A Day Off?

Cleo went 'home' today, since I have to go back to work tomorrow. Buddha was quite thrilled with this. He was so excited, dashing back & forth across the floor, he tuckered himself out.

Today was supposedly my day off, but I spent most of it running errands. Cleo had to go back to home to live at Gramma's. It's not the best arrangement for me, since that means I only get to see Cleo when I stop over there for dinner, to fix their computer, or when I have a long weekend where I'm actually in town. But, she likes living at Gramma's. She has a huge fenced in yard to zoom in & 2 smaller dogs to play with. Oh, and a cat named Callie to tease.

When I finally got home after running around (literally, too. I fit in a nice 2-hour workout), I found something very interesting. Can anyone tell me what's wrong with this picture? Um, those aren't seagulls, red-winged-blackbirds, sparrows, crows... those are Canadian geese sitting on top of a boat house! I know living in the middle of nowhere, you're bound to see wildlife & critters in their natural habitat. But this? I'm not sure this is natural for Canadian geese. How did they get up there? Don't say fly, I know that....

Wookie had some ideas for those geese. I think one had something to do with a deep fryer, though, and I don't allow those in the house.

So sorry! Momma's a SLACKER!!

Hello everyone!! My momma left her computer-thing unattended. And since she is such a slacker, I decided that I would post! Momma's always saying that she has "sock-her" , or "rock climbing," or "kicking the box", or this horrible thing called "work" that gets in the way of blogging. But, I don't get it. If I was supposed to kick a box around, I think I'd much rather play on a computer. What does momma have against the box? Unless she's taking about my box that I leave icky things in. I guess I'd like to kick that box out the door!

And sock-her? I do that all the time with my big sister, Wookie. She has an... advan... advtant.... her paws are bigger than mine so her socks hurt!!

OH! Guess what my momma did this week? I am so mad at her! She brought home this huge thing! It's all big & slobberly & momma calls it "Cleo."

I don't like her one bit! She's bigger than even Wookie! And she makes these noises. It's not pretty like my purring or my meows. And the worst part - Wookie likes her!! I have caught my big sister trying to play with this beast on my than one occasion. I can't believe that my big sister would play with such a dumb creature! I caught the Cleo eating grass outside. Who does that?! Not me! I eat the indoor selection of yummy plants - they're yummy-licious, as my momma would say.

Uh oh.... I think momma's coming! Gotta look cute!

I think she's gone. I curled up in her big office chair & pretended like I was sleeping. I think I have her fooled!! I switched her screen back to this program called iTunes. Such a strange program - it makes her computer screech. And some times she does these weird poses while listening to the screeching. I don't like to go near my momma when she's on her squishy mat - she has these really heavy things in her hands - she calls them dumbbells. Why she calls them that, I don't know. I would call then catcrushers!! I don't know how my momma can lift such heavy things.

I wish i was nice & sunny out today. My momma said that it was going to be rainy. I don't know what that means, but I do know that it's dark outside when it should really be light. And then there was this really weird banging noise, right above my head - I thought the roof was going to fall on me! I jumped on my momma's lap & buried my face under her arm. I may be mad at her, but she's bigger than me. It the roof falls, she's tough & can keep it from hurting me!

Before I go, I have to show you a picture & ask what it means. My momma took this. She shows it to people and tells them that I have a Buddha Belly. I don't know how to tell my momma this (she's usually so smart!), but my name is Buddha & I have a Belly. Don't all Buddha's have Bellies? Or maybe they don't all puff out like mine. Maybe that's what she means. She has this little statue that she rubs everyday for something called "Good Luck." It's a happy man with a really fat stomach. She calls him Buddha. But he doesn't look anything like me. Is my momma crazy?

Finally, it's MY turn!!

Oh, Hi Everyone!!

My name is Buddha & I am so excited to be writing today! My momma finally let me use her computer. She's pretty picky about who she lets use her computer. Even my big sister Wookie hasn't been able to lay a PAW on her new one!

Any way...

My momma said that she wanted me to write about The President & stuff like that. Well, first I want to tell you about a really embarrassing story about my momma (shh... don't let her know!!). On Tuesday night, she went snow... boarding I think it's called, with her boyfriend Peter. She's got this fancy schmancy new board (which I can't sharpen my claws on - boo!!) that she needed to try out. Well!! Things didn't go so hot! They came home & had to call our neighbor who's a doctor lady person. My momma fell & hit her head HARD! Not once, but TWICE!! Silly momma - she can't land on her feet! Poor Peter had to wake up my momma every couple of hours. She had some brain-headache thing called a post-concussion headache. Whatever it was, it was annoying! I couldn't get any sleep with the alarms & the shaking & all the moving. SO! There's the embarrassing story. Don't tell momma I told - she'd be bright red!

Oh! The President! I didn't know that this was a big deal until my momma woke me up from my morning nap to watch with her. But this really cool looking guy is now the leader of our country! He sounded so intelligent (way over this little kitten's head). And wow - I was just impressed! He's the first black president! Oh, to be alive at a time like this! My momma tells me this is a very important moment in history. I believe her - she's a pretty with-it lady (don't tell her I said that). She is so proud to be able to vote for some one that she wanted to & not have to worry about anyone else's opinion. I guess my momma is a very lucky lady to live in this country. And I'm a pretty lucky kitten to be able to live with her IN this country.

Now... where are my TOYS?!? I think I hear my momma coming.

Change

Buddha just witnessed his first presidential inauguration. Not only was it his first, it was a moment of historical significance. He will post about it later, once he has recovered from such emotions that only a kitten can produce.

3/4ths

I'm 3/4ths of the way through my 4-day weekend. It hasn't been quite what I expected, but at least I have one more day to redeem myself & get some stuff done.

Saturday was spent at a dance competition. Okay, I'm going to feel really old when I type this, but it's the truth: dance competitions aren't what they were when I was young!! Dance line is a very different form of dance over studio ballet or jazz. It was educational & entertaining. The girls looked like they were having so much fun!

Also on Saturday, I bought myself a nice, new snowboard. That was an interesting experience. Did you know that if you're a female boarder, you're supposed to like white, pink, butterflies, and rhinestones? On your board? What is up with that? I kind of felt like I had no choice but to be girly. I understand that being girly is okay & maybe a way to differentiate yourself from the boys on the hill, but it doesn't seem right to me. Sorry - if my board is going to be pink, it's going to be fluorescent pink & in your face.

Buddha has had a very interesting weekend himself. He has decided that rocks need to be everywhere in the house. Not just in the living room & kitchen, but in the office, the bathrooms, and the laundry room. I believe he has given himself the task of spreading rocks throughout the house. And he's taken the task a little too far. I'm afraid of moving the covers on the bed when I crawl in. I don't want to be faced with pebbles and rocks.

He also has reverted back to his kittens sleeping ways. He needs to sleep on his mom's face or somewhere near her head. For a while, he would sleep wherever. Now, it's right next to his mom, as close as he can get.

We haven't told Buddha & Wookie yet, but they're going to be on their own in a couple of weeks. Mom & Peter are going to Orlando for a long weekend. We both need it - it's more an escape from stress than a vacation. And we're going to a resort that has nothing to do with theme parks or children. It will be a nice, grown up, relaxing holiday. Maybe we can get massages.... I'm just hoping that we don't come home & discover that they've given the party to end all parties. Probably they'd invite Blizzard, Xavier, and the Rudisill monsters.

-25

It's a good thing Buddha can't read. If he could read the thermometer & see just how cold it is outside, I'm afraid he would sprawl across any & all heat registers that he can. Or at least the ones that Wookie hasn't commandeered.

The furnace isn't working right. The house was 58 this morning. Buddha was running laps even before I got out of bed - this should have been my first hint that something wasn't right. Normally, he flattens himself out across my face until I get up in the morning. But today, it must not have been warm enough. Wookie kept looking at him like he was insane.


Buddha has a new toy. And if he loses one, he can always find another. Pea gravel. In all of the house plants, there's a layer of pea gravel to deter the cats from playing in the potting soil. Works for Wookie - she doesn't like pebbles in her delicate (monster) feet. Buddha? Buddha thinks the rocks were put there for his amusement. He will dive bomb the pots, spraying rocks everywhere. Then he bats, kicks, chews, slaps, pushes, and hides the rocks. Found one in the jacuzzi. A couple in the bed. All over the kitchen. You get the picture. A good idea gone horribly wrong!

This weekend, I am going to try to knit up a couple of hats. We'll see how Buddha does with the yarn. There is a reason why my yarn is stashed in glass-topped side tables & in plastic containers on the top shelf of my bookshelves. He is a kitten!

Brrr.....

Wow, it is cold today! When the alarm went off at the ungodly hour of 4:30am, the temp was -18. Buddha decided that was just too cold & proceeded to crawl underneath the covers to stay warm.

Last night was a long night at the Augsburg dome. More than 3 hours of sitting in the 'climate controlled' marshmallow, watching soccer. By the time I got home, I was a Mollycicle. So, time for Buddha's new favourite activity - the jacuzzi! He sat & watched it fill up, then watched the jets. When he looks at water, he sometimes has this cross-eyed look on his face, like he's just too close to actually see what he's looking at, but he refuses to move back.

Then, Buddha discovered his new secret passion: a heating pad! He found the one plugged in on the bed & somehow made himself so large that he covered the entire thing. Not an easy feat when you're only 6 pounds or so.

Today, Buddha is enjoying the sun from my office chair. And enjoying that I can work from home & cater to his every whim & fancy whenever he wants. I think he's going to get way too used to that.

We're Back!!

Sorry for the long delay - work & life has been undeniably overwhelming at times. And the holidays? Next year, I'm leaving the country. Buddha & I are thinking about travelling the High Seas.

But enough of that....

Buddha has been growing up (& out) since he first came home. He's is not the scared little boy that he once was. He's now a very brave little boy who's not afraid of water (I know - pray for me); the jacuzzi jets (it's water!); the blow drier; or his big sister (Wookie). He's not too sure about the kids when they come visiting - so, he just curls up in my lap & sleeps.

He's developed quite the little personality. He loves to play, to watch the snow fall, and annoy the heck out of Wookie. To help you get to know him a little better, here's a little quiz (shamelessly lifted from http://wendyknits.net/):

5 Things Quiz

5 Things in Buddha's bag (he doesn't carry a purse - he's much too manly for that)

1) mouse

2) moving mouse

3) catnip mouse

4) blanket

5) pet medical record

5 Things in Buddha's room

1) captain's bed

2) kitty tent

3) all of his mom's clothes (doesn't she have her own room, he often wonders)

4) mouse

5) Wookie (when she's hiding)

5 Things Buddha has always wanted to do

1) eat an entire bag of kitten nibbles

2) go outside (his mom's not going to let that happen - the world is too big for a tiny kitty)

3) chase the birdies

4) play in the jacuzzi

5) sleep on his mom's face (oh, wait, he does that every day)

5 Things Buddha is currently in to

1) everything

2) checking the cupboards for monsters

3) taking a shower with my mom or Peter

4) help make dinner

5) mice

There you go - that's Buddha as of today. Maybe I'll revisit this in a few months & see how he's changed.