Somedoggy Was Liking Xmas!

How's this for the Christmas spirit of anticipation?

I guess he is enjoying this present, courtesy of moi!

Christmas Bling Tree

Meowy Christmouse! Here's the tree that be-sapped Moomin. If you look closely you can see him under it. I'm on my way out to visit the parental units.

I call it the Bling Tree coz everything on is is gold, glittery, sparkley or crystally.

Hobbes enjoying a quiet moment under the tree. He's thankful Moomin is occupied with chomping someone else's hindparts.

PS: I had no idea, but the shape and size of the pics makes a tree shape, what a coininkidink.

Golden Sides of Several Coins

Coin #1:

Tarnished side: spent 20 minutes Sunday night looking for the stamps I knew I still had and did not find them. I found three old priced ones and a slew of old postcard stamps.

Golden side: didn't have to wait in line very long at the Post Office Monday morning despite a lot of people there bright and early, got my bills out on time, and got two new strips of stamps.

Unexpected bonus side: the stamps I was looking for turned up in my photograph folio while my hair stylist looked thru them in preparation for me showing my work at her salon.

Coin #2:

Tarnished side: not sleeping well lately.

Golden side: since I started taking Tumeric tablets, the lack of sleep has been considerably less of an issue. Although I am still not a morning person, I have actually been able to physically get out of bed and be awake shortly after my alarm clock goes off as opposed to a butt-draggin' cranky-ass that waits until the very last ever-lovin' minute to get up.

Unexpected bonus side: I'm not having cravings for junk food anymore, my appetite has decreased, I'm satisfied with smaller helpings of sweets, and have lost about 5 pounds since starting the Tumeric.

Coin #3:

Tarnished side: forgot to turn my bathroom dehumidifier off Monday morning and it ran constantly on high at the 7 setting for over 8 hours.

Golden side: the bathroom was good and dry (and warm), the driest it's ever been which is great and the dehumidifier seems to be fine.

Unexpected bonus side: my house is still here.

Coin #4:

Tarnished side: PMS is making my face break out.

Golden side: the zits are small and going away overnight with spot applications of powdered Tumeric mixed with real lemon juice and left on all night.

Unexpected bonus side: this potion seems to be making my brown spots and moles smaller and less prominent.

Coin #5:

Tarnished side: tonight Doodle yarfed up her entire dinner - multiple times - and she's going to be up-my-butt affectionate and a sink-drain surfer until she's fed her bedtime snack. And here she comes now.

Golden side: her dinner was colorless which made cleaning up the fabric surfaces she yarfed on easy and stain-free.

Unexpected bonus side: at least she doesn't have the big D.

Bonus, ChexMix, and Yankee Swap - Oh My!

I cashed my holiday bonus yesterday morning. It's now residing in a bank envelope waiting for me to decide what frivolous non-essential fun item I want to purchase just for myself. Last year I didn't figure out what I wanted until almost March. I'm not in any hurry.

I made ChexMix for the very first time yesterday after dogsitting. It was way easier than I thought and I will be ramping up the butter, Wsauce, and seasonings next time. Just a little too mild right now, good, but I like more oomph. I was invited to a Christmas party and asked to bring an appetizer so I came bearing my ChexMix.

I also had to bring a "gently used household item" wrapped up for a gift for the Yankee Swap. I've never done a Yankee Swap before or regifted something I've used, so this was a new one on me. My gift was a Swiffer Carpet Flick. I got it because I thought it would cut down on my vacuuming but with all the litter the kittos scatter around my house, the Flick's adhesive strip would be full after 2-3 swipes across the carpet. I dusted it off, took it apart, and put it back in it's original box and packaging - hey, what can I say, I save boxes/pkging until I'm sure whatever I've purchased is a definite keeper, so I'm a little anal retentive, yes I kept the Flick's pkging for two years, and look how it came in handy and was needed after all.

So we all got to pick numbers, there were 22 gifts and I got #18. Each person went in order, picked a gift from under the tree, opened it, and then made an executive decision to keep or swap with anyone who already had a gift. Some of the gifts: mirrored tray, candles, inflatable mini snow globe, my Swiffer, bath products, cat bowl with belled lid, VHS movies, DVD movies, a printer (that one was the funniest), and a huge box that had a mini yard sale in it (books, jacket for kid, men's jeans, Ikea seahorse light, and plastic yard twirling ribbons). Until it was my turn, I was thinking whatever I got I would swap for the inflatable snow globe coz I thought my dad would like it, he loves that kind of thing. But my gift had two glittery ornaments, dark chocolate pomegranate seeds, Belgian chocolate minis, and sterling silver plated earrings. Dad lost out to sparkley and chocolatey. Sorry Dad!

Much humor and laughter. My friend L (it was her friends' party) ended up swapping to get the Flick. The printer will most likely come back next year as does the Fugly Santa Doll that has been swapped for 10 years and looks certifiable it's that scary looking.

Today, because yesterday was so busy (nice but not much time for reading), I will be curled up with my heat-deprived cats reading short story anthologies of Christmas crimes and murders. I have 4 of them plus a "More Holmes for the Holidays" anthology which has different authors offering up holiday cheer and mayhem that is Sherlock-related. I plan on not moving an inch, well, just to go pee but then right back to the warm cozy book/cat-lined nest.

Home Holiday Emergency Surgery of Sorts

Apparently at some point during the still cold night when all the creatures were supposed to not be stirring, Moomin decided to love on the Christmas tree. And the tree gifted him with a good dollop of sap.

I did not know this until after the furry folk had their breakfast and were each busily huddled around their own hot air registers washing faces and paws whilst sending me urgent telepathic messages to keep the heat coming. I was sending verbal messages back that they have fur coats and to stop acting like I'm a penny-pinching-thrifty-assed mother. (I may be when it comes to me but not them, I pay for all their food, vet visits, litter, and toy/catnip habits).

So I picked up Moo to hug and kiss him all over his warm softy goodness when I did the typical cat-mom thing and cleaned his eye boogers. One booger refused to come off and was below his eye. Odd.

On closer examination, I discovered the wad of sap clumping the fur under his eye together creating a nice hurty mat. Caternal instincts to the fore! Hot water! Paper towel! Flea comb (coz it's very fine toothed)! To work!

Nothing, that sap refused to budge. I'll give Moomin credit, throughout the initial sap-removing phase he was a gem - passive, relaxed, tolerant, let me scrub and pull and comb and wash rinse repeat many times.

Then I realized I needed to do way more. Personal shaver? no, he wouldn't sit still for that, the noise would send him flying out of my arms and avoiding me for a long time. Scissors? yes, but oh did that idea make my heart and hands sweat. So close to his eye, no room for error.

But that's what I did. Moomin stayed physically still for this part of the operation but he expressed verbal protest through growling. I tried to lovingly reassure him but he wasn't having any of it. Finally I sternly asked his unhappy ass if he wanted to go to the vet. He stopped growling immediately and I was able to get a very close cut, almost a shave.

Operation accomplished. All the sap removed. Along with fur. I told Moomin his bald spot makes him look distinguished. He's disgusted with the whole situation.

Very merry holiday home surgery!

After Turkey Day Bliss

Thanksgiving holiday we all had something we loved and are thankful for:

• Riley had two woodsy walks on Turkey Day and a playdate on Saturday.
• I had four days of reading, rest, and relaxation.
• Dad had two major platefuls of turkey + all the fixin's (with accompanying tummy issues) and lots of napping.
• Mom had bread and wine and Scrabble.

"Take Charge" Sophie and big piece of wood. What more could Riley ask for other than turkey dinner droppings on the floor?