Pixie on the State of Things...

It has been waaaay too long since I have been able to post on this blog. Frankly, I am less than amused with my typing slave, MeLissa. She seems to have plenty of time to tell you all about this "baby" thing and has even, horror of horrors taken time to write about a D-O-G possibly joining our household. Has she even taken a minute to post my thoughts about anything...anything at all...over the past few months, though? Let me answer that for you - NO! Not one post for months. It's a travesty. I apologize profusely my dear fans...

How I persuaded her to post today for me is truly a mystery, but I'll take it because I have a few things to say about these two things (the baby and the D-O-G) that may invade my territory. First, on the baby or "the sprout" as I've heard him called...I'm not sure what this is exactly, but I'm not liking how things are going around here because of his impending arrival. I have noticed that shortly after this became a topic for discussion in the house, MeLissa's belly started growing. It is now quite round and it scares me...especially since one time when I was on it, I was kicked. I did not like that at all and now refuse to sit on MeLissa's lap. That will teach her to sniper me.

Besides this, though, I am displeased because there has been a flurry of cleaning around here lately and the vaccuum has been making way too many appearances. There is no good place to hide from this destructive monster that I can see so I end up running from room to room...I have been punishing them by hacking up hair balls and spitting up my food periodically in places I know they'll find with their bare little toes...preferrably first thing in the morning. I like it best when Mark finds the presents...his reaction is always so much more entertaining.

I am also displeased with the fact that they are being stingy. They have brought a ton of interesting and colorful things into the house recently which just scream to be batted, laid upon and scratched. They will not let me play with them. They lock them away in their bedroom and the guest room. To add insult to injury, their practice of ensuring the bedroom door is locked has kept me from pursuing my sock fetish. I am not happy about this at all. Stingy humans. Apparently, something big is happening on Friday and Saturday of this week involving this baby thing. I hope they change their mind and send it back so I can finally get at those toys.

As for the D-O-G, this better be an empty threat. I will not tolerate it. Someone please explain to me why it is they need another pet? Did they not learn from when Banshee was here that other creatures are nothing but trouble? It was bad enough that there was another cat before, but a dog? You must be kidding. They keep talking about it being to help Mark get around better. Ha! He seems to do just fine to me. He may not know it, but I am wise to his constant mission of stepping on me every chance he gets. I'm still trying to fight back by making him stumble and fall...still to no avail, but I make up for it with fur. It's a rare day that he doesn't need a quick defuzzing and isn't griping about my hair being everywhere...and yet he wants another hairy beast that probably slobbers to come live with us. Stupid humans...they never learn.

Well, I suppose that is enough for now since it appears that MeLissa may go face down on her desk if I don't let her go take a nap. I approve of this activity and will probably take one of my own...just not anywhere near that stomach of hers! I hope to have another opportunity to speak with you again soon...

Pixie's Ponderings...

Pixie here....

MeLissa, my loyal typing, food and most importantly, pet slave has, thanks to Meankitty's typing slave, realized that *I* am who this family revolves around and that you all are seriously feeling deprived and depressed about not having an update about or from me for months! The shame of it all. Let's hope she behaves better in the future...if not, maybe I'll just have to find out how one makes morning sickness, whatever that is, last for 9 months (perhaps Meankitty knows...).

So enough about all this...let's talk about me shall we? I have been having a fabulous year, my friends. It's been several months since the demon (aka Banshee) vacated the premises. I finally have mom and dad all to myself again...and mom's even been home a lot for the past few months so I've been getting pet and tended to throughout the day. I'm finally being treated like royalty. Life is perfect.

I have heard, though, talk of a couple of things which I'm not terribly thrilled about. Until they actually happen, I'll assume it's all talk. First, there has been talk of a DOG joining our household at some point. Hello?! What are you thinking? A Dog? Ewww. Should this happen, I refuse to come out from under the couch until said ruffian is banished to the garage or sent away...

And, then my humans have been all happy and buzzing about some other thing they say is coming to live with us. It's referred to as "the baby, the pea, the sweet pea" and other stupid names. I don't like the sound of it. MeLissa keeps making stupid comments about how she's always wanted to be the pregnant lady with a cat on her lap and keeps making comments to me about how I better enjoy all the room I have there to roll around in ecstacy while she pets me because it won't be there forever. She's crazy. That's my assessment. She doesn't strike me as the kind to go on an eating binge...especially since recently she doesn't seem to want to eat much of anything and when she does she whines about how her tummy is feeling. She probably just needs some catnip or some tuna. That seems to fix everything for me.

Speaking of tuna, I have been introduced to its yummy goodness by Mark, but after introducing me to this stuff, he's been quite a pill. I implore him to give me my share and what do I get in return? Water droplets. Sorry dude...I don't get the connection. Just give me the tuna and I'll stop whining. Which reminds me...it's sure been a long time since we've had tuna (MeLissa's note - because it stinks!!! I can't handle it!)...

I have other tales to tell, but this post is getting lengthy and, frankly, I don't wish to relive the experience I had the other evening. Let's just say I was tortured because I was scooting my bum across the floor. It's not myyyy fault that certain glands of mine don't work as they should. They seem to work fine now, though...thanks Mark for fixing my "issue" - you kitty molester you.

Hope everyone is doing well...I think I'll go make MeLissa pet me again. Or perhaps we'll play some more ball. We've had a grand day today while the Enforcer (Mark) has been away.

The Final Colorado Pictures (and some other interesting tidbits!)

Here's the last set of Colorado pictures - yea! :) I think I may have figured out what has to be done to get more than a few pics in a post, too...so this may have been a good lesson for future trips! Onto the remaining photos:


We'll start out with a few scenic shots (some of which are slanted, but given that Mark took them, we know you'll agree it just adds to the beauty of the photo...very photojournalistic, don't you agree?





These photos are primarily of our trip to Colorado Springs from Canon City via Hwy 50 and then Hwy 115 on our last day in Colorado. They aren't really in order, but they're all beautiful in their own way. The more "prairie"-looking shots are on Hwy 50...




































MeLissa loves the look of red clay with tons of greenery. It's probably why the Garden of the Gods (which we were unable to visit this trip) is one of her favorites places. Speaking of the Garden of the Gods, that was the location of our engagement photo shoot.



We had some truly lovely scenery...you can see one of the pictures here (at what used to be the welcome message on our site). And, speaking of our engagement, today marks the 3rd anniversary of the day that Mark made MeLissa get up much to early so that the ring he'd been holding onto wouldn't burn a big hole in his pocket! You can read all about how romantic it was as well as how we became a couple here.


More scenery...









Here's a shot of General Palmer on his trusty steed in Downtown Colorado Springs. What you can't see is that people drive around it every day....it's kind of a nuisance, but he'd sure be missed if they ever moved him (and they've thought about it on several occasions!)




Here's a shot across from the Souper Salad where we had lunch twice. You can see (if you look closely) the mall behind the pine trees. :)








Last but certainly not least (just ask her!) here's Pixie experiencing the bliss of some kitty love after "mom and dad" were gone for so long. She's one happy kitty in that picture. :)

Our Adventure to Lovely Colorado...and what we've been up to since.

:P Blogger is yet again preventing the upload of pictures so another post with the pretties will be forthcoming. Grr.
----

We had a wonderful time in Colorado visiting family and friends. Our only complaint about our trip? It was, as usual, much to short. We missed a few people and so we'll just have to come back and do it again. ;) We were in Colorado from June 20 through June 27, but we have some pre- and post-trip photos we think you'll also enjoy including this one of Mark enjoying the last of the allergy-causing gelato. We think it was the marscarpone flavor.

And now, on to the trip - we flew out Tuesday morning. Our flight was a bit late and MeLissa wasn't feeling so well. We made it to Phoenix for our lay over and MeLissa went out to see what our next gate was. Denver, Denver, Denver she was saying as she looked for it. She found the gate and since we had a 20 minute window to make our next flight we started hot-footing it. We made it to what MeLissa thought was the correct gate and then she realized we were next door to the appropriate one. We maneuvered over and the flight attendant said they'd start boarding for Denver. Has anyone yet caught on that we were in the wrong place?

Yep. We were supposed to be flying to Colorado Springs. We tried, but we didn't make it to the right gate in time. Ooops. We had to go stand-by for our next flight. Thankfully, we made it on that flight and didn't have to wait for the next one which would have been arriving pretty late. During our wait, we decided we should eat something. Silly us, though, we didn't actually bring much food with us so we had to go through the torture of finding something - anything - that MeLissa could eat.

This food foraging was no easy task (surprise, surprise!). We know you're all just amazed about that one. ;) MeLissa bought Mark a sandwich from Quizzno's. And, then, after searching high and low, she found Nachoes with "normal" (rather than processed) cheese at the Fox Sports bar in the airport. MeLissa did her usual grilling of the waitress and was assured that there was no garlic on the grilled chicken. So she ordered them. Naturally, when they arrived (as is frequently the case), MeLissa immediately smelled garlic, but she was hungry so she ate them knowing that that next flight was not going to be a fun time. And, it wasn't. Nausea and an allergic reaction...not a good combo, friends.

We finally made it to Colorado where MeLissa handsome little brother, Christopher, (dressed in his dress whites which we really should have gotten a better picture of - darn it all!) was waiting at the airport to pick us up. He took us to his house where we began to settle in.

Anyhow, we hung out and then went to dinner and came home and watched Wedding Crashers. Very funny flick....and perfect for MeLissa, right? We watched another, Just Like Heaven, a couple of nights later and it is one of MeLissa's favorites now.

We think it was the first night that MeLissa also took the ASVAB just for kicks. Chris been pretty frustrated with the potential recruits lately. He had one person get an 8. You need a 35 to get into the Navy. These are not hard questions folks. We're talking basic vocabulary, paying attention and math skills for the most part. At any rate, MeLissa took the test late at night when tired and scored a 90. She qualifies for nuclear stuff. Very cool. ;) Chris had other setbacks that week as far as recruiting went. He had two guys ready to go in and then one came down with gall stones and the other's father wouldn't sign the consent form. We felt pretty bad for the guy. He is seriously missing his ship!

The next day (Wednesday) we went to Pueblo to visit people from MeLissa's college including Laura in the Alumni office who kindly gave MeLissa an Alumni T-shirt, sticker and bandana. Then we had a nice visit and dinner at a Mexican restaurant with some of MeLissa's friends - Amy and Doug. They had just had a baby a couple of days before. Little Nathan and his big sister Olivia came along for dinner, too!

The other activity for the day was outfitting the brother's kitchen with a bunch of useful stuff like baking dishes, mixing bowls, etc. He was a happy camper when he saw all that....especially the grilling tools!

On Thursday, we went to Colorado Springs (so much for MeLissa not having to drive all over during this trip - she did almost every day) and visited an Optometrist that specializes in low vision aids just to see if there was something he could recommend for Mark. Unfortunately, there wasn't, but we're looking forward to networking with him when we get back. The interesting thing about this doctor is that he is actually losing his vision. He is legally blind like Mark, but just like Mark he hasn't let that stop him. In fact, he just won Optometrist of the Year in Colorado...how's that for inspiration folks?

We then had lunch with Marilyn at Mimi's Cafe (yum, yum, yum!). Before lunch, MeLissa found a couple of really cute purses for $10 total. Gotta love it. We then made a visit to Pat, another friend of ours. Finally, we visited Aunt Jo and Uncle Clyde. They had some koi living in a water fountain and were a little grumpy that raccoons were coming to feast. Mark tells the story well - be sure to ask him about it! He definitely found humor in that first meeting!

The next day, we headed back up to Colorado Springs for another day of fun. My youngest brother, Doug, and his adorable girlfriend, Leah (whom we also don't have a great picture of other than from our wedding), came with us. We took a tour of the north end of Colorado Springs which is much further north than it used to be and visited a coffee shop owned by one of our friends for a little Italian Soda (he actually provided these for our wedding). We also made a stop at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate factory to pick up some caramel apples - one of our favorite treats! We then stopped by Whole Foods and grabbed stuff for dinner and our BBQ the next day. We ate dinner and sent them on their way.

On Saturday MeLissa's family came up from Lamar and we had a little BBQ and Christmas in June. It was fun getting to open Christmas and wedding presents that they'd been saving for us. We roasted a chicken on the grill and made pasta salad, cucumber salad, zucchini and other goodies to accompany it. It was an attempt to show MeLissa's dear family that despite her allergies, she's hardly starving! :) It was a great day - we even went on a little drive and found this cute little homestead (which we've since learned comes with some unwanted baggage).

On Sunday, we headed to Denver to see MeLissa's buddy Laura and her mom. We bummed around Park Meadows mall (one of MeLissa's favorites!) and then after a bit we returned to Colorado Springs (with a stop at the outlet mall in Castle Rock where we partook of some Rocky Mountain Chocolate factory goodies) to see another set of friends, Buck and Lyndsay, who'd just had a baby boy, Ridge. Apparently boys are "in" this year. ;) It took us a while to get there since traffic was pretty bad due to a couple of accidents on the highway. We made use of our time by snapping various shots of beautiful Colorado (and the top of the car, noses, fingers, etc. - Mark was taking photos and it yielded some amusing things). :) We stayed at Buck and Lyndsays pretty late and then drove back to Canon City in a really icky rain storm. It was a little scary...but we made it okay. We were sure tired when we got there.

On Monday were back in Colorado Springs again (as you can see, MeLissa's goal to minimize travel all over pretty much was a bust). We visited with a few people on this day. First, we visited with a chiropractor (Dr. Scott) that Mark considers one of his mentors. Then, we caught a glimpse of Brent, a friend who handles graduation stationery and what not for most of the southeastern part of Colorado. Then we took a little visit out to Peyton, Colorado to see Sarah who was the MOH in our wedding. She, too, had a new baby boy - Bryson. What's different about her story is that they were expecting a girl! Apparently Bryson is a trickster (or very modest) and did a great job of hiding a very important part of his anatomy during ultrasounds and what not. He and his brother Carsen were fun to watch and it was nice visiting with Sarah in their new home.

Then was the best part of the day - we had dinner with MeLissa's parents. This was our solution to keep grandma from totally going nuts on Saturday (she was quite eager to get home!). We enjoyed a nice long talk after and got home pretty late, but it was worth it.

We came back to California the next day after lunch with Pat. She gave us a lovely pillow (that MeLissa thinks she might try to make a few more of) as a belated-wedding present. With respect to the trip home, things were a bit tense at times (late flights and such), but everything worked out okay and we made it home, if a little late. We're not too sure we'll be flying US Airways again after all the fiascos, though...

When we came home, we found Pixie pacing the floors as usual. She gets to be a bit neurotic when we're gone, but thankfully, our sweet friend Bonnie had volunteered to visit her and feed her daily while we were away. Bonnie was rewarded with an assortment of Rocky Mountain Chocolates (what else?!) and our gratitude. Pixie was rewarded with a lot of petting from Mark. According to Mark she's gotten all the petting she's going to get for the next 3 months. ;)

One of the most exciting things that has happened since we returned is MeLissa now has a business card. It has a couple of little tweaks that need to be taken care of but that is it. It is just perfect for the image she wants to portray and will really make a great website design, too, with minor modifications. We're very excited about that and we'll share at some point.

This weekend, we were very productive (it's not over yet, but we were!). Yesterday we bought a GPS system (which MeLissa then proceeded to show how much she needed by getting lost twice in the next two hours) and a freezer for the half of a cow that should be coming to stay with us (cut and ready to eat - yum!) in the next week or so. We were pretty fortunate on the freezer (we didn't do too poorly with the GPS either) because we found a clearance model at Home Depot.

The only issue was that they couldn't deliver it. You had to haul it yourself using one of their rental trucks (or your own if you had it, but we don't!) and so we did that. This provided MeLissa's first opportunity to demonstrate that the GPS unit was a good buy. We made it home, unloaded the freezer with the help of Ladarrin our newest neighbor (who's earned himself a good steak). We were very fortunate that he came out when he did because the dolly we'd bought to get the freezer out of the truck had a flat tire. This wasn't the only fiasco related to the freezer, though. Before that, we'd realized we'd left our "clicker" in the Saturn and therefore had to wait for someone to open the gate to our community and, since MeLissa doesn't have a key to the house on her keychain (she just uses the clicker usually), we were going to have to leave it in the driveway. Silly gooses that we are.

On our way to returning the truck was when we got lost the first time (not much but a little) and then, when we were coming home was the second. We figure there will be a lot less of that with MeLissa's new toy which we figured we'd better get her since she's going to be driving all over for the wedding and event business.

We hope you enjoyed this dissertation about our trip and what's been going on since. We'll try to be a little more timely in posting things in the future. :)

Haunted by a Dowl

A quote from Mark this morning: "Sometimes if you listen quietly, you can hear the sounds - the sounds of the dowl."

Yes, we dear friends and family, have a dowl at our house. Not familiar with the dowl are you? Pull up a chair and acquaint yourself....

The dowl is half dove and half owl. It came into existence many moons ago, but was only recently discovered by us. We originally thought we had an owl at our house. It said "hoo hoo" every morning and frequently in the evening also. We thought it was cool, but we never saw him. Then one day, while at work, MeLissa heard the familiar call, looked up and saw a dove in a tree...no owls in sight. She relayed this to Mark who wouldn't hear of it. He insisted we have an owl. Not really much fun to squabble about a bird (though in the days of Robin, we have done so) and so we just let it be...until one day, MeLissa heard the faint call of the "owl" outside the house, looked up and saw a dove...just like the one she saw at work. Mark still wouldn't hear of it and so we compromised as any happily married couple would and began referring to our little friend as the dowl. Perhaps if you visit us, you too will have the calming experience (or the frustration if our friend decides to coo or hoo at a much too early hour!).

In other news, today is MeLissa's last day at work and Mark's last day of finals! He's retaking his clinic entrance. They snipered him with a bunch of radiology questions he wasn't expecting and didn't study for. No worries, we're sure he'll ace it this time around! In preparation for his test, we did a bit of studying this morning and, in the process, made Pixie a little confused and a bit silly. MeLissa's watch happened to catch the sun and create a reflection on the ceiling that caught the eye of the dear Pixie cat. She was quite frustrated that she couldn't reach it. Throughout our short study session, as the light moved in response to MeLissa turning a page or whatever, Pixie chased and cavorted as best as she could. We think we need to find her laser light pen again...

This evening, rather than celebrating like we probably should (we will eventually, but there's bills to pay and less income to pay them with right at the moment!), we're going to visit the pet store. Pixie needs a new litter box (this is exciting isn't it - not everything can be as intriguing as the dowl, you know!) to prevent her from pottying outside of it. For some reason, she is having an issue understanding that she needs to get her little booty fully into the box, lately. We're very glad we have a plastic mat up next to her box to prevent her from ruining the carpet. At least she actually tries to use the box...

We hope you all have a great weekend if we don't make it back to post again. We're heading to Colorado this coming Tuesday so it will probably be a bit calm around here for a while... :)

Good News!

For those of you sitting on the edge of your seat wondering how Mark's surgery went - according to the doctor it went very well!

His retina is still attached (Praise the Lord!) which is super since that means it's not detached in about 9 months! Woo hoo!

So anyhow, the doctor took out the silicon oil in the back of his eye and then cut a hole with the laser through a membrane that had grown in the front part of the eye. This will serve as an artificial iris for Mark - regulating the amount of light that goes into the eye. He then put a shot of steroids in Mark's eye to discourage the membrane from growing back in. Thank you all for your prayers - please keep praying that everything heals up nicely. :)

Oh, and the best thing about how things went today? Mark gets to sleep face up. He just has to use a couple of pillows. This is way better than face down, don't you think?

In other news, Pixie has adopted a new hobby. She's decided that it is tons of fun to pull our dirty laundry (primarily socks, but there have been underthings and even a pair of pants!) from our room into the living room. We believe this confirms that she's neurotic which is good because so are we! ;) At any rate, should any of you come to visit us and see Pixie's handy work (which is bound to happen unless we remember to shut the bedroom door!), please forgive us...and her!

Happy Birthday, Miss Pixie!!!

Today is our little Pixie Cat's Birthday! She's a spry 2 years old...and looking just as cute as when she was a kitten.

In other news, we had a pretty busy weekend, but we're letting Pixie have her spotlight so we'll get more into that later! Besides, posts with pictures are much more fun and the pictures we have for you aren't accessible at this very moment!

Pixie's ABCs

Pixie hasn't posted anything for a while, but has decided to grace us with a better understanding of herself.

ABC Survey
A is for age: 2
B is for booze of choice: Milk, if I can get it.
C is for career: Professional Whiner
D is for your Dad's name: Mark
E is for essential items to bring to a party: Catnip

F is for favorite song at the moment: What's New Pixie Cat
G is for favorite game: Chase the Laser
H is for hometown: Castro Valley, CA
I is for instruments you play: I meow. That's it.
J is for jam or jelly you like: Tuna
K is for kids: Not gonna happen, folks.
L is for living arrangements: with my typing and food slave and the enforcer in a 2 bedroom condo
M is for Mom's name: MeLissa
N is for name of your crush: The enforcer...but since he's being a pest and won't pet me enough, my typing and food slave.
O is for overnight hospital stays: None
P is for phobias: Vaccuums
Q is for quotes you like: "Meow."
R is for relationship that lasted the longest: With the typing slave.
S is for soda preference: Tuna flavored if they have it.
T is for tasty desserts: Ice Cream
U is for underwear: I go commando.
V is for vegetables you love: Yuck.
W is for weekend plans: Sleep, eat, terrorize, be pet.
X is for x-rays you've had: None.
Y is for year you graduated from high school: Cats are too smart for school.
Z is for zodiac sign: Pices

They Grow Up So Fast

We figured since we don't have any terribly exciting news to share, we'd show what our little darling Pixie looked like when she came to live with us. Wasn't she just a doll? Thankfully, she's calmed down quite a bit...she was quite the little bundle of energy!!!

Sending happy thoughts to all far and near!

False Alarm

Yesterday, MeLissa's friend Lisa told her that Rob (Lisa's husband) had visited the Hayward Animal Shelter looking for their errant kitty, Simba, and saw a kitty that looked like Banshee. MeLissa left work early hoping to have a little black friend with her on the way home.

Unfortunately, though two kitties looked very much like Banshee, they didn't appear to be her. It's so difficult to tell with black kitties sometimes, but both of these kitties were a little too loud and didn't purr like motors when pet. So, we're still hoping she's safe and warm and enjoying her trip into the wild outdoors.

On a very happy note, Simba was spotted by Rob later in the day yesterday! Apparently, he's just avoiding the house when Minnie Mouse, the newest addition to Lisa and Rob's menagerie is out and about. She's apparently a bit too bossy and agressive for sweet Simba's liking...

Triangular Triumph

We have made great strides here at the Rocco household today. Believe it or not, the E-V-I-L triangle block called a Dutchman's Puzzle (and it certainly was puzzling) which MeLissa started in her last quilting class is finally complete. It's not perfect, but it is "good enough" - it should make a nice pillow or maybe a framed picture if nothing else. MeLissa learned some information in her quilting class this past Thursday that cleared up why she was having so many troubles with this block. As they say, knowledge is power...and MeLissa now is one powerful triangle vanquisher. Or, at least, we hope so! She'll soon find out when she attempts to make yet another block - the Card Trick. Hopefully it won't be too "trixie."

In other news, our kitty seems to not be coming back. We're sad (well, MeLissa's sad - Mark and Pixie were of the opinion that Banshee was more trouble than she was worth), but we hope that she's found a nice warm and safe place that will make her happy. We still plan to keep our eye out for her.

As for Mark, studying and face-down time are the rule. He visited his retinal doctor this past week and discovered that part of his retina has not yet healed despite nearly 4 weeks of face down time to date! So, he's now face down with his head at a very uncomfortable angle in the hopes that it will heal and he won't have to have a repeat retinal surgery. We are really praying that this won't cause another delay in his board exams...or graduation!

As a side note - let us also send a "shout out" to Mark's parents who celebrated their anniversary yesterday! Congratulations! We hope you'll enjoy many more years of each others' company and success in the coming year!

Feline Haiku

Pixie has asked that I share the following with you. As any good typing slave would, I immediately obeyed. Pixie did not write this, but it expresses many of her views on life. For more feline haiku, check out the post link.

Feline Haiku

The food in my bowl
Is old, and, more to the point,
Contains no tuna.

So you want to play.
Will I claw at dancing string?
Your ankle's closer.

There's no dignity
In being sick, which is why
I don't tell you where.

Seeking solitude
I am locked in the closet.
For once I need you.

Tiny can, dumped in
Plastic bowl. Presentation,
One star; service: none.

Am I in your way?
You seem to have it backwards:
This pillow's taken.

Your mouth is moving;
Up and down, emitting noise.
I've lost interest.

The dog wags his tail,
Seeking approval. See mine?
Different message.

My brain: walnut-sized.
Yours: largest among primates.
Yet, who leaves for work?

Most problems can be
Ignored. The more difficult
Ones can be slept through.

My affection is conditional.
Don't stand up,
It's your lap I love.

Cats can't steal the breath
Of children. But if my tail's
Pulled again, I'll learn.

I don't mind being
Teased, any more than you mind
A skin graft or two.

So you call this thing
Your "cat carrier." I call
These my "blades of death."

Toy mice, dancing yarn
Meowing sounds. I'm convinced:
You're an idiot.

Pixie's New Year's Resolutions

MeLissa posted these originally on Meankitty's blog, but she thought some of you who don't visit that site might also enjoy reading what Pixie plans for 2006:

Pixie here -

Banshee has went off on an adventure so I will speculate on her New Year's Resolutions. I actually think she only had one...to escape in an attempt, if she manages to return (since we imagine she used her favorite method of disappearing and took a little "ride" with someone on their way to work to another location in the Bay Area), to weasel her way back into *my* house and back into the lap of *my* TFS (Typing and Food Slave for those of you not familiar with Meankitty lingo). I hate her.

As for my resolutions:

1. To make Banshee disappear...permanently. I got lucky on this one...she's missing, but I worry (as I mentioned above), that it's just a ploy to convince my TFS that her habit of peeing on the rug as often as possible is well worth not having to worry if she'll run off again. I've got my fingers (paws?) crossed that she's gone for good.

2. I am perfecting my ability to meow until my slaves are annoyed. They think I'm doing it because I want to be petted - something I do have to admit I'm really enjoying since that stupid black cat is gone and I get all the attention - but I really just do it because I'm practicing for my new band: Princess Pixie and the Pussy Cats.

3. My final resolution? I plan to learn how to turn door knobs so that I can, very early in the morning, go into my parents room to play. I like to play with the dresser and the door stops and anything else that creates little noises that wake my TFS up so that she'll feed me sooner!

Pixie's Mememe Tag

Pixie has accepted a tag from Meankitty and has asked MeLissa to post her answers. We hope you'll find them as amusing as we do!

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?
Ten years ago I was doing nothing. My mother wasn't even born yet so I can't even say I was hangin' in her ovaries. My slaves, however, were quite busy, I hear, with college which apparently has enabled them to pay for my food, toys and litter which is a good thing.

2. What were you doing one year ago?
One year ago I was hating life and being grumpy and pouty. That stupid black cat, Banhsee, was stealing all *my* attention from my TFS (Typing and Food Slave - Meankitty Jargon). Speaking of her, she's still missing and I say good riddens to feral rubbish.

3. Five snacks you enjoy
As far as snacks go, I like anything I can get (and I don't get nearly as many as I should) so long as I don't have to work to eat it. Small pieces please. Oh, and one other qualification - if it didn't have eyes at some point, you can just keep it to yourself.

4. Five songs to which you know all the lyrics
a) The Siamese Cat Song from Lady and the Tramp. No, I'm not Siamese, but it's one of my favorite songs.
b) Anything from the Jingle Cats as long as there are no Jingle Dogs mixed in.
c) Nah, Nah, Hey, Hey, Goodbye (my favorite song, currently).
d) What's New Pixie Cat? (a la my TFS) .
e) Anything my mom sings at a high pitch because then I can join in!

5. Five things you would do if you were a millionaire
a) Rid the world of toothbrushes, leashes, harnesses and vacuums.
b) Sue the manufacturers of a number of brands of litter that say they clump but do not.
c) Populate our house with scratching posts and toys.
d) Buy an aviary, stock it with birds and then torment them.
e) Pay Banshee to go away (assuming she returns) forever.

6. Five bad habits
Bad Habits? I am an angel. I have none that I know of. My slaves, however, believe that the following qualify:
a) Crying for attention. If they'd give me attention non-stop, this wouldn't be a problem.
b) Beating on Banshee - she totally deserves it, but I won't as long as she stays gone.
c) Terrorizing. Perhaps they missed the SOHC memo stating that everything in a cat's house in someway belongs to said cat and may be treated in whichever way said cat chooses. Get over the chewed massage table cords already - you got exercise out of it by chasing me afterwards.
d) Playing with anything that makes an "annoying" noise at the crack of dawn. Um, yeah, I'm a cat. We do that. Get over it. Either modify your sleep schedule to match mine or get used to the noises.
e) Clawing the couch - completely necessary in case Banshee or another interloper appears in my home. The "Talons of Death" must be ready at all times.

7. Five things you like doing
a) Running at break-neck speed around the house. Running into walls that shift while I'm doing it - not so much.
b) Napping and Eating.
c) Being pet especially by the Petting Slave - hands trained in massage therapy are heavenly.
d) Chasing the laser pointer.
e) Playing ball "Great Escape Style" with the TFS.

8. Five things you would never buy or wear again
a) A harness and a leash.
b) A Santa hat no matter how cute I look in it .
c) Countless brands of organic cat litter .
d) A Toothbrush - give me tartar control treats, thank you very much.
e) A vaccuum (which I especially refuse to wear).

9. Five favorite toys
a) Laser Pointer.
b) Pom pom balls and bell balls.
c) Pin cushions (which I never see anymore).
d) Massage table cords (I'm running low on these).
e) The dangly mouse thing.

10. Five people I'm tagging
Although I may coerce my slaves into posting on their blog this weekend, I just don't feel like expending anymore energy on this task. If anyone else wants to answer the challenge, they can do so via email or in this posts' comments section. Time for a much deserved nap.

Standard Weekend Fare & Banshee Watch Day 5

We had a pretty uneventful weekend. No kitties turned up to give us a reason to celebrate. We did take Pixie outside on a leash for a little bit, but she wasn't too thrilled about it so we brought her back in. We think it's good to have a kitty who doesn't want to be outside...especially given the whole Banshee situation.

We went to the grocery store and spent more than we had hoped as usual. Mark has found, however, that the grocery store's bags make excellent head wear. Since his eye is still pretty sensitive to light, he's considering trying to create a new fashion trend. You never know with the stuff people wear these days...he may be on to something! Next thing you know, Calvin Klein will be sending models down the runway with bags over their heads...

MeLissa also took a stab at quilting, but gave it up when she realized that she had just finished sewing...the wrong side. It's a conspiracy - the triangles are working against her - we're sure of it! It's hard to accomplish much when you're trying to learn how to use a sewing machine again (it's been a loooong time, kids!). At least she can stand with her head high since she did finally finish her paper for her wedding planning course...all is not lost (just our kitty still).

Banshee Watch - Day 3

Still no sign of Banshee. It has occurred to MeLissa, however, that given the little tyke's love of adventure, she could be anywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area by now.

The series of events that we assume led to Banshee's current escapade include that MeLissa went out onto our neighbors' deck to fetch her and neglected to suggest to the neighbors that they remain in hiding. Banshee is a terribly skittish kitty and pretty much only tolerates MeLissa holding or petting her. Because it wasn't just "mommy" coming out to see her, Banshee made a run for it. Had MeLissa been thinking, she would have went to where she figures Banshee probably went, but she was sleepy and figured that Banshee would simply return home as she had on other occasions apparently (MeLissa had learned from the neighbor that Banshee had been down to visit on other occasions as well which was news to MeLissa!).

In a tragic twist to the story, it rained that night. We surmise that Banshee was in no mood to make whatever trek it required to return to her kitty dwelling on our deck with it raining and chose, instead, to find shelter in her favorite place from her days as a kitten...for those of you who haven't clicked on the "adventures" link in this post, that would be "various car motors." Arguably, this is not a good place for a kitty, but Banshee is one of a kind.

We are not sure whether the car of her choice was MeLissa's or another individual's. We tend to believe it is probably another since when MeLissa went out Wednesday morning and called for her, Banshee didn't materialize as she has on the other occasions that she's sought refuge in MeLissa's vehicle. Thus, we don't know who sheltered our kitty and we are unable to narrow down where she may have ventured off to - San Francisco, Fremont, Pleasanton - they're all possibilities. We are still hopeful that Banshee will turn up, but MeLissa, at least, is a wee bit scared that her baby is not having the "time of her life."

Please continue to keep the little darling in your prayers.

And, just in case anyone else happens to lose a kitty in the near future, you can link to a helpful site for recovering them that was sent to me by someone who saw our "missing kitty" ad on Craigslist.

Missing Kitty

Hopefully this is a "false alarm" and our little Banshee will turn up, but she's been incognito since Tuesday night when MeLissa caught a glimpse of her on the neighbor's porch. Please keep Banshee in your prayers...we miss her and want her home safe!

Pixie and Banshee's New Mission

Learn how to dial 911. Check out the article by clicking the link above.

Banshee Claws

MeLissa received a very pleasant "late" Christmas present last night. Banshee Claws came in for a visit (she was thrilled to do so since it was raining!) and actually stayed for a while. She also humored MeLissa by wearing the Santa hat. It looks like we may have some fun Christmas cards next year...

Santa Claws

Santa was very good to us this year. Despite the fact that we weren't able to visit either of our families for Christmas, we managed to have a pretty warm and fuzzy celebration at home. We even had our very own Santa Claws to keep us company - as you can see "he" was exhausted from "his" long journey last night (who knew Pixie was such an important kitty to anyone but us?!?) We wish you and yours a love and joy filled day as you celebrate our Lord's birth!