New Year, New ?

As a cat one of my most endearing traits is my ability to nap and lounge pretty much anywhere. 

Made 'em move the laptop aside to make room for Me

I've posted many photos since arriving here of me on mom's lap, dad's lap, my special mat, the bed, in boxes, on bags- you get the picture. 

Dad's not the only one who needs my help on this thing

Ahh, a life of luxury...

My favorite mat and toys

As a kind of year-end compilation I thought I'd post a collection of photos of me doing what dad says I do best. 

Couldn't pass up an opportunity to rest against dad's shoes

Dad also wants to clean up his "Cleo" folder, and there's a couple of sweet flashback photos at the end as well.

Yep, laptop assistant again.  See how hard I'm working?

 
     I'm also getting the sense that something's up.  Furniture's been getting carted off by strangers, mom's been stuffing their things into boxes and stacking them in the corner, picture holes are getting patched, clothes are getting put in boxes.  Yeah, they got rid of that comfy ten ton mancave chair we loved so much and dragged out the ratty old beach chair.  Are you thinking what I'm thinking?  

Pretty much glued to these pillows since mom took them out

     Dad took this picture of me on these red pillows that they put on the beach chair for dad's back, and it made him think of a certain someone else from an earlier time.  Mom also reminded him the other day that it's been 4 years since dear Orbit passed away, so dad went through a bunch of old photos from years past and, well, do you see a theme here?

Mom and dad's sweet old friend and this blog's founder

     
     

Mom and dad love you and still miss you so much.  But back to me...

     Once dad finished sniffling his way through dozens and dozens of pictures of He Who Came Before I managed to get him to help me finish this post. Here's hoping y'all had a wonderfully Merry Christmas and your New Year is bright, cheery, safe, fun and everything you want it to be.  I did end up getting a new catnip-filled pretzel for Christmas, a teeth-cleaning tool cleverly (or not so) disguised as a chew toy.  I pawed at it, rubbed my face all over it, tossed it around a bit, and then walked away.  I still poke at it now and then, but as with my other toys my interest in it comes and goes.  
     Christmas morning found me lounging in bed with mom and dad, and dad couldn't resist snapping these shots of me cuddling with mom while she slept.

   As I mentioned earlier, something's afoot.  I'm getting a little antsy, what with the stacks of boxes, our bed dismantled, my carrier on full display in the corner.  Mom and dad just finished painting the apartment, mom took down the drapes, and it appears we're living out of boxes at the moment. I'll keep you posted the best I can, and we'll see you on the other side of the New Year.  Y'all stay well, and may the new year be all you wish it to be. 

Merry Christmas to All!

     Here's wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas from me, mom and dad.  Once again we'll be keeping it simple, quiet and low key, just the way we like it.  We hope y'all's Christmas is safe, fun, warm & dry, and you have family and friends close and enjoy this merriest of seasons.

Meet Fifi

     In the spirit of this most festive and giving of seasons I've decided to allow dad to post something involving someone who is not me. 

This is Fifi, dad's oldest daughter's kitty. 

She lives up in Massachusetts and is quite the playful little thing.  One might surmise from her expression that she's not the friendliest of felines, but as happens with me and my annoying co-author occasionally she was simply photographed in the middle of a personal moment.

     Okay, so that's enough time for you up there. 

This is my blog afterall.  I was nice enough to give you the spotlight for one paragraph. 

     Dad: Come on now, big girl, it's always about you.  Is it really that hard to share the attention now and then?

     Okay fine.  I'm bored.  Whatever.  Wake me up when it's all about me again.  Hrrrmph...

     

Mom Playtime

As we've shown you in past posts I love playing with the toys mom and dad have given me.  I have my favorite playtime with dad (when I feel like it), and I also have fun with mom (again- when I feel like it).  
     My shoelace is my most favorite thing right now, and as with most other things mom and dad have their different ways of playing with me.  This is me and mom playing with my shoelace recently. Dad tied one of my fuzzy jingly balls on the end of it. 

Mom swished it back and forth and back and forth.  Goodness do I love to bat at it, grab it, tug on it and try to get it out of mom's grip.

    

And then I'm done playing.  It's usually to eat or drink, but I tend to get bored or distracted easily.  Whatever.  Hey, an old girl works up an appetite with all this activity, you know.

I Give Up

Can someone please remind me again what it is I'm doing here?  I've seen the stupid human photos with the peace signs behind the head and all the creative  dumbass photo bombs, but with your cat?  Really?  I don't remember seeing anything in my adoption papers that said I had to tolerate routine humiliation. Mom, I know dad is most often the dingleberry here, but...

Post Thanksgiving Day Post, Just Slightly Delayed

Sad girl with no turkey.

So Thanksgiving was a hoot... for mom and dad😡.  Oh sure, I got to smell the turkey and stuffing while they slow-cooked in the oven all morning (the bird and stuffing, not mom and dad).  And I got to watch mom and dad eat.  And I got to watch dad rip apart the carcass in preparation for his annual lets-make-turkey-soup-and-not-give-kitty-anything festival.  Yay.  What fun.  Woo hoo. 
     Sure, we all got to lounge and nap some.  But I do that every day.  I thought for sure I'd at least get to sample that damn bird.

I mean, look at all this glorious meat!  They got a 14 1/2 pound roaster, this is what was left after they filled their gullets, and I got none!  I got tired of my pleas being ignored, so I spent the day like this.

Nope, not a single wing or drumstick.

     Oh sure, I should be happy that I have a nice warm place to rest my weary bod and all that crap, but not even a shred of that juicy stuff was sent my way.  This is what remained of the bird as they didn't want to waste a single morsel.  

     With all this stock dad made a vat of soup the likes of which the world has never seen (sorry, had to sneak in a Trump jab), and they even have a couple of quarts in the freezer for future enjoyment.  Good for them.  No, really, I'm so happy they get to enjoy time and again that beautiful, golden brown, juicy, tender bird.  Just one question, Mr. I'm-eating-all-healthy-like-never-before: Where'd all that glorious, salted, golden brown crispy skin go?  Hmm?  

     Mom doesn't eat the skin, and I didn't see any amongst the leftovers or in the compost bucket. What's the matter, hmm?  Cleo got your tongue?

Woe is me...

Giving Thanks

Just a quick Thanksgiving Day post to say that I'm so very grateful for mom and dad spotting me in my solitary room at Orange County Animal Services way back and realizing they just couldn't live without a special senior girl and all the joy they knew she'd bring them.  Here's hoping every kitty out there longing for a furrever home gets as lucky as I was and finds that special place.  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Feeling the Love

Get that damn thing out of my face!

You know, for all that's said about Tortietude, cattitude, and other stupid words and sayings I've heard about us felines you've got to admit, we have our way of making humans love us. 

What?

Okay, so my facial expressions and often irksome countenance can say "Now what?" or otherwise show annoyance (I can't blame me.  Y'all should see what I have to tolerate sometimes).

You annoy me.  Go away.

At the end of the day, though, and in spite of my occasional bouts of irritation, annoyance and impatience with some of the things mom and dad do (alright Cleo, what's the title of this post?  Hmm?) mom, dad and I are one happy, loving trio. 

Getting some mom love

Dad is, well, a goofy, loving dad, and mom and I have one of those special mother/daughter relationships that I'm sure many of you can relate to.

Blog co-authors enjoying some sun puddle lounge time

Local Temperature Report

    From this past weekend:

Outside- 29 degrees
Inside- 68 degrees
Mom's side of theater chair (with teddy bear fleece, of course)- a toasty Zzzzz degrees  

     

The Girl in the Sun- My Screen Shots

     Here's a series of photos from a few weeks back, when the temps were still a little more open window-friendly and the air was nice and warm. 

Hope the Screen Holds!

Some of these past few days have signaled the oncoming chilly temperatures, especially at night, and my windows have been kept closed more.

     Dad says I'm exaggerating a little, but mom and I rule this place and are in command of all comfort control systems.  Tomorrow night's supposed to bring 27 degrees, so shut up, dad.

A Day in the Life of a Cat Blogger

Hard at work thinking of what to post

Sharing typing duties with dad

Gotta take a minute to think

Whew, that was rough! Gotta go nap (apologies for the poor focus here)

Another Perfect Morning

Flannel pants, a fleece throw and dad's warm lap- what more could an old girl ask for?  I do love the cooler weather.  Happy Halloween y'all!

Early Early Early

     Bear with me as I subconsciously direct dad on this post.  Mom and dad each have their own sleeping issues.  Dad's body wakes up ridiculously early every day because, well, just because.  Once his mind starts running around like a chicken with its head cut off there's no hope of returning to sleep.
     Mom often has trouble sleeping because her mind never stops.  And she likes her Diet Coke.  Plus she likes her Diet Coke.  Oh, and have I mentioned that she likes her Diet Coke?  If she drinks it too late in the evening it disturbs her sleep pattern.  This is the case today.
     So dad's body woke his mind up just before 3:30 this morning, when he stirred and found the bed empty.  Hearing the whispering of some program or other he went out to the living room and found mom (with me on her lap, of course) sitting in the lounger, wide awake.
     Flash forward about 10 minutes (after dad bypassed the preset 4:20 brew start on his coffee maker) and here we are, all snuggled together.  Mom can usually drift right off to sleep if she tries reading with her head on dad's lap while he sits with his coffee and whatever novel he's currently reading.  
     Though my favorite spot is down at the foot of the bed, this morning I felt the need to be just a little closer.

Yup, mom's finally asleep

     You know the cooler weather is upon us because mom recently dug out the afghan  (which I love)she keeps on the bed during the winter months.  Gonna be a long day...

Vacation Week

     Well there goes another year.  Dad just turned 57 (and he calls me an old fart?), and he's back to work after a relaxing week of what he calls staycation.  Once again, they kept it low key and low cost and just took it easy.

     Chapel Hill's Festifall was last week, and mom and dad walked downtown to take in the sights and sounds for the second year in a row.  Face painting, fun activities for kids, homemade crafts and art and music filled several blocks, and mom and dad got to sit and quench their thirst with an annual favorite while listening to the wonderfully talented kids from Chapel Hill's School of Rock.

     Octoberfest was on tap at Carolina Brewery, and the young musicians pumped out an incredible set on a nearby stage including their renditions of hits from Ozzy Osbourne, Alice in Chains and Metallica.  Yup, just another day of fist-pumping rock and suds sipping in the sun.

    For dad's birthday mom got tickets for Bohemian Rhapsody, which they'll be going to see in a couple of weeks. 

Dad's older brother turned him on to Queen in the 70's, and when he first heard about this movie earlier this year he said he couldn't wait to see it (dad rarely gets overly enthused about anything, so mom knew this was a big deal).
     They also made sure not to pass up Top of the Hill's annual offering, Blue Ridge Blueberry Wheat ale, which they try to catch at least once (or twice) while it's available in the fall.  
     Beer and music, music and beer.  Dad's sitting here buzzing like a saw.  Chill out mister.  You're back at work and back to reality.  Calm down. 
     As fun as all that sounds I spent the week doing what I do best and enjoy the most.  As you can see, time off from work and turning another year older mean nothing to me. My week was filled with:

This

 

and This

   

and This

 

and This

So anyway, Happy Birthday again.  Now get back to work. You gotta get rid of them extra pounds you soaked up during your semi-active week off.  And as much as you'd like to keep these damn balloons rolling around all year long mom says they gotta go.  Sorry Birthday Boy.  I'm sure mom'll get you some more next year.

     

     
     

Lazy Stormy Thursday

     Dad was on vacation this past week, and he celebrated his birthday (more on all that in the next post).  As our resident activity director mom always makes sure, the week was full of fun things to do.  
     As with Florence we got lucky up here and escaped the horrible tragedy and destruction of the storm, and our hearts go out to all those who are suffering and struggling in the aftermath of Michael.
     Mom and dad changed plans and kept it low key for Thursday, when the worst of the storm hit our area.  We pretty much just hung out, watching the lights flickering and the tall pines swaying, and listening to branches and pine cones hitting the roof.  
     Though I made sure to alternate between the two I took advantage of dad's extended lap availability, even though he was wearing shorts.