Live from the Katnip Lounge, The Kat Pack!

Starring: The Baby *Tiny Johnson * Felix * Rupert * Scouty * CC * Sweet Pea * Maui * May Ling * Salem

and...*Angels Grayce, KonaKitty, and Sylvester* always loved, never forgotten




Monday, October 14, 2013

What Sheebie Did on Her Summer Vacation

Friends and Kitties!


A verreh relaxed Sheebie here.

First off, if you ever have the opportunity to take an e-cation I highly recommend it!  I only looked at my phone for email and to skim blogs (gotta keep up wit alla youse) for about a half hour each day, and watched a bit of TV (Da Bears, Survivor, and Big Bang Theory).  The laptop stayed firmly shut.  I do admit to reading several books on my Kindle...but I read some bound books, too, so cut me some slack.  The majority of my electronic interaction was rousting the lazy slow twitch fibers in my muscles, to wit:

Yes indeedy, I'm back on my bike!  The knee feels great (except up really steep grades--nice excuse to walk and have a drink), and my left quads are at about 80% strength.  Descending stairs still is painful, but not physically difficult.  When I visited my folks (more on that later) Mom took me to two yoga classes which were fabulous, inspiring me to sign up through the City rec center for the next session starting in two weeks...during the MORNINGS!  Yep, you read that right, soonly I'm gonna be working afternoons--four days a week--WOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!  OK, it won't start until the end of December, but still.  I'm pretending that the next few weeks are merely an unpleasant, if pesky, prelude to a new, grand world of Sleeping Until Eight O'Clock Every Morning.  My new hours'll be 13:00 - 23:00 on the days where my attendance is required at the totally raw deal money-for-labor-exchange work (F, Sa, Su & M).

Back to cycling, I have a personal question--what's the best way to prevent rash in *ahem* certain areas?  I find that after an hour a certain amount of chafing occurs betwixt my greater glutes!  Quite distracting...any solutions?  Also, do any of you use an app for tracking your workouts?  I'm using the free version of Runtastic's Road Bike and so far I like it, but I'm open to suggestions.

The folks' first Selfies!
So I had a great visit with my Mom, Dad, and Shadow.  I haven't shared this until now but my Dad's prostate cancer recurred last spring and it was an emotional roller coaster for a while.  However, it looks as if he's got it licked--again--one more scan on his lung and he's in the clear.  His urologist said he expects my Dad to die from being run over by a bus before he expires from cancer...which struck me as morbidly, yet hilariously, reassuring.  They are both in fine fettle, Miss Shadow keeps 'em on their toes, chasing her throughout the house.  Kitties, expect to hear from her this week!

The Despot
I don't think Dad noticed it--but I played the Dessert Game with him, and even allowed him to win once...Mom's apple pie was just too damn good to dawdle over.  I did some cooking for the P's while I was there, I made a dairy-less potato soup for lunch(es) and sauteed shrimp with baked kabota squash and a warm bacon, mushroom, & spinach salad for dinner.  Mom said it was weird, getting kicked out of her own kitchen.  Also, that I'm a "vigorous" cook.  She's so nice...what she meant was messy, although I do clean up after myself I have a tendency to fling peelings, etc everywhere while I cook.  In my defense, the Potato Paring Incident was a result of a faulty peeler, which was resolved during a shopping expedition.  (Always blame the tool, not the fool.)

We went out for a scrumptious lunch at a favorite restaurant:
I ate it ALL.
where I had a pork fritter with sauteed spinach and mushrooms that was so good that when I got home I recreated it for Scott and he loved it too.  Since I broke my knee I've been eating a little more meat and I have to admit I feel less tired.  We have settled into a nice compromise of  moderate flesh consumption; more as a flavoring and condiment than as a main for every meal.  Scott fantasizes about a big juicy steak but he knows if he got one, he'd eat a couple bites and be done...and tear into the salad instead!  Funny how one's taste can change.

Mom and Dad took me to see a performance at their local live theater, and it was so much fun--it was the kind of performance where the audience gets to cheer the hero and boo the villain, and I've been promised another play the next time I visit!  The troupe was superb, and the venue was great, too; small tables (with complimentary bowls of popcorn!!), great lines of vision, and waitstaff in costume in the theme of the play.  Even a piano player, who before the show played old standards for everybody to sing along with.



After six great days visiting I went home where, with the exception of riding and hiking, I was a complete and utter sloth for nine more days.  It was glorious!  This was the first time in twelve years that I've taken two consecutive weeks off work, and it was the Cat's Pajamas.  I'll be doing it again next year, that's for sure.  The Horde spent many happy hours with me, happily buzzing away on my lap while I read (and napped) on the Catio--the weather was perfect and I think some days I only went inside to get a fresh cuppa coffee.  Rupert in particular has become a complete Lap Fungus, dribbling copiously and clawtooing my hide every time I sat on the sofa; in fact I'm typing around him right now.

So naturally, I'm bursting with cat stories to tell...the Heinous Flypaper Assault springs to mind, but that's for another day...

It's nice to go away, but it's nice to be "home", too.  I missed y'all.

Happy Monday, and have a Happy Week!

XX  Sheebie  XX







48 comments:

  1. Sounds like you had the purrfect vacation :)
    Just like it should be!!
    Purrs Tillie and Georgia,
    Treasure,Tiger, JJ and Julie
    and mom.

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  2. Not that I ride a bike...but my mom says that good bike shorts with padding is a must...AND you have to find the right seat. Mom has been through so many...but you can't have a seat that is too squishy. Mom has used Map My Ride but only sometimes because it eats her data plan like crazy.

    xoxo and purrs,

    Cory

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  3. That sounds like a GREAT vacation! And we are so glad to hear the good news about your dad. :)

    What kind of seat do you have on your bike? Maybe you could get a gel seat?

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  4. That sounds like an absolutely fabulous vacation! Welcome back :)

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  5. How wonderful! Isn't it nice to turn the computer off for awhile? I've been doing that more and more lately, and while I miss everyone, it is just divine to disconnect every now and then.

    I'm glad you had such a nice visit with your mom and dad, but like the kitties, we are glad to have you back!

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  6. Well, gosh. All that blah blah blah blah Shadow blah blah blah RuPaul blah blah blah. The pictures were cool. And the butt rash is pretty entertaining. Maybe there's some kind of Human ringworm salve or sumfing?

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  7. We missed you loads but are delighted to read the update. Paws crossed for your Dad. Majorly.

    No help with the chafing here but Äiti totally recommends Runkeeper as an app - not just for running though of course. She simply walks (waddles) and it tracks routes, speeds etc. And it links up to her gadget 'Fitbit vlex' which is a pedometer. She love sit. And then that all links up with a food logging app etc etc.

    And we are ignoring all the recommendations for an e-cation!

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  8. Cornstarch?
    Glad you had such a lovely vacation.
    It's nice to do nothing for a period of time.
    welcome back!

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  9. Because my human's MacBook Pro has gotten so buggy (she is due to replace it as soon as Apple updates), she has to turn off her browser when she works in Photoshop... that's about as much vacation as she can stand! She is probably going to die in front of that thing when the time comes. She is not as smart as you.

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  10. Missed you so - glad to hear you've had a wonderful two weeks of relaxing - makes you envy those retired friends doesn't it?

    I'll email you some info on an anti- chafing product that I get from Drugstore.com

    Also glad to hear your Dad is OK.

    XOX T.

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  11. Glorious mum of Katnip Lounge kitties!! What a holiday! What adventures!! As for chaffing - vaseline? It's a kind of petroleum jelly! Ahem!

    Awwww so glad to read your dad is doing great!

    Glad you are back in blogworld too!

    Take care
    x

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  12. Sounds like a completely fantastic vacation! I'm all for disengaging from the cyber world. :-)

    Glad your knee is so much better.

    As for the chafing...Oh, I saw a piece on a Canadian talk show (Steven & Chris) just the other week. It was coconut oil mixed with...Arrrgh, can't remember. If I find it, I'll send it to you. :-)

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  13. Welcome back! Your vacation sounds wonderful AND probably needs some discipline to make it work (no internet? That's going to be hard!).

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  14. Wow, you were busy on your lazy vacation, lol! But it sounds like you had a great time! And I'm sure the kitties appreciated all the lap time!

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  15. It sounds heaven and now I am starrrrrrrrrrving!

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  16. That sounds like a great vacation. We're so glad to hear that your Dad is doing so well! We aren't sure about the rash thing. We know some runners who swears by bodyglide, but we aren't sure if that is for glutes or not.

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  17. Vacations are da bomb! I don't bring my computer on my cruises, although I do bring my iPad mini- which has NO data plan, just wifi, which I do not buy on the ship -and is used strictly for my Kindle app. My iPhone came along, too, but strictly for photo taking. Did I miss being connected to the world electronically for 9 days? Nope. Not at all!

    So glad your Dad is doing well!!

    Welcome back!

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  18. Sounds like Sheebie had a great vacation and we are so happy for her, that is for sure. Lots of R and R. Take care.

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  19. glad to hear you had a great vacation. i betcha it was even better when they voted that evil culpepper out of his tribe on survivor.

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  20. YAY FOR SHEEBIE BEING KIND TO YOURSELF IS MOST IMPORTANT.
    GREAT NEWS ON YOUR SWEET DAD...I THINK I HAS A WHIFF OF YOUR MOM'S APPLE PIE WAY OVER HERE IN NC
    HUGS MOM AND mADI

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  21. Wow sounds like you had such a wonderful time! The pork flitter looks very yummy. How nice you could recreate so Scott can enjoy it, too :-)

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  22. Thrilled to hear you had such a lovely holiday!!! Glad you are taking yoga classes it is such a great discipline with so many benefits both mentally and physically :-)

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  23. So glad to hear you had a great vacation, but we're glad you're back in the cyber world with us.

    We can't wait to hear all the kitteh stories! Happy Monday!

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  24. That was sure a busy vacation! Hey, a little flea powder might help that rash!

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  25. Sounds like a wonderful vacation, good food, good company, and time to hang out with the cats!

    Glad to hear your knee and your dad are doing well. Looking forward to the stories of Shadow.

    I'm a morning person so the late shift makes me shudder. Glad you'll like it though!

    Have a wonderful week!

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  26. glad yur mom hada grate vacayshunz guys...we noe everee one at de lounge be way happee ta see her bak, home, N chillaxin with ewe...meowloz shadow

    pleez ta tell yur mom while we haz knot seen de food serviss gurl ona bike in de hole oh trout towne yeerz...her bee a walker...that yur mom shuld get those kinda pants//shorts that stick ta yur skins like de girdlez frum de olden days...her canna rememburr rite off her brain who makes em, they iz grate...got em at Kohl's...knot two tight but keepz stuff frum swish swayin ta gether

    all sew chek out theeze apps for her bike ridin days !!

    http://ipod.about.com/od/bestiphoneapps/tp/5-Great-Gps-Cycling-Apps-For-Iphone.htm

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  27. Sounds like a grreat vaccation to my human !
    XOXO

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  28. you have been missed and glad that all is ok!
    Glad you had a great vacation!
    What about powder for the chafing?

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  29. Sounds absolutely purrfect and the food has me salivating and I'm about to go to bed (The Staff that is, not Austin. He just drools!). You were missed big time!!! :)

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  30. First to the cycling. Do you wear padded cycling shorts? A must; especially when you really old like Mom is. Also, a good chamois cream helps. She's just smears it liberally right on her skin. You can get some at your local bike store or on-line at Performance or Bike Nashbar, etc. The humans have been riding a tandem for 14 years since Mom has no independent balance. In the winter and early spring (when they can ride), they do about 22 miles. In spring, summer and early fall, they ride 36 miles a day everyday that the weather allows. So the padded shorts and cream are truly necessary. Almost forgot, they use Cyclometer on their smart phones to record their rides. It gives, distance, average speed, speed, calories burned and some other stuff.

    They also use meat as a condiment. When Dad isn't home, Mom will cut it out totally.

    Concats on going to a four-day work week. We know the kitties will love that. Now that we have written you a short book, we will sign off and address other items in future comments. Purrs and hugs, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

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  31. What a purrfect holiday!!! My human is just a tad (no, mes better say aLOT) envious. But wes so furry happy yous had a good time!
    Kisses
    nellie

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  32. You always make doing nothin sound so delightful. Glad you had a great time off!

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  33. WELCOME BAAAAACK!
    Sounds like you had a GLORIOUS time - yay for you! And yaaay for the 4 day AFTERNOON schedule!

    And, oh do we have a fab (non-cat-related) flypaper story. It involves a celebrity, a camera crew and our mom's assistant - MOL!!

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  34. Welcome back! Looks like a wonderful way to enjoy two weeks off! Great news about your dad too!

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  35. So much news! Can't wait to hear the specifics!

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  36. Oh a digital detox vacay sounds like a dream! I'm dreaming of one desperately. I'm looking forward to hearing more deets.

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  37. Miss Sheebie! Welcome back! The mom is just a teensy bit jealous of your e-vacation. She thinks it's a great idea to unplug occasionally...though she's so hopelessly addicted to her ipad, she doesn't think she could ever do it herself without going through some pain. :)

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  38. Whoa! Sounds like a great time for humans. I, myself, don't think I would've cared for the play. Glad you had fun.

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  39. Welcome Home! Sounds like you had a lot of stuff going on there.

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  40. I haven't been riding my bike for over a year, on account of arthritis in my right hand and wrist - the pounding from the handlebars is too painful. Sounds as if some of the other cats here have some good suggestions about the rash.
    Your vacation sounds fab. It's really good to spend quality time with your pawrents as much as possible. Mine are gone now, and I wish I had spent more time with them when they were both healthy. I DID cook for them whenever I visited, which we all enjoyed.
    Time spent at home with your furry sons and daughters is always time well spent!

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  41. What a fun vacation that sounded to be. Your Mom, Dad and Shadow look great. I would have eaten all that food too it looks and sounds delicious. So happy to hear your knee is good and you are back to riding. You were missed but we are happy for you getting to have such a nice time. Hugs

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  42. Wow, your e-cation sounds just fabulous and that food looked amazing! Glad you had such a wonderful 2 weeks, that is awesome!

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  43. Glad to read that you had a good time and that there are some good news.
    Couldn't one of the kitties give you private yoga lessons though?
    =^.^=

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  44. Glad to hear your Dad's prostate cancer is under control!!

    I have a Garmin 310 XT running/biking watch, My workouts are uploaded to the MyGarmin site, and i love it!

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Oh Boy...this is gonna be GREAT!