Miscellaneous with Pet Photos

All you blogging friends are like invisible little people who follow me around all day and from time to time I talk to you. Well, I think at you. That is, I am doing something or see something and I think "Boy, I should tell Blog Person A (or Blog Person B or even Blog Persons One and All) about this!" I take photos for you guys too. Although lately it seems all the best photo ops have only happened when I'm somewhere and my camera is someplace else (ie., at home).

But then when I sit down at the computer and open up a "Create Post" screen, all those funny stories and interesting tidbits have evaporated or been misfiled or no longer seem that interesting. And I'm left typing along, like I am right now, wondering what I'm gonna say next. 'Cuz it's a mystery to me.

Either that or I have so many great ideas to blog that they pile up on each other, three or five ideas a day, and I can only use one or two of them. Funny thing though, after a few days of this log jam, there doesn't seem to be any leftover subjects I feel the need to write about. Perhaps they have a radioactive half life, which is what makes them so interesting in the moment they pop into my head and then nonexistent days later.

Something I've been meaning to share with you guys for a while now, in fact I think I've made a stab or two at it already, rather unsuccessfully, is Fat Cat, aka Ginny Weasley. I think it's really really hard to find a way to show you the proportion, and it's impossible to show you how DENSE she is. Everyone who sees her for the first time just stops and stares and then says "Oh my God, that's the fattest cat I've ever seen!" If you try to pick her up your mouth just starts saying "What the.... is this cat made out of bricks!?" or alternate unbidden comment "This cat weighs a ton!"

She started out a perfectly normal cat, honest. We don't feed her extra. She just.... absorbs calories right out of the air???? Here's a photo of her from above. See how tiny her head is compared to her body? She's sitting, squatting down really, here, but she's no thinner when she stands, except maybe right at the shoulders. Most important, look at her size in relation to the dog's dish a few inches away from her there on the left. Now, take a look at this next photo.


This is my dog curled up next to the same bowl. See the size of the bowl? See the size of the dog? True, she's a tiny dog. But still. Now, scroll back and look at the size of the cat next to the bowl. To pick this cat up, I have to use both arms and bend carefully from the knees, back straight. Sometimes we chase her around the yard in hopes she'll lose a few ounces.

Speaking of eating and calories, we went to Sam's house for the Superbowl yesterday. It was great fun. And very high calorie. There was a double decker pizza. There were brownies. And Sam made the most amazing homemade jalapeno poppers. Roasted chilis stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped with sizzling bacon. More calories in just ONE of 'em than I probably eat total on a typical day. But oh, my, delicious. I ate two.

I opted out of the pre-game and half of the game viewing, instead I enjoyed some city shopping. Mostly I went around to all the stores I thought I wanted to buy something at and then talked myself out of buying those things. I did buy some shampoo, some knitting needles, some tea, some incense, and a huge amount of personal chocolate, so it's not like I didn't buy anything. But I was most pleased with the jeans, shirts, books, fabric, yarn, CD, and boots I did NOT buy. I wrote about it a bit more over on Laume's Studio, as it was related to crafting and my Refashion Pledge.

Going over to Redding yesterday was one of those bizarre trips through the seasons that can only happen where a lot of different climate zones and elevations all huddle together. (Or in the quicklands of the manido-aki..... I'm reading DeLint again) In the eastern half of the US, if it's winter where you live, it's winter for a thousand miles in any direction. Here in the west, it might feel like late winter here in town, all soggy and gray but maybe crocus or violets starting to peek out. Up over the mountains it's snow and ice winter. Coming down the western slope it's early spring trees starting to bud. And in the valley it's green grass and flowers and "why did I wear a long sleeved shirt!!??" summer warm. But we're not fooled. We brought coats, scarves, and mittens for the drive back home. It was a beautiful blue sky day and I wanted to stop and take a zillion photos along the way, but I didn't. I knew I'd be in big trouble if I made a certain football son miss a moment of even the Pre-Game Show. But it's so magical, to drive in and out of two or three seasons like that, all within a hundred miles. (In San Diego County I can do it in half the distance!)

Speaking of magic, this last weekend were the winter Faerie Masquerade Balls up in Eugene, Oregon. All our faerie tribe from Faerieworlds gathered together, or at least those that lived near enough or who could afford to travel there, to dance and sing and laugh and and make merry for Friday's Good Faerie Ball and Saturday's Bad Faerie Ball. We really couldn't manage it, although for a while there I thought Lisa was going to attend, which would have allowed me a vicarious thrill, but in the end that didn't work out.

What bummed me most was that the Bad Faerie Ball was Kan'Nal's final performance. I'm not sure why they won't be performing together any more. I'm guessing it's for personal travel reasons and to pursue individual musical goals. They say they'll be back together again in 2010 but, I know how these things go. Maybe, maybe not. I only discovered the band two years ago and couldn't stop dancing to them. They performed again at last summer's Faerieworlds. I had worn myself out dancing to Gaia Consort right before, so even though I'd been waiting all year for another chance to dance to Kan'Nal, I only managed a few songs before I decided to let it go, that there would always be next year. Well, there won't be. There's a lot of sayings about how you should "grab the day". I missed that one. I try to keep perspective. There's a lot of sayings about "something new 'round the bend" as well. True. Very true. But I'm still bummed. I would have liked to see their last performance. It's a theatrical treat as much as it is a musical one.

Speaking of Faerieworlds, now I'm always on the lookout for faerie garb. I've stopped buying mundane clothing, but there just has to be room for one more whimsy, or potential whimsy. I went to the bag sale at the thrift shop a couple days ago and found some clothes that are pretty damn ugly as they are, but they're made out of amazing fabrics that I can imagine refashioned into magical fae wear. I really scored on this last thrift shop visit. I got a dozen paperback books, the aforementioned clothes, some craft supplies, a wall candle sconce, an old suitcase for craft supply storage (which didn't fit in the bag, obviously, it was on the free table!), an antique bowl and.... other stuff, can't remember and I'm too lazy to go check.... all for $3. Yep. Great score. High five.

And, that's it. I've got to run. Time to go pick up the carless and moniless teen from school. And then I'm going to go snap a few photo ops I missed but the locations are stuck in my head. I have to get to them before I forget or the scene is gone. I'll leave you with one more pet photo.

My little monkey girl - she's easily 25% ears.