Curve balls!

Yes, Yes, I know! I have made the statement that I will blog at least twice a week. Well, life has thrown me a few curve balls the last couple of weeks. It figures! I have had a somewhat upsetting report from my doctor, one of my cats has some issues, my husband has been sick, and work has been, well, work!
Lots of exclamation points, huh? I like them!
So, I do plan to check back shortly.
Until then...

Trying, Really, I'm Trying

Last post I vowed, promised, whatever you want to call it, that I would post two entries per week. This is entry number one for the week. I may get another entry in on Sunday. Does that count? This certainly is not what I anticipated when I cavalierly declared to the world (or who ever is reading my little corner of cyberspace) that I would have witty repartee twice a week.

This week has been crazy, as I'm sure everyone has that pat excuse card in their back pocket waiting to be thrown down. But, seriously, it has been busy or rather exhausting. My husband has been sick with bronchitis all week which has contributed to my droopy eyes, slow movements and fatigue. Dragging myself to work this week was all I could accomplish. Every night/morning around midnight or one o'clock, my husband would start this coughing jag that would last until around five a.m. About that time, I was ready to get up anyway. One night or rather morning, I woke up and took his temperature. He was boiling. I had to change the sheets in the middle of the night, get a cooler comforter, and medicate with some OTC cold medicine. Friday morning, he started coughing at one o'clock. Around four thirty a.m. he decided he wanted to go to the emergency room. We were there for about two hours, then we ran to get the scrips filled, I came home, showered, ate breakfast, and went to work.

So, there you go. My excuse for the week on why I have not posted.

Still, stay tuned for my take on "Julie and Julia." Not that the book hasn't been reviewed millions of times before, and I probably don't have a new perspective, but I've got an opinion. And, really, isn't that what blogging is all about?

A bientot...Until another time.

Hook, Line and Sinker?

I've been thinking about my "hook" for my blog to make it relevant, poignant and attract readership. I will say it would help if I posted more than once a quarter, but I digress. I look at other blogs and they have a theme, be it "The life and times of a restaurant waiter, chef, busboy, or any other profession in the restaurant industry," (of which I'm not a part), or "How to" blogs are quite popular, as well, such as; "How to cook, write, garden, travel or make your way through the Amazonian rain forest being chased by vampire bats" (they live there, I looked it up). I'm not sure if there is a blog about that, but give it some time. There are blogs about politics (for which I have a myriad of opinions and no facts to back them up), sex lives (ewww!), or sports (which, sorry, not a sports kinda chick either).

There is something that could be mildly interesting. Perhaps a blog about what I'm reading for the moment and my reviews/comments. I have a BS in Economics (take that for what you will) and, quite frankly, I may not be the most qualified person on the subject of literature. However, I love it. I love books and the written word. I even love it in different languages. I get Twitter tweets from Dictionary.com that's how much I love words. And maybe someday, I'll have an advanced degree to back up my literary opinions. Yet, I still have them now. This blog could possibly be a foray into an online book club, of sorts. Who knows?

And truth be told, such as many bloggers out there, I do have my creative writing on the side. This blog could maybe help me flex my writing chops (mixed metaphor). If only I would stay consistent. Readers, if there are any out there, I pledge to update this blog at least twice a week...

Stay tuned for my thoughts on "Julie & Julia" by Julie Powell. After seeing the movie by Nora Ephron, I quickly ordered it from my local library.

Kitty Niblets

Since the last post, we have gotten cats. Yes, two fantastic two year old male cats, Socks and Hendrix. It was a kismet kinda thing, my husband had a co-worker whose ex-wife needed to get rid of them, as she was moving out of state, and wondered if my grandmother might be interested to help with the grief. By the way, she already has three cats that weren't doing well to begin with over the loss of my grandfather. Throwing another cat into the mix just might have sent them looking for a sharp knife and trash bags. I continued to ask probing questions like: how old are they, are they neutered, are they de-clawed, etc. Ever since I have been married, we have not had cats. I'm, unfortunately, ultra allergic. It was practically part of the marriage deal as my husband did not want me taking meds and suffering. Or maybe that was his ruse as he never had a good opinion about a cat. My logic was if I have to take OTC allergy meds during the fall and winter and sometimes spring, what's the difference. I wore him down! It was my intent to only get the one cat, Socks. He's a Himalayan something mix. We were told Himalayan/Persian mix. I'm not so sure. Aren't Himalayans Persian/Siamese mixes anyway? He's a seal point with blue eyes and the cutest white paws. Hence the name.

So, I picked up Socks. My husband didn't have a desire to go with me. He professed that it was going to be my cat so why should he go? We get Sockers home. Sockers hides! He seemed so well adjusted at the owner's home. We finally coax him out after about four hours. I pet him, reinforce where the food and litter box are and then he bolts back to the love seat. Long story short after a couple of days of Socks hiding, he starts to adjust. We have him for a week and 1/2 and the owner's ex-husband says, "You know, Hendrix ( a tabby and possibly part calico) is still available." My husband calls me to inform me...By this time he is starting to warm up to the idea of being a cat owner. He says that "Socks isn't like other cats." What he does not know is that Socks pretty much has your run of the mill cat tendencies, but he was woefully misguided. Another phone call later and we're the proud parents of not one but two cats and I still haven't made an appointment to see the doctor. About this time the breathing is becoming more labored and I'm getting pretty stuffed up.

I see the doctor, get the drugs, we're all bonding and life is grand. We are all happy and in a routine...then... we get the new ultra deluxe Booda (not Buddha) covered litter box with steps to wipe off the litter. I mulled over the idea for a week or two and finally just did it. The boys didn't think our idea was as brilliant as we thought it was. They didn't use it the whole day (which is very bizarre being that every day when I come home and every morning when I wake up it looks like a nuclear arms race in the box) and I was beginning to worry we would have to take them to the emergency vet for a bowel obstruction. I was anxious, "What have I done?" I stop hyperventilating and go into the other room to read my book to get my mind off of the situation at hand. Hendrix by this time has used the litter box. He may not have liked it, completely, but he braved the green globe. Socks goes into the litter box area and, not an exaggeration, three to five minutes later he walks back. Houston, we have a deposit! Hallelujah, Hallelujah, I'm not such a bad cat owner after all.

One of my major questions for the day is this: What is it with my boys - especially Socks - the Himalayan, when I sit down to use the restroom? To them it's an invitation to bolt in for "quality time" together. They both rub against my legs, purring, expecting to be rubbed and then Socks will collapse on his side or roll over on his back exposing his tummy. Caveat, I don't know why he lays on his back like that and makes it so inviting so that the casual observer just wants to rub it. It's off limits, no man's hand land. You bend down to rub that thing and you could loose an appendage. Then he'll take his big furry paws (and they are big, they're the kind of paws that look like his body never grew into) and reach for my legs. Really, all of that. It's not like the minute they step into their litter box I go running down next to it and flop on my side for their attention!

Here we are an asthmatic and a professed non-cat lover happily engrossed in our new beings. I'm sure there will be more anecdotes to come, because really, if you met them, you'd love them too!