Plain Jane an d I Hate Cats

I do love the fuzzy boys and girls but I am sick of them. The baby (Cole) is kind-of house broken and loving leaves stinking presents on the wooden floors way too often. Star is either too lazy to come downstairs to do her business or (more likely) is too afraid of being chased by Cole to use the downstairs litter box and instead has taken to peeing on Al's side of the bed. I am sick of cleaning up after them. I am sick of doing nine million loads of laundry a day. Any one want a cat or two or three?

I finally had the bright idea of putting in a litter box upstairs. I think Al has suggested it tons of times, but I thought the cat should take her butt downstairs so I was a hold out. Stupid me, I'm the one who does the laundry.

Al and I went shopping today for an additional litter box, spray to get rid of the pee smell , spray to make sure they don't pee in the same place again and new bedding for our bed. I sure hope it works. If not I may sell the cats on E-bay.

and

The Prodigal Cat Returns

It is with out a doubt all Al's fault. Everything is, the fact that I spilled my drink, the fact that I'm goofing off instead of doing laundry, in fact the fact that the laundry is never ending is all his fault. I can't tell you why it is all his fault which is why it is fun to blame him.

I'm blaming him for all the world (all right the three people -which includes me- who read this blog) because he just made this totally out of the blue comment about how I spill stuff all the time just because I happened to drop another glass of diet tonic and lemonade.

I might just as well also blame him for the fact that I have developed an addiction to diet tonic water and lemonade. I started drinking it because a blogger/doctor recommended it for people with restless leg syndrome. For the uninitiated, restless leg syndrome, is the uncontrollable urge to move your legs, usually some time after bed time and for me it always seems to be several minutes after I just fell asleep. It is irritating and frustrating but not serious. Any way, I have it and for me it means on the nights that I don't have trouble sleeping, the urge to move my legs wakes me up and forces me to get out of bed and pace the hall for several minutes.

Tonic water contains quinine which helps control restless legs. Unfortunately quinine has side effects such as headaches and I can't remember what all else. Which means that if I drink too much I have a world class headache. I hate headaches.

Sitting between me and my diet tonic water is the prodigal cat Sandy. Sandy and all our cats are inside cats and have been forever and ever. They aren't interested in going out and don't hang around the doors trying to make a quick escape. I haven't a clue how he managed to escape, but some how or other he did.

We searched the house, the yard, posted signs stating he was lost, called the pound, placed an ad and after a week of searching; Albert saw him on the deck eating the "won't you please come home Sandy" cat food that the boys kept on refilling and keeping, the dogs away from. Albert opened the back door and Sandy flew off the deck and disappeared into the woods. I would have to say he is a rather stupid cat because in my opinion a smart cat would have come into the house. In any case, smart or stupid, we wanted him and were glad to know he was alive.
We searched the house and yard and found him hiding under the shed. Albert tried to entice him out with food, but that didn't work. I tried to scare him out with noise and he ran hell bent for leather across the yard and into the woods. Both boys chased after him madly, most likely scarring him deeper into the woods. Stupid cat, demented family. Humph.

We were all getting discouraged until Albert had the great idea of using a humane trap to capture him. We borrowed a trap from the pound, baited it with canned cat food and a one of the boys tee shirts, placed it in the woods and checked it frequently. It took two days but the Sandy finally came home via the trap.

He is safe though a little battle worn. He is on a course of antibiotics because he was running a fever. He has settled in and we are glad to have him back. I would post a picture but my computer is still in the shop.

The Mayflower

It was my night for book club. Which means all the members meet at my house. Since I didn't want to meet in the back yard I had to clean the dang house, at least the downstairs. I scrubbed floors, doors, walls and windows. I cleaned the downstairs until it sparkled and I am beat. It was worth it. Unfortunately by this time tomorrow, the boys and the pooch will have made a mess of the place again. Sometimes I like to think about being an empty nester.

This month's book, my choice was The Mayflower by Nathan Philbrick. It is, not surprisingly, the history of the Pilgrims from getting ready to make the voyage on the Mayflower and the following 50 years. The book was great, but way too long and too detailed. Even so the discuss was interesting and the meeting was fun. The interesting thing is that I don't seem to read any more now that I am retired then I did before. .

Jelly Rolls

I've joined Moda's jelly roll of the month club. Don't get excited, chances are it's not the kind of jelly roll you think it is, these jelly rolls are rolls of fabrics; precut strips 2.5 inches by 42 inches 40 different strips, 40 different fabrics but all in the same line. Those strips will the kind of quilt that I want to work on a lot easier - dang, their name is on the tip of my tongue, but not in my brain- quilts that start with strips of related fabrics. But how many of those quilts am I going to want to make. Oh well I can cancel at any time.

What I wish I could cancel, but don't know how, is I seem to be a night owl. I like to stay up till one in the morning, but I need to get up at 6:30 to get Albert off in the morning. The problem is staying up till 1 or later and getting up early leaves me cranky. The problem with sleeping in is it squanders my precious alone time (Albert is home 2:15 ish).
and I love my alone time. Speaking of alone time, it is very soon to become a lot less. The boys have only 3 half days of school left. The horror! I'll be a stay home mom with full time kids in just a few days. Weep for me.

Ben (Boy B) 8th Grade Graduate

yup, Ben graduated from the 8th grade tonight. He is hot stuff.

The evening did not start auspiciously, it was raining hard when Ben's grandparents pulled into the driveway and absolutely pouring by the time we arrived at the school. Al (hubby) dropped Albert (Boy A), Ben and I (the grandparents were in a separate car) off at the front door to the school and we still managed to look like drowned rats by the time we were inside. Of course I could have been a bit drier if I had not felt compelled to stand in the rain and get the last word at the same time I was giving my dear sweet hubby, Al, the evil eye. I thought he could have dropped us off closer to the door saving me two whole steps of wetness. Since he hadn't I felt compelled to let him know right then and there. Oh well, that's one of the joys of marriage, or at least one of the joys of being married to me. Even so, it was a nice evening.

The thing is he is my baby. It just doesn't seem right that my baby is now a high schooler. Time goes way too fast.

New cell phone (strawberry chocolate), new number (boy A took over my last phone when he left his on the bus and some rotten kid found it and kept it), new sewing machine class and new entry. All that new wears me out and I may need to go take a nap. and I think I will. That is one of the nice things about retirement, I can take a nice nap any time I want,

Chores and More

I'm finally settling into a decent routine. Mornings are spent doing chores and afternoons are spent doing fun stuff. I would much rather do just fun stuff all day, but the guys won't go along with it.They demand clean clothes and refuse to go around their days as naked as a J-bird. And even I would rather life in a clean house. So this morning I did lots of chores and the house, at least the downstairs looks fairly decent. Life is good.

I'm almost finished with Boy A's quilt. I am pleased with it. And when I finally get my computer back I'll post a picture.

Time to get some work done on the quilt for the tutor.

First Concert

My computer is back in the shop. I can use one of the boy's but I sure miss mine. It really irks me, it is a new computer and should be staying home.

I'm also, well irked isn't the right word, appalled is a better choice, that Boy A is in the starting stages of being an adult. I can see glimpses of maturity in the decisions he makes and the way he behaves. Of course I can see much more teen age behaviour. He and two friends went to his first concert Monday night. That process, making the arrangements, buying tickets and behaving responsibly; is a rite of passage. Of course I'm not sure whether it is a rite of passage for him or for me. I know it is his job to grow up and mine to help him become a responsible adult. But these rites of passage, while good for him, are painful for me. I want him to grow up while at the same time I miss the little boy who wants his mommy.

I'm sure he will love this post.