A big ol' bag of basmati rice.

 So,  in the weeks since my last post life has been in a holding pattern. The job interview that Chris had for the job in NYC went well. Very well. Stupid extra double plus(I'm also bringing NewSpeak back) well. He's had video meeting, long phone interviews, and phone calls with the CEO. So, the position is down to him and some other dude, who I'm sure is a nice guy. I just want other dude to not get this job. I think. Okay, honestly, I'm insanely proud of my husband for his general level of amazing-ness. The thing is, I'm intimidated by moving to that big of a city. Chris and I keep saying that we're just country bumpkins from Idaho. I think the fact that he's not from the city and not part of the corporate culture is a plus in his favor. When he spoke to the CEO once Chris mentioned his childhood of working with horses and moving cattle. Here, that's a whole bunch of nothing. Apparently, Mr. Big Guy In Charge thought that was really interesting. So, if novelty will carry him into this position, I will go out and get him one of those bolo ties(which I detest) and some cowboy boots.

  The problem with this potential new job is the fact that we've been told a decision would be made about 6 times now. Then someone, or someones on the board, couldn't decide. So, more questions would be posed to Chris. He would answer them like a boss, and then the wait. Repeat several times. Then the hurricane hit, and the time table got even more pushed back. So, it's not like I can be grumpy about that. The frustrating part is that we just can't plan ahead. We don't know if we'll even be living in the same state in a month. The worst part is I just can't make myself buy any food that would last beyond fruit and veggies. Example: we went grocery shopping to our local non-evil big box store(Costco) and there was a great buy on a decent size bag of basmati rice. We eat a lot of rice since I had to break up with wheat, and a semi-large bag would last the two of us for months. The problem is, since I would be parceling the rice into smaller amounts I really don't want to lug that across the country. I can't make myself pick up any new yarn or fabric from the craft store that is going out of business, buy a new book, or even get a season of a show because that would be one more thing I would have to pack up and move. And don't even get me started on what a nightmare it would be to move the kitties. Ares doesn't travel well. Period. Zeus would be better, but if he hears his brother being so sad, he'll start to cry too. Then I'll cry. Then Maggie laughed, she's such a trooper. Sorry, I've got a lot of random "Simpsons" quotes in my brain. Oh, and I always seem to see the horror stories of animals dying or being lost after flying with their people. So, I need that to obsess over.

So. With all that going on I'm just going to put up some cat cuteness.

 This is from last Halloween. Zeus is sitting next to the skull of Theobald the medically correct articulated skeleton that lives in our living room. It's a very long story how we ended up with him.

This is Ares sunning his bellymeats. I adore this picture.

Rad!

I'm bringing that word back. Apparently, by myself.  Life here is good. It's the most wonderful time of the year, take that Christmas. As much as I love autumn, I've been fighting the after-affect of the not as fun part of fall. Potato harvest. Growing up in a farming community, we would get two weeks off of school for harvest vacation. Since I didn't work in harvest I got two weeks of daytime TV and convenience foods. It was, in fact, rad. (Since it occurred in the '80's and early '90's I can use that word.)  The only problem is allergies from all the dirt in the air. Oh, and idiots driving spud trucks. You've got to love any area where a potato falling off a truck onto a car's windshield is a real safety risk. Anyway, so allergies hit today and I was baffled what was giving me fits of sneezing. The only fun bit is the strange little chirp noise Zeus makes every time I sneeze. Tomorrow, I'm headed to my parent's house that's about 1/2 an hour away. In Idaho terms, about 25 miles, and I will be driving right through so many fields.So, tonight, the first step is my favorite thing ever: Benadryl. With a Pepsi and ice cream chaser. Tomorrow, I'm gonna have to find something  non-drowsy or I'll be crashing out in the middle of quilt club. Oh, and it's the ugly fabric exchange with our quilt group, so I'm excited to see what I get.
   Okay, so now on with my kitties!

I enjoy this picture of Zeus because you can see his "fangs". My poor, little, sweet, fluffy, man has some seriously janked up teeth. Oh, and please excuse the pile of laundry next to him. I had to put down what I was folding to get this cute picture. Also, my BlackBerry's camera sucks.




This has been Ares' sleeping spot this summer. We've been calling it his Muppet. Earlier this summer, Chris was on the short list for a job in Frankfurt, Germany. He lived there for two years and speaks fluent German. I, however, can't. So, when it was looking like more and more of a potential possibility I kind of freaked out, and started trying to get my things and life in order. First step of that freak-out was to check out the yarn stash, which is mighty, and try and pare stuff down. I had so much of this purple eyelash yarn from some local craft store closing years ago, so I thought "hey, let's make a blanket." So, I began to knit. And knit. One night I set it down on the ground and spread it out to see how it looked and the inevitable craft law came into effect. This is the law that states "If there is a craft project set on the ground it will become an irresistible draw to a pet." So I just bound off what I had done and let Ares have it. Two months later, it is all beat to hell. It may need to be retired soon. Luckily, I have so much of this awful purple yarn.

So, Chris didn't get the job in Germany. Which I'm totally cool with, because while it would have been an amazing adventure, it would have been super intimidating. But he did just have an interview for a job in NYC today....

Sleep?

The insomnia monster has come to visit again. It's been pretty vocal this time, saying things like "Nope, no sleep til 3 am." or " no sleep until daylight." And, the insomnia monster brought an awesome gang this time. Such lovelies such as summer flu, hives from some hidden wheat source, 90 degree plus weather, and high fever. Oh! and let's not forget about the insomnia monster's best friend, anxiety.
One of the main factors that has helped out good ol' anxiety to settle in here is the fact that I feel like we're being overrun by box elder beetles. I've smooshed about 3 a day in the house, and countless more whenever I leave the building. Bugs of any kind = anxiety in the Hilary. I know intellectually that box elder beetles are harmless, just icky. The problem is I just can't handle them being in my house. I just can't. Depending on how many I've had to deal with in a day, and where they were in the house I could spend hours shaking and getting the shivers. I don't mind sending them to the big box elder tree in the sky, but bugs need to stay away from me.



However, here is Zeus.

Don't judge.

So, the fever that will not die has returned again. Woo for chronic illness. Anyway, the problem with being sick is that my mind is more than slightly cooked, and I end up watching horrible television. Today's choice is "Ancient Aliens". Now, this has been a frequent occurance for the last few months. It's the whole idea of  TV so bad it's good. And,wow, does this show fit that bill. It's all the logic leaps and bad history. And the dude with the hair. Oh, his hair.

This is Abby, my parent's gorgeous calico Frankenstein kitty. I call this her "I am overcome" face.  Or she's judging what I'm watching....

Really brain, really?

So, there are nights, like this one, where I just wake up.  Tonight, I kind of get why I'm awake at 4 am. I'm just hot and itchy. I almost feel like I have hives, similar to how I feel when I eat wheat gluten, but I've been good for the last few days. I just don't get my skin. It's almost like it's not really a part of me, but more of  some factor I've got to fight to survive.
  Therefore, I'm on the couch with a cold pack. Oh, didn't I tell you? I've got a fever over 100 degrees. Which has just been an extra bucket of fun in this summer heat. I am now of the mindset that if someone complains about the cold  and/or snow this winter(Idaho, it will happen) I might set them on fire. Then they'd be warm.
Well, that's the last of the night rage. Here is a few pictures of my darling cats:

This is Zeus helping us change our sheets. I think this one might be one of my favorite pictures of him. He is such a snuggle bug and will sleep either right next to Chris or above my pillow.

Here is Ares assisting me while I was cutting up t-shirts donated by my buddy Keith for a t-shirt rug. I love this picture because how clearly you can see the U between Are-bear's front paws. The shirt had a quote "Boondock Saints" so, if you know that film you know there is an awesome quote full of adult language. 

And here are the boys in full on "it's too damn hot" cat melting poses. Ares is above, Zeus below.

Moving on up.

So, January of 2012 has been quite and adventure so far. First part of the month was quiet and mellow. On the 9 we celebrated my darling husband's birthday. It was declared the most violent birthday ever. He received bullets, a practice sword, and brass knuckle "paper weights".  It was wacky fun all around with all of our deviants coming over for a leveling up celebration.
   That went down on a Wednesday. Friday, Chris and I found out we needed to (allegedly) be out of the house we were living in by the following Thursday. Because (allegedly) the mortgage had not been paid and the house was in foreclosure.(allegedly) So, I went into panic mode and started looking like a mad woman for a new place to live. And I called. And called and called. Trying to find a new apartment on such short notice that wasn't a rat hole and allowed kitties, and also wasn't an arm and a leg in rent was a little daunting. I did what I could Friday, and then allowed myself the weekend to have a breakdown and plan. My major source of breakdown were the stray kitties that we've been feeding in our backyard. The meth head neighbors next door had abandoned two sweet kitties when they moved. Jupiter is a gorgeous grey longhair boy and Titan is a darling orange long hair girlie who just wanted love. And she was the one that broke my heart. Oh! And last , but not least is Perseus(aka Percy) who was so shy and living under the shed of that house when we moved in. He's a poor white and tiger striped boy, and can't be very old. He's a darling boy. I just broke down whenever I thought of those sweet mowies not having love and food and someone working to find them a forever home. I just sobbed. Often.
   Anyway, even as I railed about Idaho law allowing 90 days before being evicted and was told (allegedly) that the notice was (allegedly) given in October. I randomly called a phone number I found in the classified about a place for rent. So, it was on the list of places to see on Monday and my dear friend Ashley was the wheelman as I looked at places. She was great back up as we looked at places, got the wrong keys and had to go back to places and generally was amazing backup. Finally, we got around to checking out the random place. It was AMAZING. Like apartment goldmine. Terribly funky and retro, quiet and clean, and kitty friendly. So, I fell in love, called Chris and the next day it was ours.
   I put out a 911 text/phone call to my "framily" and we were all moved out it three days.
   So, we're all moved. My kitties are all settled in. They seem to love it here, even without a yard for supervised outside time. Chris kept feeding the kitties at the old house, especially after someone destroyed their little house he had made for them. All sorts of grr with that situation. I have my suspects. And one night he told me Jupiter had a collar on. He hadn't been around as much and looked better fed and brushed not by my doings. Yeah, he'd found a home. One down, woo-hoo!

Here's Jupiter when we first met him. He was so skinny and matted.

  Sweet Percy found a home from a very nice woman who Chris ran into at our old place after we had moved to put food out for those kitties still there. She was looking for her kitten Mittens who had gotten out. Chris helped her find him, and she just fell in love with sweet Percy and took him home that night. We've checked on him several times and he's doing great! The last time we saw him prowling about her yard, looking lovely.

This is Percy when he finally became friends with us. I love his cute little pink nose

Now here is the hard part. Chris went over to the old house(which was still being lived in by our former roommate/owner of the house) and found poor, sweet Titan limping and barely able to move. He took her to our vet and they confirmed out worst fear. She had been hit by a car and there wasn't much they could do. We cried and cried and made the hardest, best for her decision to have her put to sleep. So, they made sure she wasn't in pain and let her go. I was gutted. She was so sweet and just wanted to be loved and most all of humanity didn't care.

She was such a lovey girl, and I will never forget her.