buenos días

up again, pre dawn, but slept well. the boys are waiting impatiently for their shrimp. well, Mac is waiting patiently. Rocky is about to jump out of his skin!


going to the bathroom here is never a private thing. Rocky loves the sound of running water, whether it be before, or when the toilet is flushed.


Mac doesn't hold that same fascination. he's just chillin' in his bedtime nest.


and the other one is still playing in the tub!

Nueve días

wow. it's been a crazy day. this was my first day at my new work site. my job has moved to a new campus, about a mile or so down the road from my other building. the campus is HUGE. and we had people directing traffic and ready to help us navigate the building(s).

i met my buddy, Punk, in the parking lot (we just happened to arrive around the same time) ... and we "hiked" to our section.

when i left work tonight, it took me about 6 minutes to walk from my desk to my truck. AND, i had a pretty decent parking space. when the rest of the business units move over, ... the "hike" will be longer. OMG i can't wait for them to complete the construction of the parking deck!

okay, enough of the drama.

when i got in tonight, both kitties were waiting (in the semi-darkness) at the door to the laundry room (which connects to the garage).

Mac? ... holy crap! ... as soon as i turned on the kitchen light he made a beeeeee line for the door out, and he's been "out" ever since. Rocky? ... all he wanted to do was play in the garage. do you think they had enough of each other today ?!





oh! Mac just came back in ... he's a little fuzzy popsicle!

i felt so busy when i came in tonight ... maybe it was the frenzy of the odd work day, and i had to stop for groceries, and cook (burgers!)



i feel a bit behind.

OH! this is a bit "off the cuff". but Mac has not pooped in the downstairs tub again. maybe i just jinxed myself? ... schmutzie ... i don't think the "towel in the tub" trick works 100% ... because Mac can just push it aside if he wants to "use" the tub. and look at Rocky ... he LOVES the towel in the tub!



okay, too funny, but i JUST noticed this guy in the freezer !!!



seriously, where else would a polar bear hang out ?!

the super bowl !

so, i just remembered today is Super Bowl Sunday. it's a holiday akin to Thanksgiving ... meaning, instead of a parade, there are commercials people actually watch, and major food consumption. i saw something funny online yesterday, a mention of ... , "i hear there's going to be some kind of sporting event at the Beyonce concert". anyways, that mentality is just up my alley!

the day meanders ...

i've been trying to get some things done. i went to work, and then chatted for a very long time with one of my ravelry friends from my sock knitting group. we moderate as well, so it was a business/recreational call.

i had to go to my apartment to get a few things. i remembered the clothes, but forgot a few other things on my list (because i was chatting on the phone the entire time).

when i got back to kitty-landia, i unloaded the dishwasher. YES! i used an appliance, without the assistance of a poltergeist, and this time with dishes in it =)

and laundry. i did laundry.



i intended to swiffer & vacuum, ... but that intention has been retired. i'm ready for some fun & relaxation now. did i mention i was up predawn? and went to work? and grocery shopped? and did laundry? and cleaned the litter box? and ... and ... and ......!

ps. i clean the litter box daily ... you kinda have to do that.

i'm enjoying the "homeyness" of today. i wish i had 3 day weekends. i can always use an extra day.

so ... here's a few pictures from today, and it's not even 4pm!



Mac in all his glory, sucking up the heat from the cable box! i have to tell you, it's hard to get a good picture of him. he's kinda "private". he's mature. he doesn't want to be bothered. isn't he beautiful ?!!!



Rocky, the polar opposite. he's totally dependable to ham it up! he's LITERALLY available 24/7 for a photo opportunity. i ♥ LOVE ♥ this photo ... he looks like he's dancing!

well, i intend to sock knit for a bit. and maybe tune into some netfix. BUT, i have really been enjoying the BOSE.



schmutzie, shall i leave you some CD's ? ... that's how i've been turned onto new music (trust me, my music is not really that "current"!).

ps. everyone should hear this. or this, the kd lang version. take your pick. I PREFER RUFUS !!!

i think this music is quite emotional. i simply love it.

octavo día

i'm up a bit earlier than i expected to be today. i've been up for awhile ...

i learned that i need to put the broken water bottle away at bedtime, or Rocky will start batting it around before sunrise! i was too bleary eyed to catch him with photographic proof, but here he is from yesterday evening, waiting to "play" with the bottle!



i put the bottle in a drawer, and went back to bed. he was only moments behind me, because after i turned the lights back out, he pounced on the bedside table and knocked some things off.



when i got the light on, he was looking all sweet and innocent on the floor, squinting with the bright light.

i turned the light out again, and then felt the bed shake. i'm thinking, "maybe he'll curl up and go to sleep". NO.



he was prancing across the headboard, and batting at the photos on the wall, watching them sway on their hooks & nails.

i admitted defeat, and just. got. up.

i came to the kitchen and let Mac out. i think i know now why he likes to go outside. it's not to commune with nature, or to hunt for snack. it's to get away from his kitty-companion !

well, that's my theory. they were chasing and rough housing before i got out of bed.

i pulled out my sock, to see if the fit was okay or not. this of course got the attention of a certain kitty that wanted to "help" me with the dangling yarn & needles.



so, it's not yet 8am, but i can tell it's going to be a great day =) lol !!!

i'm going to get cleaned up soon, as i have to go into work for a bit. i think i'll wear my pretty new gray sweater!

un gran día

dear schmutzie,

i had a really great day! it started with a good night's sleep. Mac was already curled up in his "nest". and Rocky, ... who knows where he was ... but he was quite!



my alarm was set for 6:30am. OUCH. but that's how things are on saturday, as i like to go to my saturday morning meeting. my meeting was great, and i got to see my friends, and then i came "home" to the kitties.

we'll just ignore that part about coming back and finding that Rocky had killed the water bottle.

SO, i did leave again, and went to hang out at the yarn store. my personal treats included Lynn, Riiiiiita, and Terri. and then, LISA! showed up. i hadn't seen her in ages, but purple is still her favorite color!

i knitted on my sock. i was determined to at least knit the first pattern repeat, which is about 3 to 4 inches of knitting, depending on which stitch pattern you're measuring. yes. so, the back of the sock leg is in seed stitch, and the front has a different pattern, and it seems they have very different row gauges. this might be a problem. this might explain why the sock in the sample model poofs out a bit.



after knitting, i headed out to the mall. yes. the mall on a saturday. i just could not make it out during the week. but, i've been shopping at that mall since '88, and i can handle the traffic.

i parked near the belks men's store ... i had rockstar parking. i had a couple of "need to do things". first stop, Pandora. i got my kitty!



next stop ...





i thought about our conversation we'd had just within the hour, and YOU ARE RIGHT! life is short, and that sweater looks FAB on me!

at belks, i played dressy-bessie. i tried the oversized gray sweater, and the summery short sleeved one with stripes. and you can see which one "won". i'm home with the kitties now, and wearing my sweater. I LOVE IT!

mom played the debbie-downer, and said, ... "you know you could spend that money on _____ or _____ or _____ (instead)!"

what she doesn't quite understand is this is my schmutzie sweater. this is my kitty sweater. this is my gray la gran sweater. even if it pills or gets stains, it will still look fabulous. it makes me feel good. it's like a hug.

by the way, this day is not yet over. Mac is outside, though it's really cold out, enjoying his freedom. Rocky ... (shakes head) ... Rocky still has a "thing" for the squirt bottle. i came home to find this ...



sleep well my friend,

... ms. gray la gran

séptimo día ... muerte !

i was only gone for an hour.

really, what can a kitten do in an hour? i feel foolish asking that question, but i can show you ...







but, he doesn't really "know" he killed the bottle. so, it's back up on the counter, and if i pick it up like i'm going to squirt him, he still responds as if it's full of water.

mom and i were talking a few minutes ago, as i was sharing this latest shenanigan. she says, "maybe YOU need a kitten?" ... hahahahahaha!

it's true, it's amazingly entertaining, and it's an endless supply of blog fodder, but nothing is sacred.

for example. this morning i forgot to grab the towel to hang over the shower before getting into the shower. of course, i don't realize this until i need the towel. so, it's time to get out of the shower, and there's a little towel on the floor for stepping out.

Rocky is on the towel. i carefully step as to not step on him, but he doesn't get the hint. i don't want to walk across the cold floor, with wet feet, so i kinda shuffle with the little towel, and with Rocky "riding the magic carpet".



see what i mean, nothing is sacred!



and Mac? he just keeps his distance. he does not get involved. right now, he's out enjoying some sunshine. it's a really pretty day here, though kinda frigid.

seis dias

and TGIF! it has been an interesting week. i'm hoping now that the weekend is "here", that the kitties will enjoy a burst of routine.

i did discover today that the dishwasher ran virtually empty. WHOOPS. i really don't know how. maybe the wind caused an electrical surge which triggered the dishwasher, because i refuse to believe Rocky did it (which would mean i didn't notice him on the counter) or that there is a poltergeist (because that would be creepy).

but today, i have loaded it, and will run it soon. i was in the process of creating one of my epic stacks of dishes.



being the first of the month, i did cast on a new pair of socks.



that was early this morning, and i've barely knit a stitch all day. but soon ... i have my netflix queued up for another episode of "the west wing".

in kitty news, all is still very entertaining!

for the last hour or so, Rocky has been just running in circles chasing whatever it is i cannot see. it does make me reconsider that poltergeist theory though ....

tonight, kitties had some shrimp! YUM! i have to tell you, these guys eat well. sometimes i think they eat better than me. but, i don't like feet in my plate ...



i don't think Mac cared for it very much either!