I know you are all on pins and needles waiting for the resolution of my story from the last post. Yep.

Well, you'll have to wait for a bit longer. I haven't quite figured out how to add pics using my super special phone.

Until then.

In parting, I just want to say, as much as I enjoy work, the best part of the day was coming home and cooking. And watching the cat bat around a chunk of onion that fell to the floor.

There's something so soothing about a fresh cooked meal.

[insert evil laughter]

When I was a sophomore in college, I took one of my favoritest classes ever. (Do note the use of the qualifier 'one'. I do have lots of favoritest classes. You could _almost_ say all but chemistry class fall into that category. But I digress.)

This class was called 'Appreciation of Nature'. It met once a week for several hours late Mondau afternoons. The lecture topics varied between bats to ants to fish to
hibernating bears. Our main assignment was to spot at least 75 different birds and record them.

I was skeptical this could happen, especially as it was winter. In Utah! Didn't all birds fly south for the winter? But before we were left to our own devices, we all went on a bird watching field trip. Egrets. Redwinged blackbirds. Finches. Sparrows! My only problem was I was using old opera glasses which come to find out were not quit powerful enough to see the detail described.

I remember being at the Logan temple parking lot, and seeing a Cedar waxwing in a the trees. The colors on the wing really do like drops of wax!

Later, on my mission in Florida, as my companion and I rode the bus, I happened to look out the window, and in the ditch I saw a pair of roseated spoonbills! That was cool. Really cool.

I even joined the Piedmont Bird club in NC. Part to beef up my instate tuition application, but mostly because I find birds fascinating. The one and only club meeting I was able to attend was a demonstration of the melodic nature of bird sings. I found it absolutely fascinating to witness how music and birds collided.

All this is to explain why I have the Audobon app on my super smart phone. I don't use it quite as much as I'd like, so last night while trying unsuccessfully to sleep, I started playing with it. A feature of the app is the inclusion of many examples of bird songs. I looked up cedar waxwing, and played it.

Max the Cat, who had been sleeping unawares, quickly perked up his head and looked directly at me and the phone, as the source of this noise. I may or may not have waited till he was asleep again to play more bird songs. hee hee.

Just now I was playing the song of a wren and he stalked up to me, nosing at the phone, hoping for a wee wren to pounce on. Alas. He has to content himself with the birdies out the window. Just now a sparrow came to the window well, probably just to taunt the kitty. Well, at least that's what I'd be doing if I were a sparrow. I probably wouldn't live long, either.

cat approved

As many of you know, I have a cat. His name is Max. Once upon a time he was featured in a regular Friday post called Find the Kitty. He achieved minor celebrity status, but has since faded from the public's conscious. It is my attempt to change that once again. At some point said feature will be restarted - after all, I have quite a number of pictures of Max the Cat on my phone alone. I am That Cool.

Along with being a Cat Lady, I also have several instruments of my own, some borrowed, and some are a part of the house in which I live. These various instruments have varying levels of approval from the Cat.

Oboe/EH: Highest level of cat Non-approval. I only need to start opening the case, and The Cat zooms far far away.

Mandolin/Guitar: If cat is already in the room at the time, he will tolerate a few strums. Maybe even a melody or two. But if there is any forward movement in his directions, off he goes. However, the guitar or mandolin does not require an escape to the basement. He is content with only being in the kitchen if I practice in the living room.

Suling/Penny Whistle: A suling is a recorder type instrument that is played in the gamelan. It is not very loud. Neither is the penny whistle. These are probably the most cat approved instruments I play. The approval level is a high as only glaring at me from across the room. I must only refrain from glaring back, or looking ad if I am going to head his direction while playing.

Piano: Previously at the same approval as oboe/eh, this instrument's cat approval has actually raised. No longer does Max zoom down to the basement, he now only requires a removal to the kitchen. Sometimes he will be found sulking on the stairs.

Even as I write this, the Cat is perched on a chair in the living room. My beautifully adjusted oboe sits next to me in my case ready to be practiced.

Well, he waited to move until I had the complete instrument out at least...progress!

find the kitty

I may have to switch to doing this feature twice a month.
I know you are all heartbroken.
It's just that Kitty isn't hiding quite so much as he used to.

find the kitty

Yay for a legit picture of Max the Cat in his new surroundings.

You can also have a nice look at my sweet pack. It was very kind to me on the Grand Canyon hike, thank goodness.

find the kitty

Okay, I'm a bit slow today. And since I didn't post the HIGHLY anticipated recurring post last week, I felt an extra push to follow through this week.

Well, it was this, or Fainting Goats.

Enjoy.



More here.

find the kitty

And now for something a little different.

find the kitty

This one could be rated 'X' for eXtra hard.

Have you found him yet?

find the kitty

This one should probably be rated 'S' for sorta-kinda difficult, but not really.

Max doesn't dislike the mandolin quite as much as he dislikes the oboe. His hiding spot isn't nearly as far away.

Oh Max.

find the kitty

This one is rated 'E' for easy.
This is for those who give me a hard time, thinking that kittymeowmeow is not in the pictures I post.

You know who you are.

Have you found him yet?

He's so happy: it's practice time with the harness. Oh, the humiliation.

find the kitty

I would say this one deserves a 'difficult' rating.

Good Luck!

find the kitty

Okay, so you must think that the only thing I do all day is take pictures of my cat hiding in strange places.
So what if I do??

Here's the next installment.

And, you can see actual fur in this one.

find the kitty

find the kitty

So, I should be at FHE, especially as I only worked till three. But, instead I practiced. And this was the result of said practicing.

Needless to say, Max does not like it when I practice at home.

Can you find his oboe-proof hiding spot?

Good luck in this installment of Find the Kitty.

Now off to Family Home Evening.

lilac

Okay, okay...let's try again.

Find the Kitty!

Can you spot him in all his camouflage?

and now....

Another installment of:

Spot the Kitty! Yay!

The housecat is an unlikely predator, blending in with his surroundings, ready to pounce in an instant.

Look carefully - the housecats camouflage can be quite deceiving.

[Removed by blog owner until further notice.]

Did you spot him?

Good work.

Until the next installment of....Spot the Kitty!

why i love maksim*

Yesterday was a rough day for him.

He insisted on jumping up on the kitchen table (an activity I do NOT want him to get used to) so I had to keep getting him off of the kitchen table.

Same day, he ran into my bedroom, and hid behind my curtains. I don't want him in my bedroom (though as he calms down, my strength on this decision is wavering.... shhh... don't tell Maks.) The only way to get him out is with a squirt or two from a water bottle. Yesterday morning he was dripping wet.

He still tried to get in the room. I think I may lose that battle.

BUT, today, when he jumped on the table, I did not need to manhandle him off. I just stood there, and pointed down. And he got down, after a bit of pathetic mewing. (But...But... he says.)

And then, there is my favorite way he lounges around on the couch.






He posed quite well for the picture, making sure his tail was in the middle, so you could see where his leggies are.

Seriously? Oh kitty, you are so silly.

And, I must skeedaddle: time for church.






* I needed another two syllable name. That was not feminine. And who doesn't like Maksim? aahahaha.

it's that time again

Yup, when I'm officially putting off writing my paper, and instead find all sorts of useless information on the internet.
For example, someone needs a Halloween costume. Someone was diagnosed with the swine flu and now needs to get a sub. Wow.

For your paper-putting-off-pleasure (and feel free to substitute whatever you probably should be doing at the moment for paper) I shall provide you with a picture.



Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to find the wee furry beastie that is hiding somewhere in the frame.

Today has been a good day. I got up when I woke up. Got my new thesis off to the professor. Took a nap. Made some quite tasty cheesey broccoli soup. sans celery. I'll stoop to adding onions, because they actually can add some flavor. But celery? Nope. Had a brunch with a school friend where we ate said tasty soup. Jaunted off to church, where I mostly successfully played one of the hardest Children's Primary Songs. Mostly only because I biffed the introduction badly. (Thankfully Primary kids really don't care.) Came home, had more tasty soup, this time with a layer of cheese warmed in the oven. Napped again. (I'm allowed, I'm sick.) Then thought about beginning my paper due Wednesday. Then, a friend called! Yay. We talked for about an hour. And now, once again, thinking about beginning my paper.

I was going to post some things that I've learned this past semester. You know, life lessons and the like, but I got distracted once again.

Don't hold your breath for these lessons I've learned, though I will try to check in a bit sooner next time.

the cat formerly known as maxine

Remember how I had problems finding a name for Kitty?

If you don't remember, well, I did.

I even had a poll and everything, which I completely disregarded.

Today the Doggy Doctor said that Maxine was a good name, because it could be easily shortened to Max.

I hope Max doesn't mind that his bed, carrier, and food bowl are all pink. (He's gifting his pink collar to his sister, Ophelia, previously known as Othello. Who knew cats changed gender, just like Flounders??)

Poor Max. I keep telling him real men wear pink.

ta - daa!

Its only been a week or two in the making, but I've finally finished kitties new scratching post. I think she likes it! Through the process I've learned:

1) You should wear heels to the hardware store. You get helped faster.

2) Kitty likes playing with screws. Batting them around is a speciality.

3) Kitty should be sequestered to a separate room whilst wrapping the rope around the post.

I'm sure I've learned more, but that's all I can think of for now.

I shall leave you now with a picture. Okay, two.







Now I can start cleaning up the front room.