Cats!

I have heard lately that the internet was invented for cats. In fact, one day a few weeks ago a bunch of blogs and stuff organized a "No Cat Day" and no one posted anything about cats or cat related for like 24 hours. I never understood this until today, when I realized that not only was I posting twice in one day but both my posts were cat related.

This is Kitty. The table is set for Break the Fast tonight. The flowers make a beautiful centerpiece until Kitty decides to unleash his fasting fury on them.

Watch out! Here comes Kitty!

The Cat Burglar

Besides the fact that we're pretty sure someone was in our backyard in the wee early hours of the morning (seriously, the gate was open when we woke up and I know I heard something, twice, at some point last night, but I was too tired to wake up Jamie, I guess I value sleep more than safety), we had a visit from the Cat Burglar yesterday afternoon.

Yes, twice while we had the front door open (and the screen door closed) yesterday I noticed Pablo in our house.

Pablo is our upstairs neighbor's cat and he loves us. Whenever we are outside he's playing with us or sitting in one of our laps. He's very sweet. But he's not allowed in our house. Our neighbor has a cat door so Pablo can go inside whenever he wants, but I guess he likes us more because we are new and interesting and we pet him whenever he wants.

When we first closed the screen door Pablo sat at the other side of it watching me watching TV. It made me a little sad for not allowing him inside, but he would get over it. Then I remembered that the bottom corner of the screen wasn't really attached to the screen door so it would be very easy for Pablo to walk right through it, if he figured it out. I know he's a smart cat, but I decided he wasn't that smart.

Then, as I was sitting on the couch balancing my check book I heard a noise, and then another noise and I looked up and Pablo was in my living room watching me. So after chasing him around for a minute (more playfully than seriously) I put him back out. I told Jamie that we needed to do something about the screen because otherwise Pablo would just keep breaking in. But Jamie disagreed. Anyway, a few minutes later we're both in the kitchen and I look over and there's Pablo, halfway into the bathroom. There's no telling how long he was in the house, but he was inside again.

So, again, we kicked him out (lovely carried him outside and placed him gently into a chair all while kissing him and singing his praises - we spoil him with love and affection).

How to prevent Pablo from continuing to break through our screen? Well, block it of course with a giant die.

As you can see from the pic, it worked.

Tonight I'm going to use the die to put in front of the gate to keep the people out of our backyard.

P.S. That's a cat burglar mask I tried to draw on Pablo. Usually they're black a la the Hamburglar, but since Pablo is black a black mask wouldn't show up as well.

New & Improved!

No, nothing on my blog is new and/or improved. Except for this post, which is new.

Riddle me this, if you owned a product and you add "New & Improved" to the packaging, how long would you wait until you removed the "New & Improved"?

I'm asking because of this.

I use Lubriderm lotion daily. I love it. And I have been using it for as long as I can remember (my Momma uses it too). But, for as long as I can remember, the bottle has said "New & Improved" on it. From what I can tell, being a daily user, there is nothing new about the product and it is just as awesome as it ever was.

I realized after buying not this most recent bottle, but the bottle before that perhaps they are using a new pump and that is what is "New & Improved". But then when I bought a new bottle the other day that pump was the same as the one two bottles ago (are you following this?).

Yes, perhaps one store still had old bottles they were selling, but, BUT, both bottles said "New & Improved".

Isn't is misleading to leave "New & Improved" on your product for too long? I believe there should be some sort of limitations on use of the phrase "New & Improved". Someone needs to be regulating these things.

Until then, I'm going to eat my "New & Improved" leftovers.

These things I love right now...

So, here's an uplifting post, to contrast with my last post. Here's what I'm loving right now.

The new album from The Black Crowes. Before the Frost (the new album) was recorded in Levon Helm's barn in Woodstock, NY. So that right there makes it awesome. I've listened to it like five times so far (I just got it on Saturday but didn't open it until this morning) and it is absolutely AMAZING. I like track 7 the best so far. I don't know the name of it. But it sounds like Crosby Stills & Nash. The CD comes with a download card to get an extra nine songs. I haven't downloaded it yet (I don't trust my internet connection today). Rolling Stone calls Until the Freeze... (the nine song download) "mostly acoustic, country-tinged tunes." And if you know me, then you know that screams my name. I'm so excited about this new album. Unfortunately the Crowes are playing Atlanta on October 3, which is Jamie's birthday. It's only unfortunate because Jamie doesn't share my deep love for The Black Crowes. If he did, we'd go to the show. But, it's his birthday and he doesn't want to. I know that if the show was on any other day he would gladly accompany me. But it's OK because if some band he likes that I don't were to ever play on my birthday (or any other day because I'm a brat) he wouldn't make me go. It's not like when Chris Robinson was touring with Phil Lesh & Friends and they played The Fox on my birthday. That was kismet.

Optimism. It's not so much that I'm loving optimism right now, it's more of a life choice I'm making and therefore forcing myself to love. I have a job interview tomorrow...

70 degree mornings. Yes, it's still well into the 80's (and upper 70's) in the afternoon but because there's a slight chill in the air I know that summer is almost gone and fall and winter are almost here. I hate the heat. But because this is a post about things I love, I won't elaborate.

New TV coming back. Yes, with the vanishing of summer (almost) comes new TV!! The second episode of Glee is on Wednesday, the new show Community starring Joel McHale (swoon!) debuts on Thursday, and Curb Your Enthusiasm comes back on Sunday (oh, Larry, you've been gone too long). By the end of the month The Simpson's, House, Lie to Me, and hopefully Ugly Betty will all be back. Plus Project Runway and Top Chef are totally kicking ass so far.

And, because I'm a nerd, I really, really love gummy worms. Right now and forever.

Cuts like a knife

I'm going to be candid for a moment. Because if I can't be candid on my own blog, then where?

Yes, we all know that I've been unemployed for almost one year now. One. Whole. Year. And for the most part I'm very optimistic and I stay very positive. But every once in a while I have a bad day. Anything can trigger this, or sometimes nothing at all will. It's just that when are you are persistent and always trying to see the good side of things sometimes it becomes too much and you just need to wallow. Luckily, I have very few of these days. But today was one.

And you know how when it rains, it pours?

Well, today it poured. I woke up in a funk for no reason. I just new it was going to be one of those days. As you may or may not know I've been waiting to hear back about numerous positions I have applied for. And for most of these positions I have had at least one interview. So, my outlook should have been bright, but it wasn't this morning. Instead of talking myself out of it I decided to just roll with it. It's Friday, the weekends are always fun so if I could just get through most of the day then before I knew it people would be off work, Jamie would be home and the weekend would officially begin. I let myself veg. I watched awful TV. I read every piece of information in the news (celeb gossip news anyway). I had an OK, wallowy day.

Then it happened, just a little while ago. The fateful email that one sends right before they leave the office for the weekend. Something they've been putting off all day.

"Thank you for you interest but we have decided to go in a different direction as we are looking for someone with a little more XXXXX."

I always appreciate it when someone sends a response telling you that they are not hiring you. Seriously. You would be amazed at how many people don't let you know they're moving on without you.

Rejection always sucks, but on a day where you're already in a crappy state of mind, it just doesn't help.

As far as the person sending the rejection note knows, you are having the best day ever, and maybe, on some occasions I have been, but not today. Today it just made everything sting a little more.

Ode to the gummy worm

I haven't been very inspired to blog lately, but I wanted to post something today. So, while snacking between lunch and dinner something occurred to me.

I really, really, really, love gummy worms.

Normally, a between meal snack for me would consist of something containing some nutritional value, but since I had veggies for lunch (for the most part) and we have practically no food in our house I had almost no choice but to go for the gummy worms.

I always keep gummy worms around.

Why do I love gummy worms? I don't mind gummy bears, I don't particularly like those stupid gummy fish, but something about gummy worms makes me happy.

In the words of an old American classic, I like to "bite their heads off, suck their juice out, ooey, gooey, gooey, gooey worms."

And the best part of gummy worms? You can buy them at Kroger for $1 bag, and you get like 30 worms! There are no fat in gummy worms, but they will make you fat because they are nothing but sugar, corn syrup and food coloring. So, in a way, I guess they are a nutritious snack. In moderation.

Maybe.

But they sure are delicious.