All Quiet on the Kitty Front?

Things seem better tonight on the Kitty Front. Katja and Keiko appear to be talking to each other in the way cats do, and I haven't heard a growl yet. I'm supposed to keep them out of the bedroom so if the neighborhood cat shows up at the window Katja won't totally freak out again. I've had the bedroom door shut since I got home, but I'm not sure I can lock them out all night, though i'll try for their own harmony. I expect they will be digging at the door before long, but I shall force myself to be strong.

I did a short writing exercise, but I'm not as brave as Just Mike to share it with all of you. But I shared it with him. I figured I owed him one since I gave him some feedback last week. Gotta be willing to take it if you're gonna give it...

Feline Chaos

Late in the night, when the sky was dark and the fog thick, I reclined in bed, resting against my pillows, reading quietly. Suddenly, with no warning, noise erupted around me. By the window, dark blue curtains in array, gray flashing fur and the rough, aggressive feline growling and hissing filled the evening silence.

A neighborhood cat had strayed onto our fire escape. Katja, in defense of her home and hearth, tore down the screen and launched herself at the offender, making it clear that no stranger cat was welcome here.

After grabbing the enraged girl from the fire escape and bringing her back in the house, things did not settle down as expected, once the foe was abolished. Instead, Katja, in her rage and fury, no longer recognized our calico girl and Keiko tentatively moved around in fear and worry, her ears back and her shoulders low to the ground in an attempt to reassure. Not appeased, Katja remained on edge and only in the morning hours did things seem to have returned to normalcy.

***

I'd like to say it was just last night, but things are not back to normal... just before leaving for work this morning Katja flew off the handle again and started growling and hissing at Keiko. Now I am home and again, I thought all was well, but sure enough, Katja is still being a total freak. I'm very perplexed. Total cat freak out.

***

9:40 pm still having hissing and growling drama.
10:20 pm neighborhood cat appears on fire escape and causes drama despite windows being shut- Keiko's tail resembles wire brush.

Thanksgiving in October

They look sober but don't be fooled!

Bill taking a Turkey nap before desert.

I think these two are sober.

Actually, I'll confess, I think I was the only one who wasn't sober. Let's just say, I wasn't driving anyone home last night!

Oh My Goodness!!!

Insane cuteness!

Exfoliating the Bird

I'm preparing for our "Thanksgiving in October" dinner tomorrow -- maybe this will be a tradition -- and have brined my first bird. 16 pounds of fleshy goodness is now fully exfoliated with kosher salt and soaking in a nice bath of cold water. Tomorrow, she heads to the sauna!

In case any of you have forgotten about another non-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving, you can expect more of the same. Given the amount of wine and vodka I currently have and with the expectation of prosecco and heaven only knows what else on the horizon, I can only say Sunday will truly be a day of rest.

Does this mean I won't be making another turkey come late November? Hmmmm, who knows... maybe I'll feel like cooking fish instead...

The Horror!

I've installed Vista on my precious Mac. It is sacrilegious and I feel as though I have violated my beautiful iMac. But I do this in the name of gaming and the playing of Warhammer, a new game my Slacker Bro is trying to get me addicted to. Of course, between installing Vista and then doing all the patches and updates and installing Warhammer getting all the other stuff set, well, like 50 years have passed and I'm now gray and wracked by arthritis and won't be able to play after all.

Warhammer vs Portfolio Management

One more class session down, though it was a particularly boring one -- on resource allocation. The topic is important, but I didn't find the session very useful in helping to understand ways to better determine and manage. But then, I suppose we still remain pretty far away from being organizationally ready for this type of effort -- not to mention that there just isn't enough people to even develop and manage such information.

Now I just have to decide... do I want to do another session and be all productive and one step closer to being done with the class and ready for the next one? Or do I install Vista on my mac and set myself up to play Warhammer, which my Slacker Bro bought for me the other day? And how can I cheat on WoW in such a way? It just seems, oh, dirty to contemplate it!!!!

UPDATE: doing another session... at least 1/2 of one. Not sure I'll have the attention span to do the whole thing now. Maybe finish after I watch today's episode of Trueblood later on...

Dengue Fever

Chillin at Bimbo's 365 listening to Dengue Fever. SP won tickets. The band is ok. Some songs are really good - sounds kinda like Dream Pop - but some other songs just miss the mark. Having a nice time with my crew, which is the important thing. Plus, I just dig Bimbo's.

Where's the Beef

So, on my way home tonight I decided to stop for some food and, because I was dropping someone off on Clement, I opted to get some mac & cheese & tots from Q. While I was waiting for my take out, I sat at the counter drinking a tasty pinot noir and gazing around, checking stuff out. I noticed taped to one of their fridges a print-out of a cow, divided up to show the different cuts of beef.

It got me thinking. What would it look like if a human silhouette was divided up in such way?

Round roast? Well, that's pretty easy. I have a nice big round roast myself, but you'd have to cut off quite a bit to get to it... heh.

Filet Minon? Would that be, like, the lower back? What about brisket? Skirt steak?

Ewwww!!!!

Heh!!!!!

Meanwhile, back at home I watched the Presidential Debate. McCain said nothing that would make we want to change my mind.

By the way, the mac & cheese & tots was kick-ass!

Happy Birthday, SP!!!

Our sweet SP giving me a birthday pose! Vogue, baby, vogue!!!

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

A view of the Banjo Stage and Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain
Band.

Tequila Anyone?

Silliness

At the Pig & Whistle post tequila shots.