Not quite? Soon? Maybe? Ah well, here are some spring pictures of Mayhem from last May to help tide us all over…
“What do you want?” -Mayhem
“Oh! Did you see that bird?!” -Mayhem
“And there’s a squirrel! I bet he wouldn’t be so saucy if this screen wasn’t between us…” -Mayhem
P.S. Here are some cute pictures of a kitty in a “cape” – hee hee…
P.P.S. Oh my – the very first lolproposal…
Maybe we should just declare this National Sink Kitty Week?! Check out Deb’s pictures of Sammy and Tig (at the bathroom sinks this time).
Earlier this week, I revealed Mayhem’s love of the bathroom sink. The sink appeal can’t just be about the sink shape, since she also loves the rectangular kitchen sink.
“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Mayhem
“Wha….?” -Mayhem
“Kitty in the kitchen sink? I don’t see any kitty in the kitchen sink! That would be very naughty, since you don’t allow kitties in the kitchen sink, Mom.” -Mayhem
We here at SoC are not acknowledging today to be a holiday in any way, shape, or form. Nothing good can come from Valentine’s Day. Bah humbug! 😉
There are days when it’s nearly impossible to take a picture around here. See the spiffy new sock I’ve been knitting?
“Addi snack!” -Mayhem
No? How about in this picture?
“Sock snack!” -Mayhem
Sheesh. Let’s try that again, shall we?
“I wonder how far I’ll get with all of this snacky goodness if I grab and run?” -Mayhem
I can live with that one! 🙂 Excuse me while I go rescue my sock…
This pair will be a gift – the stitch pattern is from the Cable Twist Socks pattern and the yarn is STR Mustang Sally. Here’s a cat-free close-up:
Emails were starting to trickle in last night, so maybe this morning things will get caught up and I’ll start to receive my comment emails in a timely fashion again. I really missed them yesterday! 🙁
Regarding kitties and sinks – Matisse left a comment pointing out that he is also a bathroom sink kitty. And then Deb posted some cute pictures of Sammy and Tig in her kitchen sink. (More on kitchen sinks later this week…)
Yesterday was an expensive lunch break. I went to REI and found some Keen boots on sale.
“What good are they if I can’t hide in them? Although I suppose I could hide some of my favorite furry mice in there…” -Mayhem
“Oh, come on, May – you should stick your head in just to see if you fit… Hee hee hee!” -Chaos
I was also unable to resist a new Keen bag, which has a little LED light that turns on when you open the bag…
“Where’s that light again? I want to see if I can get May to chase it!” -Chaos
Deb’s celebrating her second blogiversary with a contest! Leave her a comment by February 15 and you could win some goodies – she promises it won’t be anything that’s been in the secret kitty lair.
Kmkat has a photo that sums up the weekend experience in our part of the Upper Midwest. Is it any wonder that I stayed in and hibernated yesterday?!
Remember my experiment with responding to comments in the comments, triggered by Chappysmom’s post? One of the authors of the article that inspired Chappysmom has written about his experience participating in our conversations.
Over the weekend, I had a lot of trouble with the email address that my comments are sent to – no idea if things will be better today. I will respond to comment emails when they arrive… whenever that may be. Don’t worry if it isn’t in as timely a fashion as usual. Thanks!
Reading Update
The Royal Treatment, The Royal Pain, and The Royal Mess by Mary Janice Davidson. The premise is that the US never purchased Alaska; instead, it’s an independent monarchy. The result is more trashy fun from Minneapolis author Davidson.
The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby. (“A hilarious and true account of one man’s struggle with the monthly tide of the books he’s bought and the books he’s been meaning to read.”) This line from one of Hornby’s essays about his reading really summarizes an important aspect of my own reading: “A couple of months ago, I became depressed by the realization that I’d forgotten pretty much everything I’ve ever read. I have, however, bounced back: I am now cheered by the realization that if I’ve forgotten everything I’ve ever read, then I can read some of my favorite books again as if for the first time.” Exactly my strategy!
Songbook by Nick Hornby (with included 11-song cd). The short essays in this book all revolve around songs that have been important to Hornby, ranging from Led Zeppelin to Rufus Wainwright.
Viewing Update
24-Hour Party People. This film is about the Manchester music scene from the mid-1970s through the late 1990s, focusing on Tony Wilson and Factory Records and featuring Joy Division/New Order, the Happy Mondays, and more.
“What? Lots of kitties like to hang out in sinks.” -Mayhem
“The wet sweater that I found draining in here just makes the sink extra comfy!” -Mayhem
“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Mayhem
But how many times will I have to tell some stranger my life story
Which gets longer and longer and longer the longer I live on this earth?
And how many times will I pretend I’m fascinated by the ordinary
Details of the lives of the strangers that I’ve encountered on my search?
Christine Lavin, “Blind Dating Fun”
Back at the beginning of December, I had a little personals ad contest; many of you participated by writing very creative and amusing “ads” for me. I am positive that my life would be infinitely more… unusual if I actually used one of your ads. 😉
As I mentioned in that post, one of the wonderfully unexpected side effects of my October surgery has been how much happier and grounded I’ve been feeling – better than I have for two or three years, actually. For much of that time, dating just sounded like too much effort; by December, it was starting to sound like it might be kind of fun. (Really! Shocking, I know. I swear I was off the heavy duty painkillers by then, too!)
But… I don’t actually meet any dateable people in my regular life. I’m a knitter, so my free time is spent hanging out with groups of women (you’re my pals and you’re cute and all, but…). I’ve worked at the same small company for nearly 12 years (not that I recommend poaching coworkers! No! Do not want!). So… on to the online personals.
I’ve done the online dating thing a time or two in the past and I have a few interesting stories (as does Juno). For some reason that escapes me now, the first time I did the online personals, I went on 25 or 30 coffee dates in six weeks. Shall we pause to contemplate the utter insanity?! Christine Lavin could easily have written “Online Dating Fun” instead of “Blind Dating Fun.” Out of all that craziness, I went on two second dates, one third date, no fourth dates, and finally took a break from the whole venture.
Then I dated a friend of a friend (that classic method of meeting) for a year or so. But really, once you’re out of your mid-30s, your friends tend not to have a lot of single friends anymore… at least not ones they can, in good conscience, introduce you to. So, back to the online personals – but that also coincided with the beginning of the waning energy and enthusiasm mentioned above.
Which brings us back to the present. I’ve been giving the online personals another shot, albeit on a much more restrained basis this time around – I’m aiming for quality over quantity. Wish me luck!
“Have you cleared this plan with us?! We do not approve of you having any more distractions.” -Mayhem
We fish. You won’t find me out ice fishing in this lifetime, but I might be tempted to check out the Art Shanty Project sometime… ETA: Annie wrote about the Art Shanty Project a few days ago – and there’s even a Knitting Shanty!
We drink. If you’ve ever wanted to sit outside in a bar made from 12,000 pounds of ice, check out the Ice Chamber at the Chambers Hotel in downtown Minneapolis. I think I’d be huddled by the fire pit the whole time!
We fest. The St. Paul Winter Carnival is over for another year, but you can still check out the pictures and contemplate what the Hot Dish Tent was like.
We raise money. For a shockingly different fundraiser, you could participate in the Polar Bear Plunge and support the Special Olympics – yup, you do have to jump into an icy lake.
We skijor.
We fly kites.
We ice skate – both indoors and out.
We hibernate…
“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Mayhem
Wendy’s giving away a copy of Twelve Months of Knitting by Joanne Yordanou. Send her an email by 4 pm EST, February 7, to be included in the random drawing.
Is it usual for there to be hundreds and hundreds of people at a caucus?! Wow. I’m glad I had a book with me last night, because that was one slow line.
“Ohmigosh! Big kitty! It’s a bird! It’s a bird!” – Mayhem
“Mwmph! Mwmph! I got it, big kitty! No kitty food for us tonight!” – Mayhem
Because really, what neighborhood is complete without a custom chopper shop?
I’m definitely stopping in here before bicycling season starts:
Care to speculate as to the message behind this one?
I’m not sure why Arby’s having wifi amuses me so much…
Head on over to the Uptown Mpls Blog for some completely spectacular pictures of Saturday’s luminary event on Lake of the Isles as part of the City of Lakes Loppet (a cross-country ski race, held annually in Minneapolis).
“Where do you get those pictures, Mom? I can’t see these things from the windows. Other than the evil vet and the hallway, nothing exists if we can’t see it from the windows. We still haven’t figured out why you go sit in the hallway for eight hours a day during the week…” – Chaos
Sarah-Hope is celebrating her blogiversary by holding the First Annual What If Knits Save-the-Cats (and Other Animals) Blogiversary Raffle – by donating to any one of an assortment of animal rescue organizations by February 14, you’ll be entered in a prize raffle. First prize is a gorgeous Swallowtail Shawl!
Reading Update
My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon edited by P.N. Elrod. I didn’t enjoy this collection as much as My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, but there is nice Harry Dresden story by Jim Butcher.
Long Hot Summoning (The Keeper’s Chronicles #3) by Tanya Huff. Much better than the second book, plus it has a completely fabulous fifth line on page 161.
The Book of Old Houses by Sarah Graves. The latest in the Home Repair is Homicide series, this book continues a thread started in the previous book (Trap Door). I’ve loved the rest of the series, but the last two books have only been “meh.”
Viewing Update
Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix. Whoa. Talk about breakneck speed – if you haven’t read/listened to the books, you won’t have any clue what’s going on!
Grosse Pointe Blank. Black comedy starring John Cusack as hitman Marty Blank, back in town for his high school reunion. I can’t believe I don’t already own the soundtrack for this one.
High Fidelity. What can I say? I was in a John Cusack mood this weekend. 🙂 Another good soundtrack, although very different than that of Grosse Pointe Blank.
‘Tis true, ’tis true… although I spent all day Saturday in my PJs, I actually got dressed and left the house on Super International Pajama Day! What can I say? It was sunny and warmer than it’s been and I just needed to get out and go for a walk. I did get back into PJs as soon as I got home.
“For shame, Mom! I spent all day in my pajamas. What, you’ve never heard of the cat’s pajamas?” – Mayhem