Merry Christmas

 Merry Christmas to all the furriends we've made in Blogger since way back when Angel Orbit started it, Angel Cleo took over and now I carry it on. You're all special to us, and me and dad enjoy visiting you all when we can and we appreciate your visits and all your comments. 

Really, dad?

 Oh Good Gosh. Dad, ever the late bloomer, has discovered AI. As if Lunapic and Picture to People weren't enough. I'm so sorry, all. Bear with it, okay?

Come on, girlie, you gotta admit- that's your expression pretty much 95% of the time...

Festive Feline Foto Op

 Ol' Smudgy Pants is getting in the Christmas spirit- well, there's our little tree and there's Smudge- so, yeah. 

You know, dad, I think my velvety charcoal furs blend nicely with the chill glow from our tree, don't you?

Of course, of course. But what I find amusing with these pictures is where you're perched. You're all nice and cozy and relaxed as usual- 

                    zoom out

Really? Again with the footrest thing? Let it go already. Just enjoy the fact that I've been sitting with you guys. Sheesh.

No Post This Week

 The boy genius says he's busy. Says he's not feeling it. Creativity's not flowing through his thick, aging, balloon-like noggin. He's actually on vacation this week. I swear, do I have to do everything myself 'round here?

Footrest Favoring Feline

 So, I know we've shown photos in posts past of our sweet Smudge on my chair's footrest,

But she told me to go ahead and post more anyway since she knows how adorable she can be.

Since she's most definitely grown more comfortable with us and has continued to develop routines,

she's taken to claiming her spot on the footrest pretty much every night while her mom and I sit and watch tv.

Though her favorite, hands down, is the one on my chair, she surprised us the other night by balancing on her mom's.

I say balancing because the footrest on that one is just barely wide enough for her, umm, circumference, shall we say. 

Easy there, big guy- you do realize mom's just being nice when she talks about how "cute" your muffin tops are, right?

Okay, my bad. Anyway, as annoying as it can be at times, Smudge pretty much owns the footrest. Sure, she occasionally curls up on one side or a corner, but 99% of the time she takes up the prime acreage.

And we've learned to be alright with that. 

Damn straight.

Needless to say, please forgive the overabundance of footrest fotos. Sometimes I just can't help myself.

Understatement. . . 

No Words- The Book & Bed Session

 

Getting a Jump On It

 Mom and dad have always liked to splutter and blitch about premature holiday decorating no matter where they've lived. It seems each year it gets earlier and earlier that some people put up their Christmas, Thanksgiving and Halloween yard adornments just a bit too early, am I right? And don't even get dad going on his opinion of those obnoxious oversized inflatables (no offense to anyone). So mom and dad were recently strolling down the sidewalk over in Allentown, NJ when they came upon a house with this festive display in the front yard-

Mom had recently seen a similar photo somewhere, and they thought it was hilarious to see this one up close and in person. 

Here's hoping everyone's Thanksgiving Day is as safe, warm and pleasant as it can be, and be careful if you're in the path of that storm system that's a-brewing. 

Toesies for Tuesday

 

Doot, Doot, Doo, Lookin' Out My Back Door

 

Yeah, a nod to CCR, one of mom's favorite bands. And yeah, that is our back door- sliders, actually, and one of my new places to sit and gaze at whatever's happening out there. And just for variety even though it doesn't match the lyrics:

Our front door has a full glass storm door, so I get to safely see up close all the goings-on out that way, too.

reNEWed HOPE (that we're done moving?) Part I

 Well, I think we've finally landed in our, uh, new home, though it took a lot out of us.

New Hope Visitor's Center 

We first hit the hip, artsy little borough of New Hope, PA back in I-don't-remember-exactly-when, settling temporarily in an Airbnb directly over Main Street.

Some of the marvelous architecture downtown

Now, mind you, everybody loves a party, lots of friends, abundant options for food and drink, and crowds of entitled pedestrians, but we aren't everybody.

Right across from where we stayed

New Hope certainly is quaint, and mom and dad love the ancient architecture all around this area, especially all the stone houses, but the downtown scene was not for us, especially since we typically like to sleep at night.

Apparently quite the popular spot in town

I know, I know, we're asking a lot, right? So we're just getting settled in our new place and learning our way around here. We're in a tight little development where, with one or two exceptions, it seems no one knows anyone, which suits us just fine. It's a fair bit different from where we were in Asheville, but it's home. Until this move, we'd never even heard of New Hope, but based on the roving downtown packs of pedestrians pretty much every day I'd say we're the exception.

Look real close. See him?

Lots of these guys spotted several times during our stay. Waiting to swoop down for some entitled roadkill perhaps?

Dad won't stop bitching about the speed limits in the negative numbers on these roads, and it seems everything's more expensive up here. Personally, I think dad's gotten a tad grouchier since turning another year older during the move. As always, me and mom just ignore him.

On the Road

 My goodness. That's it, just my goodness. I don't recall ever spending so much time in a moving vehicle in all my howevermanyteen years. This post will be somewhat delayed as we've been traveling,

Dad's Ever-Alert Copilot

although we're going on a couple of weeks now in just one more of our temporary homes. Let me just say, it's been a trip. Since leaving our home in Asheville, we've been Airbnb & Hotel hopping, and we're not quite done yet.

One of our last days at the hotel in Asheville before hitting the road northward

All I can say is, we're looking forward to getting settled sometime next week. All the human frustrations of uprooting & relocating- yep, I'm getting to experience 'em firsthand. I'm seeing and hearing all the marvelously colorful words human beings splurt during such times, and I know they're not done yet. Riding sucks while confined to my carrier (and I let dad know it oh so loudly, let me tell you) but not quite so bad when I can do it like this:

Oh, and dad says he doesn't wanna hear anything about me being unrestrained and all that. We got here safe and sane (Well, we're safe anyway).

Settled? What? Part II

 Hey friends, furry and all, just a quick smattering of shots showing how chill I've managed to stay in our temporary place in spite of all the upheaval and turmoil (which seems to be increasing).

We're still in Asheville, but it looks like our next post will be coming to you from someplace further north between a popular cream cheese brand and that crazy, noisy & stinky place where those two darn dogs steal dad's attention now and then. Apologies for not visiting & commenting much. Gotta go.

Settled? What?

  Goodness me, we're a bit behind. 

I know that mom and dad have moved a time or two (or three or four) over the years, and although I've heard them discussing many times how settled they've gotten here in the Asheville area since before I adopted them and how much they love the western North Carolina mountains, we're currently in the midst of an adventure (not a term mom, especially, would use). Some of my favorite hiding spots disappeared and there were stacks of boxes everywhere.

My coffee table went MIA, the futon vanished, the sofa went missing and the house pretty well emptied out. I'd overheard conversations-some excited chatter, others negative and loaded with cursing- about the property finally selling. You see, dad is the caretaker for a sprawling private mountainside residential estate that'd been on the market for quite a while, and our house is part of the estate. When dad's employer decide to relocate and asked dad if he'd be willing to stay with them he was initially hesitant because he and mom had grown to love this area. However, after some discussion, they decided that it made sense to stay with dad's employer since they've been so good to mom and dad since he started working for them in the summer of 2020 (yes, well into the early phase of the pandemic!) So our home away from home away from home mentioned in the previous post was something referred to as an AirBnb, which we've since vacated. Let me just say, the term "Superhost" Doesn't mean the home is clean, odor-free and safe, and I'll just leave it at that. We're now coming to you from replacement temporary quarters in Asheville, and it's looking like we'll be moving north to more permanent temporary housing within the coming weeks. I think. Confusing, I know. At least I have some of my comforts from what used to be our home,

and I'm learning to relax in some new favorite spots while we're here.

Seussically Smudge & Post-Lagging

 One cat

 Two cat

Bed cat

 Shoe cat

Your first thought is probably that dad's trying to make space in his "Smudge" photo folder (partly true). I, however, know differently. Upheaval. Chaos. Change. Been absent for a bit, but lots going on. We're coming at you from our home away from home away from home (dad's actually doing this post from NYC where he is once again taking care of two attention-stealing canines). More to come. So how 'bout that rhyme? 

Maybe Next Time Get a Lighter Colored Futon

 

Sheesh, talk about making a mountain out of a molehill. Dad says if you click on the image you'll better see the mess someone made before I curled up on the darn thing. 

So Many Things So Hard to Capture

 Smudge has been delighting us lately with some silly/interesting/peculiar antics, especially for a senior kitty. Unfortunately, it's been difficult to capture much of this behavior so we can share it here. Now, I know it sounds like an excuse for poor photography skills, but typically, by the time I grab my phone and hit the camera app, she's already off to eat, pee, or as most often happens, just plop down in the middle of the floor. One example would be her crocheted egg playtime. Her mom and I toss and roll it back and forth alongside or over Smudge as she lounges between us, and she does some amazing acrobatics, twisting, stretching (though mostly only her upper body seems to want to do the moving), and occasionally jumping and turning mid-air while trying to catch the egg. The only shot I've been able to get so far is this. See how lithe and energetic she can be? 

If you look real close, you can detect movement. Seriously. See?

How's that for an action shot? 

She does the same with her favorite shoelace and especially likes it when I rub both things in the fresh nip from Cleo's sprawling shrub by the front steps. 

Thinking...

...inside the box,

                                

and outside the box. 

So dad hasn't decorated my box yet. Says he's been real busy. 

But I HAVE been busy.

Okay, whatever. I will say, I am still enjoying this one. 

So why the rush?

Just ignore him like me and mom do most times. He says he'll paint it and dress it up all nice and pretty for me. 

I will. Don't worry.

Who is he kidding here? If it's like all his other projects, by the time he gets around to doing this I'll be old and gray. 

Umm, you ARE old and gray, Smudge...