the chart I did that goes back four generations and send it to someone... after the reunion.
-- Movie review: Morning Glory is the oddest thing I've seen in a while.( Read more... )
-- A pill crusher is a lovely invention. It makes taking a baby aspirin a day something relatively innocuous, instead of something that rips my stomach up. Or, as the hospital nurse said when I had the heart scare, "Chew it up and let it dissolve in your mouth -- we want it in your bloodstream not your stomach." So I let the crusher do the chewing, because I like my teeth, and Target has orange-flavored baby aspirin (like the old St. Joseph Aspirin for Children) and all is well.
-- Toby is behaving. I think Jenny gave him an almightly smackdown the other day -- fur was found, but nobody seems to have any missing. Anyway, he is much more mannerly toward her, and will curl up with us until she shows, and then will tuck his paws in and attempt to look scholarly and harmless -- a Daniel Jackson imitation that is more like Downey's Sherlock looking over his glasses at Watson. But that's fine for now.
-- We had a firefly in the house last night, buzzing at us hopefully, and relocated him outside where he could cruise the bushes for ladies. Fortunately, I saw him before Jenny did. Or Toby, who has a habit of jumping first and noticing what's going to fall after it falls.
-- The family reunion (which I am not going to) is next weekend, not last weekend as I thought, but the relatives are in full swing online already, attempting to sort out bits and pieces of genealogy with poor spelling and not so great file settings (I have nearly every kind of Mac wordprocessing software and I couldn't open the file that was sent.) I suspect that more of this will occur; perhaps I should dig out the chart I did that goes back four generations and send it to someone... after the reunion.
-- Movie review: Morning Glory is the oddest thing I've seen in a while.( Read more... )
Cats don't lie. When they don't eat the food, there's a reason. ( and there are ways of figuring out what that reason is )
state of the chick
Jun. 7th, 2010 02:41 pmJenny has caught another mouse, under the sideboard. I hope they're not making a habit of falling down the chimney again; it was hard enough to get her to stop thinking of the fireplace as "where the mice come from" the last time. She's getting to be quite the mouser. Fortunately for Toby, he's not small enough to be a mouse; he's still getting growled at and swatted at, but she's not connecting. I think it's more in the line of "go 'way, kid, you bother me" than anything else.
Toby finished his first batch of meds and is on the second one -- fortunately, he thinks of both of them as fun food, so that was no problem. Yesterday he was eating himself silly; today he's very quiet, curled up with me on the cot, or in the chair. For a while he was sitting on my shoulder watching me draw on this laptop. He's still a little bouncy, but I suspect the impact of the meds is hitting him hard today -- for the first time he didn't try to steal any of Jenny's food. But he's still eating his own, so I have to think that it's the meds. But if he is this quiet tomorrow I'm calling the vet.
Still trying to get a good photo of Toby, but he holds still so rarely that they're all blurry. And when he's sleeping on my ankles I'm not about to get up for the camera.
Toby finished his first batch of meds and is on the second one -- fortunately, he thinks of both of them as fun food, so that was no problem. Yesterday he was eating himself silly; today he's very quiet, curled up with me on the cot, or in the chair. For a while he was sitting on my shoulder watching me draw on this laptop. He's still a little bouncy, but I suspect the impact of the meds is hitting him hard today -- for the first time he didn't try to steal any of Jenny's food. But he's still eating his own, so I have to think that it's the meds. But if he is this quiet tomorrow I'm calling the vet.
Still trying to get a good photo of Toby, but he holds still so rarely that they're all blurry. And when he's sleeping on my ankles I'm not about to get up for the camera.
(no subject)
Jun. 4th, 2010 11:50 amI was just about to write about Toby ( more )
And now a few links:
The US Attorney General's office has opened a criminal investigation into all things concerned with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Ms: There are more hormone-affecting substances in the environment than a few pills. And Congress takes steps to end sexual assault in the military. And can genetically modified foods modify your fertility?
The Revealer: I'd always heard of Billy Sunday as a hellfire-and-damnation preacher; I didn't know he was a baseball player first, as well as a few other things.
The Sierra Club had a long article on Richard Leakey in a recent issue of their magazine. Leakey worked inside and outside the Kenyan government to protect wildlife, and nearly lost his life because of it. His latest effort is worldwide: WildlifeOnline.org. This is a group of environmentalists who tell you about their work with wildlife. All donations go 100% to the environmentalists. Worth a look.
And now, ( since I started writing this )
And now a few links:
The US Attorney General's office has opened a criminal investigation into all things concerned with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Ms: There are more hormone-affecting substances in the environment than a few pills. And Congress takes steps to end sexual assault in the military. And can genetically modified foods modify your fertility?
The Revealer: I'd always heard of Billy Sunday as a hellfire-and-damnation preacher; I didn't know he was a baseball player first, as well as a few other things.
The Sierra Club had a long article on Richard Leakey in a recent issue of their magazine. Leakey worked inside and outside the Kenyan government to protect wildlife, and nearly lost his life because of it. His latest effort is worldwide: WildlifeOnline.org. This is a group of environmentalists who tell you about their work with wildlife. All donations go 100% to the environmentalists. Worth a look.
And now, ( since I started writing this )
mixed bag with cats
Nov. 3rd, 2009 10:37 amWashington has been paying lip service to the notion of Native American/First Nations people as independent and sovereign in their own right on their land for centuries -- by which I mean the notion was respected for values of respect that don't include actual respect, and for notions that included the ability of the US to break treaties when it wished -- but now there's the Embassy of Tribal Nations in DC, an official embassy for Native Americans/First Nations to stay at when they're lobbying about bills or meeting with government officials. It's about time. 200+ years late, but it's about time. And it will be interesting to see what comes of this. Maybe, finally, the Dept. of the Interior can get its collective ass kicked about paying the money it owes for mining and resource removal?
Although I'm not a member of a tribe, I am very glad to see more official recognition and possibly more power to enforce treaties going to Native Americans. I used to live where I drove over the Kinzua Dam often, the dam in the Allegheny River whose construction drowned villages that were centuries old and broke the longest-held treaty in the country's history, the Big Tree Treaty. I have stood where that treaty was signed, on a hillside above the Genesee Valley, and it's impossible to think that the people signing it were not exquisitely aware of what they were giving up when they were looking at their homes, which they had rebuilt with care after the Continental Army under Gen. Sullivan burned the entire valley, homes and crops and food stores and orchards and every tree except one, to the ground in 1779.
I understand from correspondence that, along with strep, H1N1 and pneumonia, there is a strain of pinkeye/conjunctivitis going around in the adult population -- by which I mean people who not only don't have association with schools but don't have children, either. Be careful.
If you live in the general DC area and are looking for a cat ( two beautiful boys I can't bring home who needs love )
Although I'm not a member of a tribe, I am very glad to see more official recognition and possibly more power to enforce treaties going to Native Americans. I used to live where I drove over the Kinzua Dam often, the dam in the Allegheny River whose construction drowned villages that were centuries old and broke the longest-held treaty in the country's history, the Big Tree Treaty. I have stood where that treaty was signed, on a hillside above the Genesee Valley, and it's impossible to think that the people signing it were not exquisitely aware of what they were giving up when they were looking at their homes, which they had rebuilt with care after the Continental Army under Gen. Sullivan burned the entire valley, homes and crops and food stores and orchards and every tree except one, to the ground in 1779.
I understand from correspondence that, along with strep, H1N1 and pneumonia, there is a strain of pinkeye/conjunctivitis going around in the adult population -- by which I mean people who not only don't have association with schools but don't have children, either. Be careful.
If you live in the general DC area and are looking for a cat ( two beautiful boys I can't bring home who needs love )
