Old_Man
Somewhere, CA
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Joined: 01/02/2018
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Rudy is ADORABLE!!!
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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Joined: 10/29/2004
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New Morning routine:
Wake up when Czarny starts licking my hair. Eeeww.
Get up. Try not to trip over Rudy as he weaves between my legs during morning ablutions.
Argue with both cats over whose clothes I'm trying to wear.
Go into great room and look for kitty baton toys while antiphonal cats sing to me.
Conduct William Lathem's symphonic band piece, Dilemma, with two kitty toy batons. Dr. Gary T. Garner is my hero...
Dilemma
When kitties and my arms wear out, eat breakfast. Cats take nap under bed.
Those new FitBit thingies we're giving each other for Christmas should show some interesting reports with this morning routine...
For those who don't want to sit through the whole piece, Dilemma features a section where Dr. Garner is conducting half the band in allegro 2/4 time and half in a leisurely 6/8. He literally conducts 2/4 with one arm and 6/8 with the other. I highly doubt any other conductor can do it, as I've never even heard of another band performing this piece that WT commissioned back in my university symphonic band days in the 1970s. Ever since, only Dr. Garner has conducted it. I'm doing something similar with the cat batons, as each cat has his own playing style and rhythm.
The contractors just finished with replacing/repairing/repainting our soffits. Look good, and with the new cedar boards instead of pine, they should last at least as long as we will own this place.
It was lovely yesterday. Today, the wind came in and a cold front will follow. Next couple of days will be in the 50s, with lows in the upper 30s. Then we're back to 60s/70s highs and 40s/50s lows. I do love it here.
Cousin will arrive tomorrow for a visit. They're staying in their favorite RV park halfway between us and their son's place. I believe their dogs will remain with the fifth wheel, which will be a relief to Czarny and Rudy.
WLToo is making étouffée for dinner. No shrimp, because shrimp and I do not get along, but chicken, andouille and scallops. We'll have it over rice, even though white rice is not really good for my glucose load, unless he decides to cook up wild rice. His choice.
Meanwhile, I'm thawing a roast to start marinating it for sauerbraten. Just felt the urge to have some nice sauerbraten, but didn't want to go to town for it. Besides, the whole roast means more for me....
Tea got cold; guess I'd better heat it up. Later, y'all.
* This post was
edited 11/27/18 08:30am by Wanderlost *
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." -- Mahatma Gandhi
Czarny, black cat
Rainbow Bridge: Spotacus, Alexander the Grrreat, and so very many more
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magnusfide
On the Road Again and Again and Again...
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Joined: 10/30/2009
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It's a great life!
"The only time you should fear cast iron is if your wife is fixin' to hit you with it."-Kent Rollins
First law of science: don't spit into the wind.
Magnus
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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It got positively nippy last night, down into the 30s, although not freezing. WLToo turned the heater on. Reminds me: we need more firewood. It's dead still outside, which is unusual, but ensures there's no wind chill factor to deal with. Also supposed to warm into the 60s, so when I head to the airport to pick up Mom, a flannel shirt will be all I need.
While cousin was visiting, the doe herd did its evening stroll. Reminded me of the early years here, when we also had a buck herd. Now we're lucky to see two bucks. Cursed poachers! Anyway, cousin has lost over 100 pounds, still has another 100 to go, but she's looking so very much better. Her knees need replacing, so as soon as she's below 40% BMI, she'll get that done and finally stop having to use crutches. Makes my needing to lose 100 pounds look paltry -- don't need anything replaced, just lose the fat. Hence, the FitBits for Christmas -- we both need the nagging those devices will provide.
Yesterday, my dermatologist looked at all the scabs on my left arm and shoulder and raised an eyebrow. I said, "Kittens." He replied, "Nice tracks." Otherwise, skin check was good. Done with doctors for several months now.
The RV dealer has been keeping us informed as to Obi-Wander's repairs status -- mostly on how long it takes the parts to get to the dealer. I'm convinced warranty repair parts only get to the dealer via the dealer's next RV order, so when the RV is driven down, our repair parts are loaded. Can't see any more logical reason for why it takes so long. I do hope we get her back soon, though. We need to use her residential refrigerator through the holidays.
Meanwhile, WLToo has been designing a pole barn to put Obi-Wander under. Because the parking spot is slightly tilted and on top of a limestone ledge, the concrete pilings will all be at different heights. The mechanics of boring the holes for the concrete pilings is really the hardest part. Well, that and he thinks he can raise a 16' high pole barn all by himself at age 65...riiiiight.
Between that and designing some smaller side tables for our great room (which isn't really all that large), he'll be busy all winter. He just finished making two coin displays, one for us and one for Warrant Officer 1 Nephew, now in flight training at Fort Rucker. Between the two of us, we accumulated 30 commemorative coins during our military and military civilian careers. WO1 Nephew could accumulate many more, so WLToo made his display larger. Both are in walnut with tung oil finish -- beautiful wood.
Both cats got me up a little early, desperately needing to play. Now they're off napping somewhere and I'm seriously considering one myself. After breakfast, though. There's some hot herbal tea and oatmeal calling my name.
Later, y'all.
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magnusfide
On the Road Again and Again and Again...
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Joined: 10/30/2009
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Tell WLToo that hiring help for the pole barn is a lot cheaper than hefting those poles by himself and the resultant hospital bills. ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/awink.gif "awink")
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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I do, magnusfide, but he's not listening just yet.
Another hefty progress on Rudy's part: this evening, he joined me in my recliner. Didn't stay long, but he did come back again and again. He's still figuring out just how close he wants to be. Right now, he and Czarny are sleeping on the love seat, which they have claimed as their own.
Got all the Christmas presents wrapped. Now we need to find boxes for shipping and get them out of here.
Leoghaire came up yesterday. We had some celery getting limp, so I gave it to her. WLToo really needs to reload the feeder.
Tall Friend and WLToo took me out for a birthday dinner, to a restaurant we'd not yet tried. Blech. Won't be going there again.
Have an editing job to finish this week, then it's time to get out all the decorations and get busy. WLToo plans to put his shot bags around the Christmas tree base, to lessen the chances of the cats making the tree fall when they climb it (and they will). I think a blanket underneath, then the tree skirt, might lessen the chances of a decoration breaking when they knock it off the tree. Sigh. Haven't had kittens in so many years that remembering how to kitten-proof for Christmas is a bit of a lost art.
Czarny's awake and demanding I play with him. Later, y'all.
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mitchmitchell1616
DFW Area
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Joined: 10/12/2014
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Once you get used to your FitBits, try the FitBit Aria scale -- it will *really* nag you - but I've managed to lose 25+ lbs with it (wish I could get rid of 100lbs!). It uploads the data so your friends can see your progress if you want to let them nag you too.
Jayco Jay Feather Ultra Light X213
Ford F-450 Diesel Pickup
Equalizer Weight Distribution Hitch
Weboost Drive 4G-X cellular booster
PentaMetric Battery Monitor
Progressive Industries EMS-HW30C
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magnusfide
On the Road Again and Again and Again...
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Joined: 10/30/2009
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I remember kitten-proofing. BTDT. Our daughter and son-in-law adopted a ten-month old kitten from their local animal shelter this week. He's a very loving spotted gray tabby cat and of course they had to name him Spotacus. Spotacus' legacy lives on!
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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That is fabulous, Magnus. Spotacus would be so proud. Well, he was proud to begin with, but let's go with it.
Mitch, thanks for the info. We know very little about FitBit, but are looking forward to accomplishing something with them as coaches/nags. Don't think I could stand having friends/family adding to the nagging, though. Would feel too much like I was back in the Army...
Rudy has definitely decided to share the recliner with Czarny and me. I was even able to hold him for about five minutes of cuddling, before he strolled onto the side table. He's coming along nicely. Both kitties are fascinated with staring out the windows at something we can't see. Czarny is getting interested in going outside, but that's not on our list of good things for them to do anytime soon. They are both still a little timid, reacting with fear or hyper alertness when they hear a new noise. We've not loosed the Roomba since they got here, waiting for them to settle. But it's going back into service tomorrow -- can't stand the grit under my bare feet anymore.
Presents wrapped, boxed and ready for shipment or placing under the tree. Editing job is about half finished, so I have to crash on it tomorrow. Monday WLToo and Tall Friend are going to the range while I take Mom to a medical appointment. Dern it. One of these days, I have to get to the range and practice myself. There's skeet needing a shotgun blast out there.
Looks like Tuesday is the earliest for Christmas decorating. At least I added another album to my huge collection of Christmas music. William Shatner put out an album of Christmas music, with a number of well-known singers and instrumentalists. It's actually quite enjoyable, at least to this formally trained musician with a bent sense of harmonic humor. If you have iTunes, wander over there and preview each song. It's going to be a love it or hate it album, no in-between. I'm firmly in the love it camp. But I like Bob Rivers' Twisted Christmas albums, dogs barking Jingle Bells, carols played on shop tools, and cats meowing The Chipmunk Song. However, I just played that last one, and the cats ran under the bed -- no Jingle Cats this year.
Back to edit one more chapter before bedtime. Hopefully, Czarny won't help this time, being under the bed. Cleaning out his "footprints" this afternoon was a mess...
Later, y'all.
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mitchmitchell1616
DFW Area
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Oh please video of the introduction of the Roomba to the kittens! For them I'm sure it will be like the release of the Kraaken...
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