Tag: coon cat logic

Drizzly Wednesday

Where are my Maine Coon experts? I have a New Behavior between Tali and Firefly.

In general, I have a very laid back clowder presently looking out for my interests. They’re even more mellow than the previous Trooper-Sprite-Belle Nexus of Purr-er.

Tali and Rook get into wrasslin, and Tali indulges in screaming Death Threats at the top of her lungs, but it’s clearly just hi-jinks.

Tali and Firefly, though, have been, up until last week, maybe?, civilized and casually affectionate. They snuffle each others ears, Tali licks Firefly’s head if it is presented — which is correct, Firefly being not only the eldest, but has Time in Grade.

But lately, as I say, we have this new behavior. Firefly will be next to me on the couch, or cuddling on the bed, and Tali will arrive. Previously, a check-in (nose touching or ear snuffling) would happen, Tali would settle in an unused section of the human, and all would be well.

However! Yes, we’re finally arriving at the point. Firefly has now three times gone over to Tali after I think we’re all settled in, and grabs her by the back of the neck, like she’s a kitten. Tali, understandably, is offended by this, and vacates the premises, whereupon Firefly either takes her place, or comes back to her previous position, and goes to sleep.

So, I obviously don’t want them to be at odds. Can anybody give me insight into this New Behavior?

Spanish Aunts.
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Helpful cat is helping

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So, today’s meal from CookUnity was Mushroom Rice in Butternut Squash. I have no leftovers. Not because it was Amazingly Tasty, though it was OK, but because about half the squash was stringy (Which could be an artifact of its adventure on the road. Or, yanno, not.), and because I hadn’t been expecting, in my “mushroom rice” chunks of walnut bigger than my head.

This is possibly a Just Me problem — I eat walnuts, but I’m not a fan, and IMHO, big hard chunks of anything have no business being present in my lovely, moist mushroom-and-cranberry rice (yes, there were sliced cranberries. Good idea; I’m going to have to try that in my own rice.) The garlicked green beans were perfectly fine.

So, I won’t be ordering this one again. I picked out about half the walnuts, and, as above, quit on the squash about half-way done.

Tomorrow’s meal is defrosting — Dragon Bowl with Grilled Chicken.

All that said — I almost forgot that I have a Zoom class this evening, so I’d best pick my feet up and get some chores done.

I have been editing from the comfy chair in my office today, and all the cats have joined me. Firefly, remains as she was, under the table next to the chair. Tali made several really creative attempts to sit with me in the chair, but just couldn’t make it work, whereupon she retired to Trooper’s box on the edge of my desk. Rook came in so quietly, I didn’t know he was with me, until I got up and found him curled in Sprite’s big fluffy cat ring, where he can keep an eye on me, and still enjoy the warmth coming off of the baseboard heater.

Tuesday and the adventures thereto

Tuesday. Sunny, already warm and heading for the 70sF. They say.

Trash and recycling are at the curb. Breakfast has been et.

Slept well last night. The cats all piled on top of me, set purr boxes on HIGH, pushed the personal gravity fields to the top and — it worked. Eight hours and change, and I feel much more human.

My second cup of tea is brewing. Once I’ve dealt with that, I’ll be doing errands, including getting gas, while there’s any left to get, and a Staples run — very likely my last at our in-city store, which will be closing next month. What else — ah, the usual: grocery, bank, post office, goodwill, CVS. Home for lunch and possibly catching up the filing before I leave again for the library and needleworking.

What’s everybody doing today?

I did try this morning to get a picture of all four of us, but Firefly refused to be photographed until she had gotten her eyes done properly, which means you guys get two pictures of three.

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LOCAL PEEPS OF THE FLANNEL SHIRT WEARING INCLINATION: I just bought two flannel shirts at Reny’s for $5/each, and the Word is that they’re being “put away” today. So, if you’re wanting to stock up on flannel — get thee to Reny’s, like, now.

Obviously, I’m home again. Not only that, I accomplished almost all of my errands (I did not manage to buy two things, not for lack of trying, but for lack of Stuff Being In Stock).

I bought notebooks, legal pads and folders at Staples. Mind you, I don’t need any more notebooks or legal pads, but — sale. Also — new notebooks.

Did my Smol grocery shop at the Elm Plaza Hannaford, not wishing to brave the KMD Hannaford, where the freezers and cold keepers were out for most of the weekend.

The oven is heating for my Very! First! CookUnity Experience, which is apparently … Mediterranean Chicken Shawarma Bowl with Mint-Tahini sauce.

Many thanks to everyone who admired my new haircut. I must, however report, that it was only wet hair dragged back into a ponytail. This is what it looks like, after I’ve been running around all morning. And, yes, I do need a haircut, but — not today.

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Report on my very first Cook Unity meal, Mediterranean Chicken Shawarma Bowl with Mint-Tahini sauce, and a crazy little side salad, made with pickles, cherry tomatoes, and something yellow and dense, in cubes (edited to add: I am informed that these were pickled turnips). I love cultures that treat pickles like a food, rather than an afterthought. Just by the way.

The main course was good, but a little more than I’m accustomed to eating for lunch, which is my big meal of the day. I’ll have the rest of it tonight, but this could be an unexpected downside to having a meal service. Or, not, if I routinely get two meals out of one.

Anyhow, no complaints of the food, for Meal One.

Onward.
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So, I just learned a whole new way to be rude. I forgot to go to the bank when I was out earlier (this is what happens when you don’t Write It Down), so I went out after lunch. And as the teller was counting out my twenties for me, I saw one that was taped together, and another, that Ought To Have Been taped together. So, when she was done counting, I pulled those two bills and asked for replacements.

Her: You saw those?

Me: (Not in the OutLoud voice: Obviously.) Yes, I watch when people count money out. Old Habit.

Her: You want different bills?

Me: Yes. I don’t want my money to fall apart before I spend it.

Her: Replaces the twenties. Sighs heavily.

Me: Thank you. Leaves. Sighs heavily.

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Finished my latest project

Shoulda stood in bed

Firefly and Rook did their best to get me to go back to bed this morning, but I was adamant.

Well. My weather-delayed CookUnity order arrived five minutes ago, and all the meals, of course, are “use by 3/11.” So, I’m guessing I’ll find out how well a couple of these freeze.

The ice packs were still solid and the meals are cold, so I’m guessing they’ll be OK to eat.

Today was not the most productive day ever. I should actually have gone back to bed this morning, but I fixed that by taking a two hour nap. Still not feeling top o’the world, but at least I’m less weepy.

Tomorrow, is Errands, finishing up with needlework.

The ice in the driveway is gone, just in time for the temps to plunge into the high 30sF on Wednesday. Now, I need to figure out what parts of this enormous, but extremely well-insulated, box are recyclable.

On that note — everybody have a good evening. I’ll check in tomorrow.

Anything can happen day

What went before: Wednesday. Sunny and cold. Snowed a couple in on the overnight and today the beans are calling for temps near 50F.

My lap is Cat Central at the moment with Tali and Firefly, bumping, purring, prancing, and putting my tea in peril.

The plan for today is to write, write the small breaks for chores and meals. I really really want to get this book done.

What’s everybody doing today?

Dictated with some difficulty to my phone
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Firefly, Queen of the Toys

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I have Done Work. I’m not how much work, because I am now entering the squishy bit of the narrative, where I was just writing stuff down to hit a stopping point.

Tomorrow, I think I need to go back and mumblemumble, which will in theory help me to see the firm ground to the Real The End.

In the meantime, Steve’s computer is upgrading to COSMIC DESKTOP, which is reported less quarrelsome than GNOME. Not that I’ve noticed GNOME being particularly quarrelsome, but I’m not a developer or a programmer, and System 76 does all the quarreling on their side of the transaction before ever it gets to me.

The cats are politely rampaging all over my office, in a gentle attempt to point out that it is Happy Hour.

Spoiler: It is not.

God She knows how we’re going to weather the time change. P’rhaps I’ll lock myself in the basement at 4 pm.

And so glad to hear, as I emerge from a day of staring at words, that congress doesn’t care to stop the little man from burning the earth. So I guess that’s fine, then.

Sigh.

Everybody stay safe. I’ll check in tomorrow.

I hate this timeline.
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Oh, dear. So not a fan of COSMIC, which has sorted my desktop files into a configuration that possibly makes sense to it, but does not make sense to me, and — I can’t reorder them. This is not only Not Cool, but it’s actively upsetting. I need to have the files in a Certain Place that makes sense to me.

Sigh.

Also, I lost my cool wallpaper, which is a shame, but not fatal.

Have written to System76 Support. They’re gonna love me, over at Support.

Same as it ever was…

Saturday. The almost-full moon is casting tree-shadows over the snow in the Long Back Yard.

I wrote new words today! And did actual Brain Work on the WIP. And changed the bed, and did a load of laundry, and one’s duty the cats; made lunch and was able to eat it, after.

Yes, we have reached the part of the whole pain thing where — POOF! All gone. Just joking. You may now carry on with your life until I decide to randomly take five freaking days and fill them with pain and despair.

Sigh.

The cats were very happy that I joined them in Steve’s office to work today. It really is the preferred space for serious endeavors, though the comfy chair in my office is, of course, very nice.

I made the Executive Decision to join Cook Unity, and have ordered in four meals, which will be delivered on Friday. This means I am guaranteed to have four (hopefully) good meals to eat, and will take the whole Cooking Angst off of my Angst Plate, which is currently overfull with Deadline Angst. I’m viewing this as a short-term thing to lower the overall anxiety in the household. Since they say I can cancel or put it on hold at my discretion, as soon as the book’s turned in, I’ll be doing that. Yes, I need Staff. Also, probably, a keeper.

Looking forward to next week — we have Rookie’s second birthday on Monday, March 2. All of Tuesday is reserved for errands, with needlework in the evening. Wednesday, Thursday, and most of Friday I am Free to Write, and on Saturday?

I’m going to a magic show.

So, I’m really, yanno, happy, that my back has decided to return to normal.

Yes, I’ve seen the news.

How’s everybody doing?

Oh.  Here’s a picture of Rook helping me make the bed.

The marvel is not how well the bear dances . . .

What went before: Wednesday. Snowing and partly sunny.

Despite the distress it will of course cause his fandom, I am forced to report that Rookie the Cookie is a Schmuck. Or possibly only a Jerk. He’s been knocking stuff off the shelves in the Tech Room — notably, bottles of liquid toner, which apparently make a lovely thud-SMACK sound when they land (honestly, it’s a very distinctive sound; I can recognize a toner bottle hitting the floor from two rooms away). I expect he doesn’t really know that I can’t easily pick the damn’ things up right now, but — aargh. Get a cat, they said, they’ll be fun. Get a Maine Coon Cat, they said. They’re very interested in their people and like to engage.

In other news, despite having felt somewhat better last night, I’m back to Square One (minus the THC) this morning. It occurs to me that I better line up a ride to my appointment at Thayer tomorrow afternoon, which — aargh x 2. I hate bothering people to do stoopid stuff for me.

I’ve written to my PCP regarding pain management — the idea being that, going in the front door with back pain (yes, I’m doing my PT homework) needs to be supported by another approach, because even my therapist said that this will keep happening, only as my core gets stronger, an episode will last … less long. What I want, of course, is The Grail: something that will kill the pain, or get it down to manageable levels, and neither make me sick or fuzz me out, so I can write. And so I’m not a danger to myself or to the cats. That’s important, too. As is eating. It’s ridiculously hard to eat when you’re in pain.

The cats are taking good care of me — well. Firefly and Tali are checking in regularly to administer lap-sits and purr therapy.

Rookie’s knocking shit off the shelves in the Tech Room.

In addition to pain management brainstorm, I arrived at the opinion that I should also figure out ways to work even when I’m feeling this bad. So! I have moved Writing Operations to the comfy chair in my office (which has been Back Pain Central), rigged up the laptop with my favorite keyboard, and brought the WIP, and the portable hard drive here, too. So, hopefully, I’ll be able to continue with fixing stuff that’s already been written, and that this episode of painful nonsense will vacate before I realio, trulio need to start producing New! Copy!

So, that’s the somewhat muddled news from the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory.

How’s everyone doing?
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So, that was no fun at all.

I don’t want to get ahead of myself but I may have gotten around the Horn. Of course, I’m shaky because I haven’t eaten anything for 3 days except peanut butter crackers (Note to self:  Buy peanut butter crackers; the damn things are lifesavers.) to buffer the meds.

I do have a ride lined up for my appointment this afternoon, so that’s good, and my intention is to actually have breakfast and then come back to the comfy chair, do some work on the WIP, and not push things. And eat snacks. What a time to be out of hummus. Bad planning, past me.

Firefly is on my lap and purring.

I’m almost done my Russian Caravan tea Christmas present (Note to self: buy more Russian Caravan tea).

And that’s that’s the fascinating Thursday report from the cat farm and confusion factory.

Dictated to my phone.
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Did some work on the WIP, actually ate food. Steve Symonds gave me a ride to and from the hospital for my test, so that’s taken care of. Managed to get the cat fountains changed out, which has been really bothering me. I’m such a bad cat mom. Talked to the accountant, and — ouch. Not unexpected, but still. Ouch. I’ll pick up the papers on Monday, when — fingers crossed — I hope to be Fully Operational.

In the meantime *whispers* my back is not hurting, which places as a Minor Miracle, and what I really want to do is go curl up (figuratively) and read Local Custom.

May I just say what a great job we did with Local Custom? The gradual unfurling of the leaves of character, the! worldbuilding!, the things that are said so very plainly and yet don’t mean the same thing to the person you’re talking with and — I swoon. No, really.

Damn, I wish I could write like that.

Also? There’s a description — a Very Detailed Description — of a counterchance board. I. Had. No. Idea.

So, anyway, I see the tax stuff, and that I have to Move Monies in order to satisfy the IRS and the State of Maine, but yanno what?

Imma go read.

Everybody have a good evening. I’ll see you tomorrow.

No…really. I will.

Tali collecting overdue ear scrubbles:

Wednesday on the move

Wednesday. I was not prepared to find 6 inches of snow on the ground when I got up this morning. I had been informed that there would be snow showers today, but that last night would be “clear.”

So, anyway, got up to find 6 inches of “clear” on the ground, and had literally just gotten my boots on to go out to deal with the steps and making a path to the garage so Tali could keep her appointment with her doctor, when the plowguy swooped in and started in to work.

Best. Plow. Guy. EVER.

Relieved of snow-clearing duties, I had a cup of tea, some cottage cheese, and grapes. Then I gathered Tali up from her bird-watching post and bore her, not without complaint, to her appointment. Tali is pronounced healthy and beautiful. She Officially Weighs 13.0 pounds, and she has had her 3-year distemper shot. Her toes were also cut off, all the way around.

For those interested, it is still snowing, very lightly, and is expected to stop around 11:30.

My business today is to finalize my Remarks and choose passages to read. I will probably make broccoli potato soup for lunch, and use my new! food processor to make a batch of hummus. I have two lemons, though I’m not sure I possess a juicer, anymore. I had a glass one from my grandmother, but I haven’t seen it in a while. Of course, I haven’t needed to juice anything in a while.

Tomorrow will begin another 5-day sprint on the WIP, taking beta reader comments into account. I think I have chicken breasts in the freezer. Might be I should bake one or two so that I’ll have easy lunches to draw on. There’s a plan.

Upon arriving home, and being freed from The Cage, Tali relieved her feelings by smacking Rook in the head several times, and then having a mouthful or two of dry food to replace the resources depleted during Her Ordeal.

I made myself a cup of hot chocolate, and considered the question of whether or not I’m going to try to install my blindster today. If it works, I can order in three more and there’s the sliders dressed.

Remarks first.

How’s everybody doing?

Here is Tali, post-Ordeal:


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Made hummus. Had to check the interwebs again to figure out how to make it do, since just sliding the switch to “puree” did not evoke the desired motivation. Turns out you need to press the handle after deciding between “chop” and “puree”.

Despite which, much the easiest way to make hummus so far discovered by this household. I did not find the old glass juicer; I’m of the opinion it left the household sometime back (Note to self: buy juicer), but the lemons were easy enough to squeeze by hand.

Having now accomplished an Accomplishment — Remarks.

Tuesday morning, with biscuits

Tuesday. Sunny and cold. How cold you ask? Five-Fahrenheit-feels-like-minus-five-Fahrenheit.

Trash and recycling are at the curb, boxes of books are in the back of the Subaru, I’m sitting in the comfy chair in my office getting a dose of sunlight, and Firefly is marching around on my lap slapping my face with her tail.

No, wait, now she’s laying on her side making biscuits, no — now she’s tucked up under my chin and gazing soulfully into my face. She’s purring really loudly. So I guess that’s my good morning.

Last night, I watched the first episode of Riot Women and I’m having a good time with it. For values of a good time. They are, after all, talking about a subject that interests me greatly as an old woman, which is the sudden facility to become invisible once you’re past a certain age. This is especially interesting to me because I passed most of my early life as an invisible person, when I wasn’t being told I was lazy and stupid.

Firefly, for those keeping score, is now sprawled across my lap, smiling up at me, purring, and continuing to make biscuits with one paw. I would say that this is a spoiled cat.

In a few minutes I’ll be getting up to get breakfast, which will be oatmeal, chocolate chips, and almond butter and then I’ll get on the road to get my haircut and to deliver books.

What’s on your schedule today?

Late Saturday check-in

Well, then. That was Saturday.

I drafted my Remarks for my library event. I think they may be the wrong Remarks, but you can’t revise what you don’t write down. Still need to figure out how I’m going to handle the reading/what I’m going to read. I’m torn between several small scenes or one big one. May have to resort to flipping a cantra piece.

Spent part of the day loading the apps I usually use on my phone to my Samsung tablet, where they will be larger, which — in theory — will help with this current bout of eyestrain.

I also made a couple more adjustments to the new toy. It did a very credible job of reading several chapters of Getting Rid of Bradley to me last night while I just laid in the dark with ninetyleben pounds of coon cat on me, eyes closed and listening. Rookie, predictably perhaps, has really bonded with Zach.

What else? Oh, Had an email from the owner of Oliver and Company who will be handling the sales table during my event, and it seems we Have A Plan. Always good to have a Plan.

Happy Hour was a touch early tonight, and now the cats have scattered. In solidarity, I have a glass of wine with me here at the computer, and my stomach is informing me that I need to rustle something up for dinner RSN.

Tomorrow starts a Warming Trend, with temps soaring into the mid-twenties and thence into the! thirties! By ghod, it’s practically summer!

Speaking of tomorrow, next week is going to be busy. Yes . . . busy.

Tomorrow, now that my knees and hips don’t hurt enough for me to notice, I’ll change out the cat boxes, only a couple days late.

Monday, first thing, I have a PT appointment. Tuesday morning, I have a haircut scheduled, and needlework in the evening; Wednesday, I need to visit the vampyres, which may be an excuse to have breakfast out; Thursday, I have a podiatry appointment, and I should probably go to the grocery somewhere in all of that. Friday morning Sarah comes by to clean, and in the afternoon, I want to go to the tea at the library. I have a pretty flowered skirt and a top hat, so clearly the sartorial part of the venture is well under control.

Tomorrow, I will also be starting my read of the WIP, so that’ll be fun.

And that? Is the state of affairs at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory.