And away we go!

On Friday Big Dave and I are headed to the great state of North Carolina, for a week in a cabin in the woods, followed by a couple of days with my niece and nephew before heading back home. We are really looking foward to this vacation -- and the time spent away from phones, email, computers, and the day-to-day grind. I think we just need to recharge our batteries, so to speak.

My mother will be babysitting the 'kids" while we're away. And by "babysitting", I mean spoiling them so completely and totally rotten that when we get back they'll want nothing to do with us 'cause Nana treated them like little Kings and Queens. The canine will get six thousand walks a day, plus car rides and errand runs to and from town (where he will score at least 4-5 dog biscuits from the bank). Not to mention all-he-can-eat dog treats and chewies from Nana herself. The Felines will undoubtedly get "the good stuff" (canned cat food) in ample quantities, even though I've drawn detailed instructions on their feeding. They will also sleep with her at night, 'cause she doesn't mind being woken up at 3 am with "feed me" demands from 5 very vocal furballs.

And let me say that I appreciate her coming all this way to care for the kids. I really do. But let me share with you the phone conversation I've had with her today. This was an actual conversation. I am not making any of this up:

Me: We really appreciate your coming to watch the pets, Mom.

Mom: I'm happy to do it. It will give you and Dave time together, so you can relax and maybe focus on other things aside from work. Speaking of which, when am I going to get some grandchildren?

Me: You have real grandchildren, Mom. From your son. They live in South Carolina.

Mom: No No.. I mean grandchildren from you.

Me: You already have grandchildren from me. 5 of them, to be exact.

Mom: No.. no.. I mean REAL grandchildren, not furry ones. It's time to get off the pot and let us see some action. It's time.

Me: Mother, if you want more grandchildren THAT bad, I suggest you speak with your son, who has already provided you with two fine examples. In the meantime, Dave and I are working on it, but if you keep insisting on bringing up the subject, I will have to impose a no-grandchildren-penalty for the next six months.

Mom: We've been waiting for years, you know. Years.

Me: So you have proven that you are good at waiting, which means another 6 months won't be that bad, now will it?

Mom: I know it'll happen. Sooner or later, it'll happen. But I prefer it to be sooner.

Me: Yes, mom. I know Mom. We will take your preference into consideration. Now can we talk about somethig else?

And in another week, we will have a similar conversation. And the week after that, yet another conversation... you get the drift.

I really need this vacation.

Big Dave's New Toy

Big Dave picked up his new toy today, the Wii balance board. For those of you unfamiliar with it, let me describe. It's a little bigger than the average bathroom scale, with outlines where you place your feet. It's hooked up to the Wii game system, and you can do Yoga exercises, Strength Training, Balance Training, and various coordination games. The idea is to get people exercising while "playing" video games. I tried it out briefly, and it's actually pretty fun. The Yoga was challanging for me, because while I can balance on one foot, I can't keep my body as centered as the program requires. But it's good, because I need to stretch more and retrain my body to be more flexible. Seems hard to believe how rigid my body has become -- can't touch my toes, can't do a split, can't even reach my arms behind my back without pulling a muscle (I know.. I know.. pretty sad). So the new goal is to try to use the board at least 3x a week, to help shape my body into a better posture and better balance. I know I have an uphill battle, but at least I have a goal.

As for Big Dave, he just likes watching me stretch. And bend. And.. well.. just never you mind. : )

Truth be told, I think that's why he bought it in the first place.

Dinner Companions

I was doing some spring cleaning earlier this week and came across some old school folders. You know the ones -- dog-eared, battered, with doodles all over the front and back, with notes like "I love _____" and "Kimmie and Jennie BFF" (Was I ever really THAT stupid and annoying?!?!) What caught my attention, however, was one paper I wrote back in junior year of high school (I won't say what year that was!) in which we wrote about throwing a dinner party for eight, and who we would invite to that party. Our guests had to be real people, not necessarily famous, but they could be living or dead. (Kinda gross to be throwing a dinner party for the non-breathing and pulse-lacking, but at the time I didn't question the assignment). I had to laugh at my choices for guests, because today my list would be totally different. I won't even go into detail about my junior year list, because it's too embarassing. Instead, I'd like to share with you my bread new, still-in-the-box list of People I'd Like to Invite to Dinner:

1. Mark Twain. He was, and still is, America's best humorist. I would be very interested to hear his take on society today. No doubt he would be extremely disappointed with how we've turned out.
2. Richard Harris. Actor and master storyteller. Conversation would not be lacking during the entire evening. But the booze would definitely take a hit, as he was a well known admirer of the drink. But then again, a drunk storyteller is the most amusing kind of drunk.
3. Unsinkable Molly Brown. She was a woman ahead of her time, who didn't care what people thought of her. I wouldn't even ask her about the Titanic, because, to me, her life after surviving the disaster was even more interesting.
4. Frank McCourt. Teacher. Author. Immigrant. He could be a drinking companion for Mr. Harris. Two drunk storytellers for the price of one! That could get interesting.
5. Jane Austen. Writer, feminist. I think she and Molly would have so much to talk about, as they had many of the same opinions, just 150 years apart.
6. Dame Judy Dench. Brittish Actor. Best known for her portrayl of "M" in the James Bonds movies. She's had so many delicious roles, and she doesn't suffer fools gladly. I would love to see the interaction between her and Richard Harris.
7. John Buckley Whitehead. He was a Civil War Union soldier who served in a Connecticut regiment for almost a year. He kept a diary of his time in service, which I have a copy of, and his experiences are astounding. Oh, and he's my many-times-great grandfather. I would love to meet him.
8. Annie Besant. Reformer and supporter of India's Home Rule Movement. She was also a supporter for England's working poor and the suffrage movement. What I admire most about her is her desire to never stop learning, and her ability to embrace many different ideas and philosophies, and her respect for the poor and downtrodden. She could probably teach us all what it really means to work for the greater good.

The Bunny is AWOL

Sad news to report for this blog session:

Gizmo the bunny escaped from the porch. She chewed a hole in the window screen and hightailed it to greener pastures. Well, maybe not so green, seeing as how we're in desperate need of rain. But wider pastures, definitely.

Since we live in a rural area, we doubt we will find her, or that she'll come back on her own. Big Dave was upset for a couple of days, but I think after a couple of weeks, he may consider the option of getting another bunny.

In the meantime, I've got a screen to fix and a porch to scrub down (before she left, she deposited some bunny nuggets in the stress lines on the concrete floors -- very hard to reach, even with the skinny vaccuum attachment). If worse comes to worse, I'll have to use a plastic knife to push 'em out.

Is this really what my life has become -- rabbit poop pusher? Somehow, I don't think that'll be an impressive addition to my resume.

Addictions for Everyone!

Last weeks blog focused on my cats' reaction to catnip. But during the week, I started to think about all those other things that the pets have cravings for, and some of them are downright weird. So, of course I immediately thought I should post them for your enjoyment. So here they are: Things That My "Kids" Are Addicted To.

Koda: hibiscus flowers, Nylabones (nearly-indestructable bones made from Nylon), time with Mom on the couch, Greenies, any and all human food, vegetables (especially whatever the rabbit happens to be getting), and rawhide chewies.

Sage: catnip, beef jerkey (Big Dave's fault), cooked spaghetti (he thinks it's worms).

Smokey: Daddy time, crumbs (especially from potato chips or crackers), tunneling under the covers, canned cat food, cat treats

Roscoe: bedtime with Mom, catnip, tuna, "special time" with Casey, butter, cat treats, and canned cat food.

Casey: canned cat food, "special time" with Roscoe, whatever is in Koda's dish, coffee

Gizmo: broccoli, sunflower seeds, snow peas, Daddy time, tormenting the cats, shredded cabbage.

And to be fair, here's a list of addictions for Big Dave and me:

Big Dave: gaming, beef jerkey, chicken wings, bacon, made from Scratch French Onion soup, comic books, and me.

Me: chocolate, bread, puzzles, carrot cake, Agatha Christie podcasts, books, and Big Dave.

So there you have it. As you can see, the "kids" really didn't stand a chance at being normal, but then again, we are one big, happy, addiction-riddled family!