Visit The Carnival Of Christmas

Busy Holiday. Now that we have slowed up a bit, you will want to go check out the Carnival Of Christmas being hosted at Adams Blog. Excellent Christmas stories that will make you laugh, cry, contemplate and just plain enjoy. Don't neglect to read about some of the excellent charitable organizations he highlights here. And especially don't forget to make a donation. We are all so blessed to just have been born here and not in some God-forsaken hell hole.

Losing My Cats For Christmas

Day after Christmas. Back to work. Child #1 had today off as his Christmas holiday - I will get to take my holiday on Thursday. Which is fine. I had Friday off for my Christmas Eve and so had a 3 day weekend. Next week as well I get an extra day off since New Year's falls on a Sunday. Gonna get spoiled working only 4 days for three weeks in a row. CEO Dad has every day off since his sudden disability retirement this year. He just grins at Child #1 and me as we trudge out in the cold and dark. Not that we mind - he put in 37 years at his job. Out in the weather, working as much as 84 hours in a week at times. There were a lot of Christmases that he did not arrive home until noon or later. The man has earned an early retirement. Plus he's turning into a great little wife! The dishes are done. My work uniforms are always washed, dried and folded. He goes to the grocery store. He's even doing some cooking. (Asked me if there's anything I would like him to fix, but when I said "pasta" he said no way 'cause he is sure I will not like how it turns out. I say he's got to try making it a few times before he'll get the hang of it, but he wants a RECIPE! for crying out loud. How can you give anyone a recipe for meat sauce or meatballs or lasagna? You just have to grab a bunch of recipes and lay them out on the table and take a smattering from each as you think it appeals to your tastes. After a while you just know how to make it.) But I digress. The thing that is beginning to worry me is that the cat hair gets vacuumed. The litter boxes get emptied. He has taken to feeding the cats their evening meal of "Stinky Goodness". (Hat tip to PsychoKitty at PsychoKitty Speaks Out for that exquisite turn of a phrase.) I am beginning to believe that he is trying to STEAL MY CATS. He admonishes them when their game of "Bite My Brother" gets out of hand. He lets them sit on the kitchen table and feeds them HAM at 10am promptly every morning.

He keeps their favorite blankets washed, dried and in their preferred spots. CEO is also trying to usurp MY job as "Keeper of the Door". And this picture is the ultimate proof.... my Zath'ras, my Squeaky Boy, my Little Bad Cat, caught on film in the arms of another.

Luckily the cats are afraid of the C-Pap machine and still want to sleep in their Mommy's bed. Usurper.

Carnival Of Christmas

Adam's Blog is running a Carnival of Christmas and is looking for submissions. They must be in by Friday, so hurry and post your best Christmas stories, poems, videos, etc. You can read the guidelines for the Carnival here. Everyone has something to share I'm sure, so don't be shy!

Revealed

A rare photo of The Keeper of the Can Opener as she went to a Christmas dance last weekend. There are few times a skirt like this can be worn without looking silly and with the fur trimming it must kept far away from the boys. (They would tear it to shreds in about 5 minutes is my guess.) But it is fun to drag out once a year. I love how it moves when my partner spins me, but I'm just not a skirt kind of girl. It's so much easier to wear jeans - they have pockets, no purse required.

Carnival Of The Cats # 91!

This week's Carnival Of The Cats is up and running at Music and Cats. Be sure to visit this terrific roundup of Friday catblogging. Next week the Carnival will be hosted by Watermark. You can make your submissions for the next Carnival here. And the Friday Ark #65 has set sail at The Modulator. Sure, I'm partial to the kitties, but The Modulator has something for everyone. Check it out. If you just don't have time to visit all these sites right now, here's a picture of a couple pretty kitties to tide you over. Zath'ras snuggles up to Pumpkin in a show of brotherly love.

Another Use For Kitty Litter

It is snowy here in Michigan. The cats are loathe to go outside and that means a lot more litter box cleaning. Which reminds me of a favorite work story. The trucks our drivers use are small domestic pickups that handle poorly in the best of conditions. We try to put a little extra weight in the back during the winter season. Two years ago, when I was still driving, we threw a couple 40# bags of Ice Melt in back of each. Unfortunately my bags got stolen while I was making a delivery. (I swear some people will take anything that isn't tied down.) I was furious that anyone would be such a lowlife and wanted to figure out something I could put in the bed that no one would be able to take - or would regret if they did. It came to me a couple days later. At the time we had 5 cats. Lots of poop. I was cleaning the litter boxes thinking how "This stuff sure weighs a lot more used than it does new." The light bulb came on and I put all the garbage bags full of used kitty litter inside the empty kitty litter bags and taped them back up. It took a couple weeks till I had enough, but in the winter of 2003, I drove around with 100# of nastiness in my truck bed. One of those bags got stolen as well and I still smile imagining the surprise that thief got when he opened his ill gotten gains. Got plenty for our drivers this season. Good Kitties. Mommy's little poop machines.

Friday Night Strange

This is the purr-fect gift for Christmas. Especially if you have a cat with a tender tummy like my Zath'ras. Hat tip to Texas Oasis. This video is a hoot - thank goodness the woman didn't get hurt or it wouldn't be a chuckle. Hat tip to Allen.

Friday! Time to Catblog!

It has been a busy week. There have been a couple people on vacation this week at work, so I have worked a little overtime. The extra $$$ will be nice but it was hard to find a chance to blog without giving up some other activity. In my case that would be dance classes. I would rather skip the blogging than miss a class. Right now I'm doing classes three nights a week. On Saturdays (sometimes Fridays as well) my partner and I go out and get to practice what we've been learning. I have learned that I do not know how to count to eight. But today is Friday and I have to make time to catblog. The boys have been pretty well behaved this week. They must be trying to make a good last minute impression on Santa Claws. Or perhaps it's just the snow and cold that has made them lazy and docile and I am mistaking that for good behavior. Except for Zath'ras of course - he is always up to some mischief. I wondered how they would like the big tree - it was absent last year and I wasn't sure if they would have any memories of it. Mr. Bigglesworth could not wait for the tree to go up. He had to get under it as soon as the first three layers of branches were attached. Zath'ras waited patiently till the decorations were on and then proceeded to be a bad, bad kitty. As if he doesn't hack up enough hairballs without adding aluminum Christmas tree bits to the mix. Pumpkin had no interest in a fake tree that can't be climbed or used for claw sharpening and has no tasty birds perched in it. For all you cat lovers, be sure to visit the Friday Ark, and also get your submissions in for this week's Carnival Of The Cats. Carnival #91 will be hosted by Music and Cats. The boys and I wll see you there. Carnival # 90 is running right now at Quite Early One Morning. The triplets are just three of the many fine felines participating. Enjoy!

Ever Gleam Forever

Today is the day for putting up the trees. Yes, that's right - trees. Try to stifle your jealousy that I am the owner of not just one, but two, aluminum Christmas trees. There is a 4 foot vintage Ever Gleam made by Aluminum Specialties Company back in the 60's. The other is a 7 foot beauty purchased new in 2002 from National Tree Company over the internet, for about $170. It is the tree of my dreams, gorgeous, full, fluffy (and easy to assemble). It gleams like a multi-colored diamond with the color wheel (a gift from my dearest friend) trained on it. It is so nice to not have to deal with putting the lights on. The shifting colors are soothing and transform the appearance of the tree as they change. Child #1 is into kitsch and likes it fine, Child #2 thought it is corny and tacky (Corny perhaps, but the new tree is definitely NOT tacky). The fur balls enjoy sitting under it, but prefer a real tree that they can climb. However, their combined weight of 70 pounds is enough to topple a tree and I am glad it's not necessary to anchor the tree to the wall with wire coat hangers and nails anymore. The Ever Gleam tree is one of the trees of my childhood. Seems kind of sparse now, but back in the day my Nonnie had one and I thought it was the coolest thing. This one was for sale at an estate auction in the summer of 2004. When I saw the tree in its beat up box I was filled with desire. I would bid as high as necessary to make it mine. I was envisioning having to pay about $50. Silly me. There was little interest in the thing. Bidding opened at $1 and the only other bidder seemed half-hearted. At $5 the other bidder dropped out. Oh the joy! There were even some old ornaments in their original boxes inside. Perfect. Here's how it looks in all its magnificence.

Last year only the small tree went up. It was the first Christmas without Child #2 and I had no heart for the holiday. The small tree was doable because it had never seen a Christmas with my child. I debated this year if I wanted to put up one tree, both trees or no tree at all and changed my mind several times. But this afternoon I will do it. Hope to not get too weepy over the special ornaments. The fancy, unusual ones we bought yearly in sets of 4 or 6 and were divided among the (human) boys and me. They were meant to connect us forever and over the miles at Christmas once the boys grew up and had their own homes and trees. Child #2 will never take ownership of his box of ornaments. I guess Mom will have try to look at them and smile about the memories, not just grieve over the loss. I will post an updated picture of the big tree once it is decorated.

You can read and see more about aluminum trees at these sites -

The Aluminum Tree & Aesthetically Challenged Seasonal Ornament Museum and Research Center (ATOM) will display 50 to 60 vintage aluminum trees in Asheville, North Carolina this Christmas season.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has an exhibit this year named "Ever Gleaming: Wisconsin and the Aluminum Christmas Tree" It tells the story of the origin and development of the aluminum tree at Aluminum Specialty Company of Manitowoc, Wisconsin and will feature the trees and their accessories such as rotating tree stands and colored light wheels.

The Manitowac Herald Times Reporter has this article about the trees.

UPDATE: Big tree is assembled & decorated, complete with cats underneath. Can't find the gosh darn color wheel. Grumble, grumble. Where the heck did I put it? May have to buy a new one (the surest way to make the old one turn up). Oh well, I do have TWO aluminum trees. Guess I should have two color wheels.

Carnival Of The Cats # 90!

I have to admit that the reason this blog exists is so that the boys could participate in the Carnival Of The Cats and the Friday Ark. You have to have a permanent link to their photos in order to participate. Can't just send a jpg. Well I know that my little darlings are the finest cats in the entire world and I had to get a blog going in order to share their splendor with the entire blogosphere. I am expecting many proposals from the females of the species when they see these handsome brothers. For those unfamiliar with the Carnival Of The Cats, you can check out last week's Carnival (hosted by the Meowers Of Death at When Cats Attack) here. And be sure to check the Friday Ark #63 at The Modulator for more catblogging and other animal photos. If you have a cat photo you would like to share, the 90th Carnival Of The Cats will be taking submissions until 7pm ET on Sunday. If you have a permanent link to a picture of your cat, you can get the info needed to submit your photo at http://carnivalofthecats.com/ This week's Carnival will be hosted by Quite Early One Morning.

They Gotta Learn How To Relax

No, this is not Jonestown - they did not drink the Koolaid. But Zath'ras, Pumpkin & Biggie did eat the ham. Lots and lots of ham. Now it is time for their early mid-morning nap. (Not to be confused with the late mid-morning or mid-late afternoon nap.)

Mental Illness & The LLL

In the name of freedom, the left said people who are unable to cope have the right to refuse medication and help. These poor unfortunate souls now get attorneys to help them enforce their rights - including the right to be able to live on the street in misery. I have family that are Democrats. Not crazy LLLs, just folks who grew up Democrat and refuse to see how the party has changed and been taken over by the moonbats. One family member works for the state in the mental health field. They are always raving about how all the layoffs in their department are the fault of the Republicans. I tell them that it was the Dems who insisted you can't lock up or force the people into treatment. What's the government supposed to do - keep the asylums open when there is no one to populate them? I know asylums had a bad name and there were abuses, but the libs went too far. It is almost impossible to get someone committed now. If you manage that, they get released as soon as their meds kick in and they can function. Then out they go to a world where they are not supervised in the taking of said meds and well, the obvious happens. And the Dems complain about the problem of the homeless and mentally ill THAT THEY CAUSED!! There was a great place near my home. Eloise, the county mental health hospital. Huge acreage out in what was a fairly rural area when it was built. The patients had their own farm and gardens, stores and library and church. It resembled a college campus with many dorms, large and small. The patients were able to live in peace and safety away from the predators and their own demons. Sure it would be ideal if they could have lived in the world. But they couldn't and it is a shame that they have all been thrown to the wolves now. Eloise is long gone, we have the mentally ill living sad, dangerous, desperate lives out in the world, but the Dems in my family just don't get it.

Thoughts On The Miami Airport Shooting

First off I want to make it clear that I am sorry that a person died in this incident. IF the facts are as has been stated, it is a darn shame. However,

• Good for the Air Marshals. They had no choice.
• No, they could not have shot to wound, not kill. If he did have a bomb they had to be certain that he would not be able to finish his mission.
• The Air Marahals would have been remiss to listen to the wife. Had there been a bomb and they had hesitated because of her protestations the man may have succeeded in killing many.
• I want to see proof he was mentally ill and supposed to be on medication. Medical records please. We only have his wife's word that he was mentally ill. Trust, but verify.
• This could have been a dry run, a probe of our security. The terrorists have done that before.
• It's not our fault he chose to go off his meds. He made that decision.
• If he was mentally ill and off his meds what in heck is wrong with his wife that she didn't make sure to slip them in his o.j. for a couple days before the flight.
• If a person claims to have a bomb, that's good enough proof for me.
• If you do not comply when law enforcement tells you to get on the ground and not move but instead reach for something, they are justified to shoot you.
• If anyone should be blamed for this, it is the Islamofacists who changed our world on 9/11.

All I Want For Christmas

Now I know what I want for Christmas! I read in this month's issue of "Family Handyman" that there is now a table saw which has a blade that senses the touch of skin and will stop and retract the blade (within 5 milliseconds) upon accidental contact. Watch what happens when they (try) to run a hotdog through it. Barely a nick. You probably wouldn't even need a bandaid. Absolutely unbelievable the speed with which the blade disappears. So amazing that I had to watch it more than once. The blade and brake assembly have to be replaced after being set off ($70), but way cheaper than the cost of a trip to the ER. I've always wanted a table saw, but was afraid, having been present when my Dad mangled himself (not seriously) with his. Maybe I can get one now. Check out the video here. There is also a slow motion video you can click on at the site. I envision this becoming standard equipment in shop classes very soon. The cabinet model is quite expensive, but the SawStop company is supposed to be coming out with a reasonably priced contractor's model in '06.

Won't Get Fooled Again

Meet the new boss, The same as the old boss. After 7 weeks of not having a manager at my place of business, we finally have one. Big deal. I hope he will do well and help the situation we have been dealing with, but fact is, this is manager #9 for me in just over 2 years. I don't even bother to learn their names until they have been there two weeks. And to paraphrase Bill Cosby - "I've seen the boss's job and I don't want it."

Day One

First? ;-D Someday, if I am really blessed, people will be posting here and asking that, hoping that they got the distinction. This blog is being dedicated to my cats, but it will certainly be about more than just "the boys". The Gang Of Three is a good place to start though - who couldn't love a group like this? Pumpkin is front and center, Mr. Bigglesworth (aka Biggie) is back left, Zath'ras is back right.