A New Creature

Kitties!

First toads, and now this:

A Mojave Desert Scorpion!

Mommy is working on expanding faith in her body.  She is so chuffed with this pose; she has major willies about a) balancing on her arms, and b) back bends, so this is a big move forward for her practice.  She says it is amazing how achieving something unexpected physically also breaks down mental barriers.

We're gonna be off line until July 1--Mommy is traveling back to her home town in Illinois for the first time in sixteen years.  Daddy will spoil us rotten so don't worry about us!  

If you are so inclined, you can follow Mommy's exploits on Facebook...no telling what sort of crazypants mischief she'll get up to without us snoopervising her.  

*sheesh*

Happy Thursday!

XX  The Katnip Lounge  XX

Ciao For Now!

Kitties!

The Baby here.

For the first time in nearly a decade, Mommy and Daddy are taking a vacation, together!  Our Auntie Barbara has kindly agreed to fly in from Chicago and kowtow to our every demand catsit us (and the house) while the peeps jet off to Hawaii for a week.  Previously one peep or the other has always stayed home to wait on us, but this year all the stars were in the proper alignment for a dual holiday--in spite of Daddy's constant mishaps--thanks to our intrepid Auntie B who loves us to bits (for now) and who can work wherever there's wifi.  

Auntie B *may* blog for us...so we might not go completely incommuniCATo, but you know how inept humans so and we don't make any promises!  OUR whims needs come first.  And we have a lot of those... 

Purrsonally, I expect to be spoilt mercilessly.

We'll be back to blogging in two weeks--and in the meanwhile, you can see what hijinks the peeps are getting up to up to on Mommy's FaceBook page.

Happy Caturday!

XX  The Baby  XX

Maudlin Monday

Kitties!

Look what appeared in our kitchen by magic after Mommy went to the store:

PRIME RIB ROAST.

We are having company for New Year's Eve and this glorious item is dinner.

The night before that is home-made lasagna (Daddy's specialty, everything from scratch), and the night before that is a smoked turkey!

The peeps have been on a wild cooking bender and this week we will reap the rewards...although we do admit to sampling the turkey already; Quality Control is paramount here at Casa de Lounge.

So why is this post Maudlin Monday?

Because we're gonna take a few days off--it's OK, Mommy filled out the correct paperwork (in triplicate) and obtained the proper passes and vouchers to do so--and enjoy our guests.  They are fun people; Barb and Ellen have been here many times and know all of us.  They have Feline Overlords too so they're on board with obeying our every whim.  We're looking forward to being spoiled like we've never been spoiled before...

We'll be back next weekend with lots and lots of stories, we're sure!

Happy Monday,

and

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

XX  The Katnip Lounge  XX

About Time

Friends and Kitties!

Sheebie here.

I have to apologize for the extended blogcation...I just sorta kinda turned off all my devices (even my e-reader!) for over a week and I'm here to tell you, it was nice.  We had long-time comfortable friends to stay (for longer than expected--good times), cooked and consumed much food, napped, and talked.

Practiced having fun.  But now it's back to the grind.

However, I've decided on a new word for 2015:

I'm going to slow down, and take my Word for 2014--content--a little further.

This year's Word is "Savor".

Life, food, relationships, moments.

Wish me luck...

Happy Sunday!

XX  Sheebie  XX

pee ess:  The Horde will be back on Monday!

Sunday Solstice

Kitties!

Today is the Winter Solstice.

Soon, the long shadows will shorten as the days lengthen, and the Sun will rise high in the sky.

Soon, the stunning heat will return.

As will we...

We are having company over the holidays, so our posts will be sporadic until after the New Year.  We'll be around here and there--the Catmas Costumes have been spotted so we imagine there's some sort of Holiday Humiliation post brewing in Mommy's evil mind--wish us luck, avoiding that!

See you all again, SOON!

Happy Sunday!

XX  The Katnip Lounge  XX

We're Alive...

Just taking a little break!

Mommy's REALLY gotten into her staycation.  Much napping, baking, cooking, reading, walking, yoga, and spoiling of cats happening on a daily basis.

No housework.

No projects.

No stress.

We will return soonly.

In the meantime here's a gratuitous KonaKitteh picture:

Happy Sunday!

XX  The Lazy Loungers  XX

Hear Ye, Hear Ye...The Kats are BACK!

Kitties!

KonaKitty here.

AFTER AN EXCRUCIATINGLY TORTUOUS much needed THREE-WEEK HIATUS WE ARE BACK TO BLOGGING!

WE WILL RESUME COMMENTING THIS WEEKEND!  or Mommy will pay dearly.

WE HAVE MISSED ALL OF YOU TERRIBLY!

MOMMY OWES MANY OF YOU THANK-YOU LETTERS ON THE BABY'S BEHALF* AND SHE WILL DO THAT (as well) OVER THE WEEKEND!

That is all.

Happy Thursday!

XX  KonaKitty  XX

*Friends, I am everso grateful (and touched) by the participation in the auction for The Baby's vet bills--both bidders and donators--she is doing really well, running around the house like a madcat, playing with toys, and bossing the rest of the Horde (and us) around just like old times.  As of this writing she and Scott are having a rousing wrassling session on the cat tree...with a side dish of sass!   Thank you,  Trish, Scott and The Baby  xx

AUCTION

Caturday Housekeeping

Kitties!

The Mommy here.

First off:  There's been a new computer control system installed where I work that went live last week.  I do the lion's share of commenting and blogging while I monitor the system (I love my job), but I'm going to have to actually work the next couple of weeks while all the kinks are getting ironed out.  Which means that Teh Kats' presence in the CB is gonna be virtually non-existent sparse for a bit.  Stupid updated programming, wreaking havoc on my purrsonal life!

Secondly, I'd like to get an approximate head count for the meet-n-greet at BlogPaws with GJ's Mum and Dad so I can reserve space for a get together.  The two restaurants at the hotel are rather pricey, so I thought perhaps we could do something else--there's a cabana bar by the pool that does drinks, burgers and pizza that's pretty tasty--plus we can all roil around and not have to sit at a table and act like adults.  Can you leave me a comment or message me if you are going to be there?  Thanks.

Thirdly, the Rhino Returneth:

You guys are a terrible influence on me...

Happy Caturday, Y'all!

XX  Mommy Trish  XX

Easing into Our Routine

Kitties!

We are BACK!!!

Mommy had an excellent vacation and a fun time visiting with Shadow (video later this week) but enough is enough...it's time to blog again.

Many of you were concerned about our welfare while Mommy was gone--food and scoop-wise.  Fear not, pals--just look at all the stinky goodness that arrived before she left!

THREE great big boxes, from which we were fed in a timely manner.  

And...um...well...later?  Well, you know Daddy is Cap'n Scoop around here!  So no worries* about either end.  

Come to think of it, Daddy may be even better than Mommy...after all he keeps a string toy in his desk drawer just for us...

We managed to keep occupied:

It was overcast and drizzly a couple of days so the heaty pad on the sofa was a popular hangout.  Check out the cozy blankets on the sofa to catch cat fur Mommy placed expressly for our comfort.  Nice.

OK, maybe she is OK, after all.

Much snuggling happened...

...as did the inevitable photobomb!

So we're back to the same-old same-old, which, considering how much we cats detest change, is a Good Thing.

Happy Monday!

XX  The Lounge Kats  XX

*The new litterpools?  ACE!!!

At Last!

Kitties!!!

♫ ♪ ♫ Happy Days are here again

the sand is in the box again

the whizz is flowing free again

Happy Days are here again! ♪ ♫ ♪

HURRAH!!!

Kitties, Mommy is leaving to go visit Shadow (and her peeps) tomorrow; so we can't make any promises about posting.  Hopefully, Shadow will keep Mommy whipped in shape and she'll do some remote reporting...paws crossed!  If not, we'll see you again next Monday!

Happy Monday, and have a Great Week!

XX  The Very Relieved Lounge Kats  XX

Sheebie at Sunset

Friends and Kitties!

I saw a gorgeous sunset the other night when I was at work.

I find working evenings is very soothing.

I've noticed around the blogs I read that people still make New Year's Resolutions--sometimes just one word or a single idea to pursue.

I've decided that my word this year is going to be "Content".  I'm going to concentrate on enjoying what I have, right here right now.

Like this sunset.

We're having company next week, so I'll be taking some time off--see you in 2014!

Happy Sunday, and Happy New Year!!

XX  Sheebie  XX

Things are Moving Along.

Pssssssssssssssst!

Rupert!

What, Scout?

Both the peeps are sleeping...pass it on!

Thanks for all your purrs, friends!  Mommy is almost completely recovered from the purge-n-scourge A.K.A. Mister Gastroenteritis, and after Daddy made Teh Terrible Noises in the little room (and then slept all afternoon), well, things are getting back to normal (or a reasonable facsimile) here at The Lounge.  Much laundry was done today, to our delight, so we all have fresh sheets and blankies on our beds--no more of that skanky sweaty human stink to put up with.  

Oh, and on Wednesday we got TWO breakfasts!

Nothing like bleary-eyed dehydrated humans to swindle an extra meal out of...and yes we know that's a terribly constructed sentence but just deal with it.

We're gonna take a long weekend, so we'll see you on Monday!

Happy Thursday!

XX  Rupert and Scouty  XX

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

Wednesday in the Garden with The Baby

Kitties!

::meow::

The Baby here.

Do you see me? 

Ta Daa!!!  Here I am!

I was hunting lizards in the Lantana.

Come with me on down to the other end of the yard, I want to show you what Daddy did earlier this week. 

He put in a Fall vegetable garden!

Here in the desert it's possible to get a second crop of veggies, so Daddy planted kale, butter lettuce, tomatoes, purple bell peppers...and catnip, of course.  This is the first year he's tried this...he and Mommy are excited to see what's gonna grow--Mommy is dreaming about fresh organic salads already.

I think everything is growing pretty well.

Now I have other, more important Catly things to do!

Like nap under the arborvitae while Mommy has a cuppa joe and reads her book. 

But first, I need some pets...

Kitties, we have an announcement:  Mommy is OFF WORK for the next sixteen days, and she has declared a sporadic blogcation!  We said it was OK, just this one time...possibly we were bribed just a tiny bit by the thought of all the extra lap and play time.  (Not that they'd ever admit to it--ed)  Mommy will be zipping down to Tucson to see Shadow and the Grandpawrents, so expect a post or two from the Remote Catio...and who knows what else...with our Mommy anything could happen!

In the meanwhile we'll be lurking around here and there, and back in business by October 14, if not before--see ya then!

Happy Monday!

XX  The Baby  XX

Sheebcation!

Friends and Kitties!

Sheebie here.

Quite unexpectedly I had a mini-vacation last week, on the spur of the moment I took two days off along with my weekend for a four day extravaganza of busyness and sloth!  Many small errands and chores were accomplished, as well as a couple of naps (with cats, of course) and daily read-a-thons;* I plowed through three books.

We're back to sticky monsoon weather but this go-round hasn't been quite so hot.  I was outdoors today at work doing the 100-meter mosey out to the filters and I was sort of chilly in the wind--it was only 85 F and I had goosebumps!  I've decided that anything below body temperature is too cold.  We've gotten only a quarter inch of rain this summer for our corner of the valley, and so far this monsoon has been a bust.  I'm not complaining though, some areas got such severe wind, rain, and hail that giant trees got uprooted!  It's amazing, all the various microclimates around the valley.  One of the fun things to do at work (besides actual labor--anything but that!) is comparing weather notes with co-workers--even two miles away there's completely different weather during the "rainy" season.

At least I have something to do indoors for the next week while I'm avoiding the sticky weather; the Yearly Harvest at Almosta Farm has begun!  Scott got his plants in early this year and they are ready to be trimmed and dried.  Like tobacco, marijuana improves in taste and potency with curing, properly done it can take up to three months to completely cure an entire plant's yield.  There's skill involved in trimming buds too, and patience to remove all the chaff (keif) without over-handling the flowers.  Nevada finally passed legislation to allow dispensaries for medical marijuana to operate and it will be nice to not have to worry all summer if Scott will have a good harvest or not, that there will be a back-up available.  Especially since his appointment with the pain management doctor quack was a total bust.  Frankly, the man was an arrogant asshole...but that's a story for another day.

Anyhoo, I expect to be pretty occupied after work for the next week or so, so please don't panic if you don't see a Katnip post every day...hopefully I won't be too busy at work to get around a do a bit of visiting, *wink wink*!

Happy Sunday, and have a Wonderful Week!

XX  Sheebie  XX

*Thank you Quill and Greyson's Mommy, for Lindsey's Story, I enjoyed it lots!  Also Thanks to Pricilla's Publicist for the TBR pile to dive into...two more winners!

Sunday with Sheebie--Old Fart Edition

Friends and Kittehs!

Sheebie here, at last.

I took some time off blogging for my Half-Century Birthday, and a wonderful time was had by all--my parents, Scott, the cats, and most importantly, me!  Because it's all about me, really.  At least around my birthday.

I flew down to Tucson to visit my Mom and Dad and Shadow--who has turned out to be the most comically athletic cat--and got to be a kid again for four days.  It was totally relaxing.

Mom cooked some tasty seafood meals (and a bean soup that was a bum-burner, heh heh) and there was cake and coffee every afternoon.  Very civilized.  Of course there were desserts, too!  Dad and I did not officially compete in the Slowest Dessert Eating contest but secretly I was keeping score, and I won, every single time.  I admit, I may have had an edge because I asked for humongous servings.

Scott sent me a lovely floral arrangement.  I LOVE flowers!  Because of our elebenty-teen cats I can't have flowers at home so they were a real treat.  Shadow wasn't in the least bit interested (although the balloon intrigued her) so we didn't worry about the lilies. 

Mom baked me three TWO cakes!

One of them didn't bake right...for years Mom has used the same Angel food cake mix with nary a problem, but the past couple of cakes have poufed up uncontrollably, run over the pan and charred.  Ugly.  So...we decided to try the high altitude adjustment of adding cornstarch--they are at 3000 feet--which was an Epic FAIL.  As soon as she inverted the cake to cool it plopped out of the pan onto the counter, an unbaked mass of white goo.  Mom almost cried she was so mad!

Fortunately, I had the batter bowl as consolation.

While I pigged out, Dad and Mom convoed a back up plan, which was a second cake.  Yellow, with thick chocolate buttercream frosting. MMMMmmmmmmmm

My birthday was saved!

Of course, I was royally entertained as well as stuffed to the gills.  Mom took me shopping and I got a couple of pairs of pants at a boutique I like, some shirts at Kohls, and I went with both the Peeps to visit some friends of ours and see their new house, (which was gorgeous) and next-door neighbor Bill came over for dessert one evening and we had a lovely long visit.  We also hit a cool housewares store where Mom found a new cake pan, which led to--you guessed it--cake numero tres!  There was one Angel food cake mix left in the pantry and we decided to Take our Chances with one last try...

...which was a resounding success!

You should have seen us, sitting on the floor, peering through the oven window with a cookie sheet at the ready, waiting to catch any spillage.  It was hysterical.  

"Is it gonna go?"  

"I think it's OK"  

"Uh oh...the other side looks suspicious"  

"No, I think it's fine"

"Holy crap get the pan she's gonna blow!"

*scrambling*

The Inspector was, as usual, on duty.

When I got home I had a surprise waiting for me from Scott: 

He had pimped my ride made my car into a Hello Kitty edition!

I love it.

Mom and Dad gave me some money for achieving my advanced age (nice!) and I bought a KitchenAid mixer, which I have already used a bazillion times. 

OK, six times.

What is with my photographer?  Must he take such unflattering shots?  And what in the HELL was I doing?

Thank you!  I love my mixer.  

I also ordered some extra attachments, slicers and graters and such to support my mostly vegetarian lifestyle.

You-know-who got the box.

There's a TON of other stuff to tell y'all about related to this post, but I'll save some for next week.  Plus I have cool park photos; the lights are on!

Happy Sunday and have a Great Week!

XX  Sheebie  XX