Reading, Those Cats

In which Chaos goes to the vet

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So what are the major differences between Shelfari, GoodReads, and LibraryThing? I have accounts on all of them, but if I’m going to do a “book thing” like that, I need to pick just one.

This lolcat pic gets me giggling every time. This one leaves me feeling vaguely guilty, even though I’ve never tried washing either cat. Of course, since I took Chaos to the vet last night for his shots… (Click the picture below for a close-up of feline suspicion.)

“Hmm… Mom is acting awfully weird. Something’s up.” -Chaos

His suspicions were confirmed when I put on his collar.

“No good can come of this collar business. I’ll just tell you right now that I don’t approve of whatever you have in mind, Mom.” -Chaos

“Woe! I thought this was a kitty bed!” -Chaos

Chaos’s distressed caterwauling attracted the attention of PJ, the new counter kitten at the vet – he had to hop down and see what was wrong. Chaos growled at him for his troubles… but I don’t think PJ’s holding a grudge (in fact, I’m not sure PJ has more than two or three brain cells, but he sure is cute!).

“I knew no good could come of her putting that collar on me. Sometimes it sucks to always be right.” -Chaos

“Vengeance WILL be mine. Remember that, Mom.” -Chaos

Those Cats

DPNs left unattended will be devoured

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Not suitable for those sensitive to violence against DPNs. You have been warned. What follows isn’t pretty.

A few weeks ago, Jeanne happened to leave a DPN (double-pointed needle) here after she came over to knit. I don’t think she’ll make that mistake a second time… (Yes, that is one of its tips lying near the bottom of the photo. No, I have no idea where the other tip is. Guess I’ll be looking for it in the litterbox…)

“Hey, Mom put this great toy out again!” -Chaos

*mwmph-crunch* -Mayhem

“Don’t hog it, May – I was the one who found it on the end table in the first place!” -Chaos

*mwmph-crunch* -Mayhem

“Hey, big kitty, I was playing with that!” -Mayhem

*mwmph-crunch* -Chaos

“Ha!” *mwmph-crunch* -Mayhem

“Hey! I was chewing on that!” -Chaos

“Maybe I can steal it back…” -Chaos

*mwmph-crunch* -Mayhem

I’m rather unclear what’s happening in this picture, but you could hear scuffling and scurrying and the DPN definitely went with them:

“Mom!! Why did you take it away?!” -Chaos & Mayhem

Anyone know why they don’t make chew toys for cats?!

Knitting

Not that you’d know it from all the cat pictures recently

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…but really, I am still knitting! (Yes, I’ll pause for y’all to recover from the traditional shock of discovering this is a knitting blog.) The first Cable Twist sock is nearly finished and feline interest in this project remains high.

“Addi addi addi addi addi…” -Chaos

Here’s a macro shot of the cable twist detail. Loves me some twisted stitches, I does! (See Mayhem’s nose sneaking toward that strand of yarn? I fear she doesn’t share my love for and appreciation of twisted stitches.)

“Yarn yarn yarn yarn yarn…” -Mayhem

Do not fear, Gentle Readers – I expend a great deal of effort to keep Mayhem from actually connecting with yarn. Cat carrier love notwithstanding, I don’t want to make that vet visit…

Contests, Those Cats

Wild evening at Casa de Chaos y Mayhem

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Craftylilly Jennifer is celebrating her third blogiversary with a trivia contest – she posted the first trivia question Monday, will post the second on Wednesday, and then the third on Friday.

Chaos and May hanging out on a typical wild evening around here…

“Dum de dum de dum de dum…” -Chaos

“What? Cat carrier?! What cat carrier?!?? This is a spiffy kitty bed. You and your notions, Mom.” -Mayhem

Here’s a closer look at Mayhem in the, um, “kitty bed.” This photo was taken with a flash, and features May’s speedy squint reflex.

“So bright! Why do you always try to blind me, Mom?” -Mayhem

Without flash… sure, you can’t see her body at all, but you do get a much better idea of how very, very wide her eyes are.

“Much better without the blinding light. Why don’t you always take pictures this way?” -Mayhem

Randonymity, Reading, Viewing

More evidence of that sink kitty thing

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Damn, I didn’t realize that Friday was Singles’ Awareness Day. For a good read on the subject of singleness, check out “Exploring Relationships with the Single Weirdo” over at lifehack.org.

The new issue of Yarnival, as edited by Miss T, is now available!

Reading Update
The Three Incestuous Sisters and The Adventuress by Audrey Niffenegger. If you’re looking for something in the vein of Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife, you won’t find it in these visual “novels.” Niffenegger writes that when she tries to explain The Three Incestuous Sisters, she tells people “to imagine a silent film made from Japanese prints, a melodrama of sibling rivalry, a silent opera that features women with very long hair and a flying green boy.” Of the second non-visual novel she’s working on, the biographical blurb in the back of The Adventuress notes that “she’s a very slow writer, easily distracted by her cats and the lure of libraries and airplanes.”
Howling Moon: A Tale of the Sazi by C. T. Adams and Cathy Clamp. I started out getting very involved in this tale of a werejaguar and a pack of werewolves, but I think the story was drawn out too much for the amount of story there was to tell.
Relative Magic by Tanya Huff. I admit to not reading all of the stories in this collection of Tanya Huff’s short fiction. Frankly, her “high fantasy” works don’t interest me (no one’s “high fantasy” or “sword & sorcery” seems to interest me anymore – I’m all about contemporary fantasy now), so I stuck to the more contemporary tales.

Viewing Update
Into the Wild. I own the Eddie Vedder soundtrack, so when a friend I haven’t seen in a while suggested catching the film at the Riverview Theater ($3.00) Friday night (after catching up over a glass of hard cider at the Riverview Cafe and Wine Bar), I decided I should do so. The movie is gorgeous, the story thought-provoking and ultimately, to me, very tragic.

Mayhem Update
Can you see the cat in this picture? (Um, yeah, I might have a few books and cds…)

Need some help?

This time, she’s lying on about 10 pairs of wet wool socks…

Those Cats

Is it spring yet?

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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…

Those Cats

In which Mayhem is revealed to be a sink kitty, part 2

38 Comments

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! 😉

Knitting

More examples of poorly composed photos

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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:

Randonymity

A Keen interlude

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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

Contests, Reading, Those Cats, Viewing

In which Mayhem is revealed to be a sink kitty, part 1

45 Comments

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

Art journaling, reading, knitting, and cat parenting. It's a wild life.