Hear ye, Hear ye!

Brian took Teddy to the vet this a.m. He received a clean bill of health and a flea treatment. He was a very good boy and didn't even say a peep when getting his shots or blood drawn. They said he's about 9 months old.

He's booked for a Petraits photo session this Saturday. I'm going to schedule his neutering surgery for early next week. I hope these are all signs he's on the fast track to his forever home. We'd love to keep him, but our space is pretty limited right now.

I didn't mention this in my earlier post, but Teddy has a brother. A very shy, independent brother who won't come near us, even for food! We'll keep working on him. I feel guilty for separating them, but I really don't think it's fair for Teddy to stay out in the cold and snow with no guarantee that we'll be able to win over his brother. :(

Getting along swimmingly

Reading back, I realize that I never documented the fact that Fritz is getting along really well with Johnny and Katie. He gets along with and even has friendly sparring matches with Johnny in a 'clash of the Titans' sort of way.



And he and Katie have more in common than she would like to admit. They both like to drink water from the sink and will wait patiently in line while the other finishes drinking before jumping up. And they are often sleeping close together as a result of Fritz following her and Katie pretending she has no idea he's there. It's sweet. And just the other day, they were eating and drinking together looking like they were riding on a school bus.

Newest Starfish

Our neighborhood, unfortunately, has quite a few cats running around. And, unfortunately again, not the kind with homes. For the past couple of months, I have been building up trust with one of them. Yes, the food kind of trust, but so what? He's a long and skinny, people-loving boy I've been calling Little Blackie. I think he's 9-12 months old. We'll find out more tomorrow.



We brought him inside Monday night. It was time (and freezing outside). He's so happy to have a nice bed and food/water! Now, we just need to find him a wonderful home by Christmas!

We've come to find that he's a HUGE snuggler of a boy. Everytime you go into the bathroom to visit him, he jumps on your lap and just melts into you, resting his head on your arm, purring like crazy and 'milking' with his paws. So, his new name is Teddy Cat.

Fritz, is there a kitty in there?



(Note: the laundry basket is there because Fritz likes to bang on the door trying to open it. This stopped him. I think Teddy appreciates it. Thanks, Deb and Steve, for the nice new towels. Teddy has one and loves to sleep on it!)

He goes to the vet tomorrow morning. My fingers are crossed that he's healthy. Next step: getting his picture taken by Sheri!

You don't have a kitty aquarium?

Sorry for the long blogging hiatus. I hope to make up for my absence with some fun photos from the last month.

We moved! Here's a photo of Fritz, Johnny and Katie all "packed up" for the move and a little curious as to what in the world was going on...



Highlights from the move:



The moving truck's battery died. Unsuccessful attempts were made to jump it with our car. A quick trip to Autozone by Brian and the head mover resulted in a little more time for me to do some last-minute packing and a new battery for the truck.

Once at the new place, we are told that the ceilings of the stairway are too low to accomodate our less-than-a-year-old couch. It ended up having to be hoisted up 1/2 a story to a window in the enclosed back staircase, carried up a flight of stairs, then brought in through a window in our hallway. The movers did not even charge extra due to the earlier delay. Here it is:



The cats have enjoyed exploring and finding new favorite spots in the new place. It doesn't have the extreme close-up bird and squirrel-watching we enjoyed at our old place, so we'll have to work on attracting some wildlife out front. Our neighbors are going to love us! ;)

After we moved in, we quickly realized that the place has one very unique attribute. Our second bedroom does not have a window to the outside. So, they installed a window above the kitchen cabinets to let a little light through. Bonus: It also functions as a cat aquarium for those inside the second bedroom, as the cats can jump on top of the cabinets from the refrigerator!

The cat aquarium featuring Kiki (we haven't done much with the room yet, it's the last frontier):



Cat aquarium, behind the scenes:



It's pretty fun! All three have spent time on display.

And now for some random photos:

Here's King Johnny, in one of his favorite positions:


Johnny and Fritz spending some quality tabby time together:



And handsome Mr. Fritz, who has recently discovered the joys of drinking water from the sink.



Hope you enjoyed!

42 things you may or may not have known about me ...

I have done the things listed below in bold. Feel free to copy this exercise for your own blog. I found it on someone else's myself.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped (not bungee, but in high school I conquered the SkyCoaster)
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (I’ve watched from land)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29 Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33 Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41 Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45 Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60 Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64 Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66 Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67 Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone (toes and maybe a finger, no casts)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79 Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Mia

1/6 Update: Mia has found a foster home. She will soon be out of the boarding facility where she's been the last couple of months. This should bring up her spirits. Let's hope she finds her forever family soon. Hooray for a foster family though!

*********

I heard about Mia through a Petraits email. Then I visited her blog. She's a two-year-old, 45-pound Boxer/Am Staff-mix who needs a loving home.

Mia lost her home when her 27-year-old owner died suddenly a couple months ago. Her human mom was a public school teacher, a PAWS Chicago volunteer and a huge animal lover who found Mia as a stray and took her home. Mia is now an energetic, house-trained girl with professional training. She comes with her own crate and loves showing you her tricks (sit, stay, heel, and dance like a princess!).

Click here for more specific information about Mia.

Please share this information with anyone who might like to meet Mia.

Easy herbs

I interrupt my animal posts for an exciting post about GARLIC. I found a new little cooking treasure. Little freezer trays of crushed garlic cubes. They are so easy to use! Just pop one or two out of the tray and voila! They are made by Dorot and can be found at Trader Joe's in the frozen food aisle. For $1.99!

It cracks me up when commercials include the specifics of where you should find something. "You can find our fabulous soup in the the soup aisle of many fine retailers." Wow, really? I think that time and money could have been spent a little more wisely.

Back to garlic! All Dorot herbs are freshly frozen and retain their natural flavor and aroma. They are the real thing. No preservatives. No cholesterol. No trans fat acids. No food coloring.

The company also offers:

Crushed Ginger
Chopped Basil
Chopped Parsley
Chopped Coriander (Cilantro)
Chopped Dill
Chopped Mint
Chopped Red Chili Peppers

I am not (opposed to) receiving compensation for providing this message.