But by this evening, he will have a little sister…
“Life is good! I’m A-Number One, Top of the List, King of the Hill, A-Number One!”
Category Archives: Those Cats
Chaos tagged
Chaos was tagged by the Meezer to list 5 weird things about himself. Let’s see if he can come up with 5 things that aren’t on his list of 25 things…
1. I love my wand toy. You know, the kind that’s a stick with a string and a cool toy attached to the end of the string? I get really, really excited when Mom brings out that toy. But she says it’s boring to play with me with the wand toy, because I get so excited I just quiver and can’t even move.
2. I love to lie on Mom’s lap, but only when it’s less than 70F in our condo. When it’s warmer, I lie under her chair so I can still be close.
3. When Mom hits snooze in the morning, I come in and lick her eyelids or tap her face with my paw. I’m just trying to help her get up and feed me, so I don’t understand why she pulls the covers over her head. When she does that, I hop onto the nightstand and stare at her balefully.
4. If Mom manages to leave one of her armpits uncovered while she’s in bed, I will lick that! Mmmm…. armpits.
5. I love to shred and eat toilet paper. Mom is mean and hides it under the sink so I can’t get it. It was a lot of fun when toilet paper used to hang in the bathroom on that neat spinner.
*burp*
“Ok, I tag any cat, ferret, bird, dog, rabbit, or other pet who thinks this sounds like fun and needs more blog exposure!”
In which Chaos receives a love letter
Argh! I screwed up the link to Danielle’s contest yesterday… Thanks to Jeanne for letting me know. Here’s the contest info again: Danielle won a big ol’ bag of yarn from Mason-Dixon Knitting and is celebrating by having her first contest! Leave a comment for her, guessing what she’s knitting (toadstools maybe??) before noon on Tuesday, August 29.
Ok, Marina alerted me to one of the most mind-boggling garments ever, as photographed by Susan of therainysisters.com. You’ll scroll down through many lovely pictures of Susan’s award-winning State Fair knitting, but keep going until you just have to stop and say, “WTF?!” You’ll know which picture. I’ll wait……….. Ok, wouldn’t that be fun to wear someplace dressy?? Hee hee. Sock monkey insanity…
Deb and I took Annie Modesitt’s combined knitting class at Creative Fibers last night. (Amy couldn’t make it because she was sick – get better soon, Amy!) So I often knit combined (picking/continental) already – you cannot beat it for speedy seed stitch in the round. Or, as I realized last night, ribbing back and forth. I picked up some tips on combined knitting decreases and we also learned to cable without a cable needle, which is very slick indeed.
But the most exciting part of the class? Getting there. Right as I was about to leave, a mighty storm assaulted Minneapolis. It didn’t look like the sort of weather I should go out into, but darn it, I had a class to get to… Memorable images from the drive include water geysering several feet up out of a storm drain, people with their pant legs rolled up and carrying their shoes wading across streets in knee-deep water (when it’s raining that hard, I’m not sure what the benefit to carrying your shoes is), and having to turn around and take a different route because the water was too deep for my low slung car. No pictures, because I was far too busy clutching the steering wheel and peering out past the flailing wipers, looking out for deep water.
So, you’re probably all curious about the aforementioned love letter. It was sent anonymously, signed only “Miss Kitty,” and reads:
My Dearest Chaos, For some time now I have been reading your blog on-line and each day I fall in love with you a little more. You are so handsome and regal, even when you are subjected to cruel tortures such as modeling bibs for your mommy. I know we can never be together, but I shall always love you from afar. Always, Miss Kitty. P.S. I hope you like the gift. I saw it in the store and of course thought of you.
The gift is a little collar tag that says “PURRfect.”
When asked who this could possibly be from, the Chaos Kitty merely looked coy and a bit smug.
“Hard to say. Chicks dig me, you know.”
The rest of the (bib) story
I survived the switch upgrade, which didn’t finish until 5 am. I didn’t have to work yesterday, but I ended up only getting 3 hours of sleep because I had a plumber coming by at 9 am. At least I got to bed early last night and feel pretty darn good today.
Danielle won a big ol’ bag of yarn from Mason-Dixon Knitting and is celebrating by having her first contest! Leave a comment for her, guessing what she’s knitting (toadstools maybe??) before noon on Tuesday, August 29.
Norma’s gearing us up for the Red Scarf Project 2007, which will have its own blog this time around. Anyone who knits a red scarf to donate to the RSP and posts a picture to the blog will be eligible to win prizes, such as a skein of handdyed yarn from Scout! Both Norma and Scout have great explanations of how to save one of the many button choices to your own server and get it into your sidebar. That was something which completely mystified me when I started blogging, so take advantage of the info!
Cheryl’s having a contest to guess who will win the Wing of Moth shawl knit-off.
SRP Update
Mallets Aforethought by Sarah Graves, 294 pages. Another Home Repair Is Homicide mystery. I enjoy this series, but I’m not making any effort to read them in order – which I would if I felt passionately about them (like the J.D. Robb mysteries… mmmm… Roarke…). Anyway, I think this book had a relatively large “continuity” gap near the end. Hmm.
And now, the rest of the bib story alluded to yesterday…
“I can’t believe I fell for this again! The shame…”
“Nor can I bear to look at this thing… it’s so girly.“
“Watch my fancy footwork as I begin my escape!”
“I am but a blur!”
“Whew, that was tiring…”
“Wait, it’s still there?! Not for long…”
“Ha! I triumph yet again!”
Zucchini 1, Chaos 0
Over the weekend, my SIL sent me home with some veggies from the garden. I set the zucchini on top of the fridge so I would remember to use it and wandered off. When I wandered back into the kitchen later, I discovered a standoff…
“What is that terrifying thing on my fridge?!”
“See, Chaos? It’s just a harmless vegetable.”
“Hmph. You are trying to trick me.”
“Because, obviously, it’s a monster that eats cats.”
“And I think it’s sneaking up on me…”
“So I will just sit here quietly on the cupboard until it gets bored and goes away.”
Frivolous Friday
Everybody wants to be a cat
Because the cat’s the only cat who knows where it’s at
Everybody’s picking up on that feline beat
Because everything else is obsolete
– Psapp, “Everybody Wants To Be a Cat”
Because the cat’s the only cat who knows where it’s at
Everybody’s picking up on that feline beat
Because everything else is obsolete
– Psapp, “Everybody Wants To Be a Cat”
When I got home from work yesterday, Chaos was completely back to his usual Chaotic self. Yay!!
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m a badass kitty – what would I possible be afraid of?! Wait, did you hear something???”
Some contests to tell you about. First, Aija of Sock Pr0n is having a very interesting contest that’s open until July 23rd. Second, Wendy (yes, that Wendy) is having a needle identification contest that’s open until noon ET July 23rd. Third, Susan’s clever and amusing contest is “dress Ken” and is open until July 29th. Fourth, Frarochvia says “Leave a deafie-type question you’ve been wondering about, and hmmm, there will be a random drawing for a prize!”
It suddenly occurred to me this morning during breakfast that I haven’t taken very many Project Spectrum pictures this month. Considering that purple is my second favorite color (black being the first), this was quite a shock (especially since it was 5:45 am). So I immediately pulled out the camera and took a few pictures. Let’s just say that my photographic skills are not the greatest at that time of morning! Oh well, I got most of the cat in the pictures. What’s an ear here or there?!
Some purple fabric from Crafty Planet that I was powerless to resist. This is very amusing, since I don’t sew.
“I’m sure I heard something. You don’t hear it?!”
Two purple mice – one old, one new. Can you tell which is which?!
“Oh, SPM, if you would but share the secret of where SRM is!”
“I’m sure I can convince you to give up your secrets!”
The jangling nerves of the Cat Chaotic
A few miscellaneous things…
To humor me, Kat took a picture of her dog Java wearing a bib. Talk about a hangdog expression! Thanks, Kat! Sorry, Java – does it help to know that you look awfully cute in that bib?
MeanGirl Jen is having a contest – you have until Friday to leave her a comment with the posted and forecasted high temps where you live. The winner will be selected by random number and receive a skein of Mama-E’s sock yarn! Susan’s going to have a contest starting on Friday (she’s being very mysterious), so drop by tomorrow and see what she has in store for us.
Send me an email if you’re having a contest (chris at my domain) and I’ll let people know – I love contests! (And I’m so far behind in bloglines that your contest will probably be over before I find out about it otherwise.) In fact, I’m thinking about what to do for my next contest…
Another SRP book completed – Micah by Laurell K. Hamilton, 245 pages. The latest but one in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series. I enjoy this series, but it is not for everyone. It is sexually graphic and often violent. If that isn’t a problem, Laurell K. Hamilton always writes an intense, page-turning read that you won’t soon forget. The series should definitely be read in order (Guilty Pleasures is the first book in the series). This book reveals a bit of wereleopard Micah’s past as he travels with Anita to Philadelphia for a zombie raising.
Chaos has been a nervous wreck since Tuesday. While I was at work, the guys who are doing the window installation in my building used a hydraulic lift to reach my third floor windows, ripped out the rotting wooden trim around the windows, put in new trim, and wrapped it with aluminum. In addition to the noisy hydraulic life and strangers looking in the windows (not so common in our third floor condo), they were using a nail gun to secure the wood and trim. All new experiences for Chaos, who tends to be jumpy anyway, and all very loud.
“It was terrible. Terrible, I tell you! I’m sure that I will have nightmares for years,
and probably will require lots of tuna to soothe my jangling nerves.”
I work at home most Wednesdays, so Chaos did get some tuna yesterday, along with lots of petting, brushing, and soothing talk… Until the big thunderstorm, although he’s never been afraid of thunder before. And then the guys came back on their lift to use the nail gun to finish one of my window ledges! And then a jet flew very, very low above us!! Argh. Back to seeing my noisy, saucy, bossy kitty with his tail down and puffed out, quivering and cowering behind the toilet. I’m back in the office today, so when they start that lift and begin driving it around, I’m not going to be there to calm my poor kitty. Hopefully the guys will finish the windows soon and things will be quiet and calm and sunny again for the dusty Cat Chaotic…
Chaotic exercise?!
Thank you all so much for your support! I conveyed your well wishes to my SIL last night and she thanks you all. Her doctor thinks that her leg is “just” deeply bruised and might take up to six weeks to get back to normal. Still, better than the alternatives! My SIL is already hoping we can go up to the cabin this coming weekend, although they won’t be stopping at that Dairy Queen again…
Last week, I moved my exercise bike away from the windows so the windows could be replaced. Chaos became very interested in the bike in its new location…
“Let me just check out the controls.”
“Very intuitive. But those pedals look awfully far away…”
“Hmm, I’m really not seeing how this pedal thing is going to work.”
“Maybe if I take a quick bath, I’ll figure something out.”
“Oh, to heck with it. I don’t want to overdevelop my thighs anyway.”
Decoupage
Stop by and wish a happy birthday to Mrs Pao!
Ok, a show of hands – who remembers using Mod Podge for an exciting decoupage project as a child? (Gold leaf optional.) Well, AlterKnits has a clever grown-up take on that childhood decoupage using your yarn labels. Anyone remember Boobzilla? (One of the pictures in that post is messed up – click on it to see the larger, not messed up picture.) Boobzilla was purchased for the AlterKnits decoupage project, but I decided that she was too curvy for the yarn labels I have and I picked up a book-shaped box instead.
So last Wednesday, Jeanne came over with plenty of newspaper, Mod Podge, a box, and her yarn labels. As usual, we were so not prepared for the amount of work involved.
Wine purists might want to brace themselves – we had to switch to plastic glasses for our pinot noir (upper right, above), due to the amount of gooey glue coating our hands.
Here’s Jeanne, very focused on decoupaging (with our original “wine glasses” – I go with funky pottery that can’t be easily tipped over by a cat):
After much whining and a bit of cussing and a great deal of fussing about why I hadn’t saved certain particularly lovely yarn labels, I ended up with this:
Verdict: More work than we expected, but we were pleased with the final products. Layering is critical. Must keep saving yarn labels…
So where was Chaos during all of this? Fortunately, he was prevented from jumping on the table into a plate of glue. Still, he felt thwarted, so he took it out on Jeanne’s felted bag. (Fun fact – I knitted and felted this bag for Jeanne long, long ago, from some of the first yarn I ever dyed.)
Mini-Chaos
I tie-dyed another onesie, this time in Project Spectrum purple. This was immersion dyed using Rit Purple and three rubber bands. My dye pot is black enamel, which makes it hard to tell when the dye is completely dissolved – hence the darker flecks.
front
back
RheLynn of KnitOwl sent me a wonderful package last week. She included a very cute button – hmm, wonder why she thought of me??
She also made a wonderfully cute and clever softie – go check out her Etsy store for more of her softies and art!. Allow me to present Chaos and his “mini-me“:
“What the…???!”
*sniff* “He sure is cute. His eyes are greener than mine. I hope Mom will still love me just as much.”
Not to worry, Chaos! Mini-Chaos is fabulously cute (he even has an embroidered black nose for authenticity), but he doesn’t purr or play fetch! Of course, he also doesn’t meow incessantly trying to will me to feed him 45 minutes early, either… Hmm.