The Love of a Cat

Even my cats are geeks, I think, though Tilly fell asleep during a "Firefly" episode. Enjoy...

The Back Leg Holds Us in Place, I Guess

Do you ever sleep this well?

-

The Green Fairy

I am a geek on many levels, especially regarding music and movies. Ever since I saw Gary Oldman seduce Mina in “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” I wanted to try absinthe. That interest quadrupled when I read years ago that Marilyn Manson became involved in bottling the anise flavored beverage.

Unable to obtain Mansinthe back then, I purchased whatever brand our local purveyors availed me. Well, it disappointed me. I didn’t even enjoy a decent buzz for some reason.

Label Art a Watercolor by Marilyn Manson aka Brian Warner
Photo Courtesy of Drink Up NY.com

Fast forward to Memorial Day weekend 2017. For an inexplicable reason I decided to toast our fallen US soldiers with something classy. A little research uncovered a rather rare 1930’s era drink called the Alaska Cocktail.

The origin of the name is shrouded in mystery but the recipe is simple, excludes sugar, and tends toward the savory side. Fortunately a local vendor carries the expensive French liqueur Yellow Chartreuse. We dropped a pretty penny but don’t regret the investment.

An Herbal Delight

You start with two ounces of gin (Beefeater dry worked wonders), add half an ounce of Yellow Chartreuse and a dash of orange bitters, then stir (or shake if you're James Bond). I chilled the concoction with ice chips and served the drink in martini glasses. Next time I intend to add a third ounce of gin to stretch the herbal liqueur and drop in more of the delicious bitters.

Do you enjoy adult beverages? What is your drink of choice?

Cheers!

-

Write On!

I’ve been a little stymied rewriting book fifteen of my novelette series. The direction feels good, it’s just not moving forward as of yesterday. So I decided to look at book sixteen.

Ooh, it read like stereo instructions. That’s okay; I welcome the opportunity to create new. With the opening altered a little I stopped again for the day to spend time with my partner.

Today I thought, Now what? What always gets my creative juices flowing? Write a love scene. That m/m/f scene evolved, or rather devolved, when a jilted lover returned home.

Now I’m having fun setting up a massive argument between two characters already splitting up. Unfortunately, I have to stop and mow the grass.

~sigh~

Here in the USA most people have a three day weekend due to Memorial Day next week. I will likely attend a local parade and ceremony, then delve back into writing while my neighbors et al host barbecue parties.

What fun do you have lined up for the weekend?

-

A Haiku for the Day

A Cardinal Spring

Flashing red feathers

‘Pretty me’ the male bird sings

The female agrees

-

The Power of Prayer

I have faith, not religion. And I believe in the benefits of prayer even if there is nobody to hear. It grounds me, improving my attitude if nothing else.

That said, is it wrong to do most of your praying naked? I realized that truth not terribly long ago. ~shakes head~ I guess the action of showering shuts off this writer's inner fictional dialog.

I do like to think God has a sense of humor. How else can you explain the platypus?

Still, what if my odd tendency annoys who or whatever is out there? Maybe I should set aside a meditation period after my Julia Cameron style morning journal time. What do you think?

-

Feeling the Fall

No, I did not take a tumble if my title misleads. I’m quite well aside from an overzealous workout and this blasted early heat.

I am not a fan of summer. It’s too hot and humid. I hate cutting grass; afterward I feel like someone dumped me in a swamp. So I’m going to recall the joys of autumn and thank heaven we have air conditioning (the heat pump is being given a professional check-up as I type).

Even the Trees Sigh in Fall

Tilly Among the Halloween Toys (Pre-Weight Loss)

The Path Less Traveled

What is your favorite season?

-

Faster Pussycat Slows Down

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

The Demanding Life of a Princess

We have long determined in this house that cats are tool users. And we, their opposable thumb wielding servants, are the tools. Jezebel, in particular, continues teaching old humans new tricks.

Take for example the throne room. Note the food dish next to the ‘purr pad’ (a big hit with our kitties, purchased online from Drs. Foster and Smith).

Bow Before Me

 

She could walk to the long established feeding area but prefers breakfast, in particular, brought to her. We did draw the line at bringing over water so the sofa doesn’t get wet.

What? You Put the Blanket Here

Don’t you think we caregivers deserve a little coddling in return? Nobody brings me food in bed. We’re lucky if this one joins us on the loveseat once a week.

-

A Happy Accident

Last fall, cleaning out the garden and mowing yet again, I placed my tomato cages behind my car knowing full well my partner intended to run an errand.

Which car do you think my partner chose? Mine, of course.

Heart sinking, I heard the most horrible screeching sound over the lawn mower engine. At least the car didn’t get damaged but two of the three cages are now melded into one.

I was able to use them for my sugar snap peas this season. And that’s when things got amusing.

At just the right angle, I noticed the twin cages’ smashed top resembled Crowe T. Robot from Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K to my fellow geeks).

What Do You Think?

Have you ever watched the show? Do you see the resemblance?

-

Flattered By a Fortune Cookie

I am not a superstitious person for the most part, though I like to think there is a greater power with a benevolent plan for me. And my fingers are crossed that there is an interesting afterlife awaiting us all.

That said, I get a kick out of reading fortune cookie messages. This one from a few days ago really took the cake, if you’ll excuse the pun.

Why, Thank You, Cookie!

Did you know that fortune cookies originated in Japan and the American version flopped in China?

-

Software Glitch or a Message from the Universe?

Before my muse kicked my writing back into gear I used to spend a lot of time playing games on my Kindle Fire (even more than reading, I’m ashamed to admit). Yesterday, I decided to play a few games of FreeCell.

Well, after perhaps my third round the screen locked up. This is the actual image, my favorite model as the customized background...

At Least I Won

I had to laugh and show my partner. Granted, all I needed to do was turn the Kindle off and back on to clear the issue, but it made me think of Julia Cameron and her “Artists’s Way” notions about the universe sometimes pushing us in the right creative direction.

Was a ghost in the machine telling me to quit screwing around and get back to rewrites? What do you think?

-

More Cat Whimsy

For the first time in quite a soggy while I found myself wishing for rain. It’s all due to following a car with this rear window decal:

Cats May Not Wag Their Tails Quite Like This... 
But Still

Should I think about purchasing a vehicle with a rear wiper blade just to sport one of these?

-

The Rewritten Word

I have been rewriting and polishing my decade old novelette series in a never-ending loop of late. Maybe the stories will one day be submitted to a publisher but for now my love-children are my own. I don’t feel ready to share.

The process has been enjoyable due to that love of my characters. I have improved their story arc, making their relationships less perfect, their natures less passive and more realistic.

Believe me when I say it’s more fun writing epic arguments than having them. And still the prose tightens.

It amazes me how many passes I have made and still find extraneous words: almost, seeming, now, about. A few pesky adverbs even turn up now and then. ‘Extremely aggressive’ is overkill, the word aggressive quite adequate describing a disease. Don’t you agree?

Do you have any current projects undertaken for the pure purpose of self improvement and pleasure? I’d like to hear about them.

I’m off now, having started rereading book twelve.

-

A Wench By Any Other Name is Still a Wench

For those who do not know me, let me introduce myself. I am a Wench, identifying as such since unmasked by my partner many, many moons ago. I have never shared with the outside world.

That is about to change. Let me start with a definition (never really outlined before now ~grin~ so all mistakes are mine and I hope fellow Wenches will forgive me).

Wench
/wen(t)SH/
noun

(English, pl. wenches)
"You Wench, I was going to eat that!"
a human being, generally of the female persuasion, with self deprecating, sarcastic humor and scathing wit toward those closest; a being of highly salacious, mostly harmless, generally self serving intent; prone to mild to moderate selfishness and narcissism, thereby self proclaimed unfit for motherhood; intensely artistic with a bent toward perfectionism and about as domestic as most house cats; apt to buck convention at every little unassuming opportunity; of any age from puberty to advancing years, the young being prone to insecurity and a need to please others while middle-age brings more self enlightenment, acceptance, and bravado.

There. That about sums me up.

Now I just need the USA to proclaim the day after Mother’s Day as National Wench Day. I planned my celebration while ruminating on Sunday.

For starters I will meet local writers over breakfast until time to get a much needed hair makeover. If we spend more time talking than writing (or not!) I will head next to a favorite shopping center for more writing. The place boasts a lovely “town square” fountain, benches, and plenty of accommodating establishments should the weather be inclement.

How would you describe your core self? If you are a Wench would you care to lobby for the holiday with me?

-

My Cat is a Jerk

Jezebel is an older cat who has one game she likes to play – falling on her side at my feet so I lavish her with attention. Stroking her flank, rubbing her head so her ear folds back, patting her backside to make her flip, even pushing her across the carpet are all good fun.

She has the unfortunate habit of demanding this when I first come home from the gym or something. Yesterday, I had just mowed the grass. Feeling exhausted, I didn’t bend down but sat at her side to play.

When I would stop on a normal day, I found myself too tired to stand up. Fool that I am, I continued to touch her. And with zero warning, she decided enough was enough.

Claws came out, fangs baring in a hiss, and a minute later blood bubbled out of two cuts on the back of my wrist. Another claw scratched me in the same alignment, all three wounds swelling due to lingering allergic reactions to such intense contact.

I had to stop myself from digging in with my own nails when the healing itch set in this morning. Oh, well. I consider these rare incidents as a sort of inoculation, like my allergy shots from childhood.

At Least I Know My Blood's Clotting Factor is Healthy

What about you? Has a pet ever given you a justifiable bit of damage?

-

The Geek Asylum Strikes Again

Someone shared this on Facebook’s Geek Asylum group page. I laughed so hard I startled the cat.

Do you get the pun? By the way, the last panel's censorship is my own.

-

Feed Me!

I’m a big fan of the cartoon Simon’s Cat. The humor has so much truth in it (aside from the opposable thumbs, thank heaven!).

When a friend sent me the following image I just had to share. Below I’ll insert a video for those who perhaps haven’t seen the cartoon.

I Want One of These!

Do you have any decals on your car?

-

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

From a young age I debated becoming a bereavement counselor. Attending funerals in my teens I helped console mourners four times my age. At nineteen years old I held the hand of a widow in her early twenties.

That one was tough. She learned of her pregnancy the same day her husband took his life. I will never forget Herb, an amazing person.

Dealing with other types of distress is another story. Recently a friend grew so distraught over something out of her control that I finally told the poor dear to just breathe. The whole group looked at me as if I’d said, “I’m sorry your puppy died. But he tasted delicious.”

Maybe I should stick with my fictional people. What do you think?

-

A Musical Homage

Not long ago I got on a kick of finding videos to be uploaded to our DVR. I guess this Gen Xer is behaving a good deal like the Millennials and generation Z, more often interested in what’s on YouTube than cable television.

The Awolnation song ‘Sail’ came out in 2011. My partner and I enjoy hearing it on the radio still. And in a unique twist the unofficial fan video gets more views than the official video (which is good in its own right).

So, I thought I’d share. Violence is mostly. intimated. These gals are awesome.

What about you? What’s your favorite entertainment for winding down at day’s end?

-

Another Good One Courtesy of Geek Asylum

I admit playing Dungeons and Dragons back in the day. My character was a half-elf, magic using thief named Eilonwy (from The Black Cauldron books).

Needless to say, I understand necromancy. And when I saw this pun I laughed so hard I cried.

Do you get the joke? Or am I a super-geek?

-

Garbage Day

We aren’t exactly the neatest people in my house. You definitely cannot eat off the kitchen floor. I am adamant that we get the cat litter changed out on garbage day.

That has not been an issue since I took over the task. And it’s made easier by the fact our garbage crew tends to come late in the day.

This week I was taking care of morning ablutions when I heard a sanitation truck outside. Shouldn’t be a big deal, I thought, it’s probably the crew picking up the recyclables. Hearing the scamper of slippered feet, I rolled my eyes.

Sure enough, here comes my partner to tell me excitedly that they are picking up the trash. Possibly. Or maybe recyclables.

As it turned out, the garbage collection crew came early. But you know what? At least the kitty doo doo is out of the house.

When my live-in procrastinator and I took turns taking out the litter and garbage on a weekly basis it often got postponed by a day or even two. Sometimes I would just give in and take care of the task.

So if I hear one word of complaint about stinky bags in the garage I’m going to bring that up. Is that petty of me?

Do you get criticized for something the accuser has done on a regular basis? Are you like me and guilty of such occasional finger pointing?

~cringe~

I say we all need to stop sweating the small stuff, anyway.

-

Another Mystery Gadget

Here’s something I bet not everyone has in their kitchen. It’s a single use tool that can really come in handy.

No, It's Not a Dental Pick

 

Can you guess its purpose? Here’s a clue: the color is significant.

Have you come up with an answer? Let me know in your comment.

…

…

…

...

...

Now, for the reveal.

...

...
 
...

...

...

It’s a citrus peeler!

Get It?

Tough to see, the teardrop shaped 'tooth' slicing through the skin is my favorite part. The odd thing opposite is to shave off pith, I believe, and the curved handle can help get between stubborn peel and edible bits.

Granted, I didn’t really need to use the peeler for this little piece of easy peel fruit. I don’t have any oranges on hand, though. And for a reason. Our grocery store stocks oversized produce and I don’t want to have to eat a piece of fruit in two or three sittings!

Do you like fruit? What’s your favorite?

-

Makin’ It Happen

I guess this April and last prove that music is important to me. While many forms interest me, I’m particularly fond of heavy metal. Avenged Sevenfold has been one of my favorites for well over a decade.

And they are performing in my region this summer, at a favorite venue no less. Unfortunately, my partner is deaf in one ear and won’t even consider going.

There really is no one else I know who would care to go, or that I would care to ask. So I resigned myself to missing out despite attending numerous concerts on my own in past years. Sometimes it was a less than stellar experience being a lone female among drunk or high strangers.

But darn if watching A7X videos didn’t fire me up about seeing them live again. It’s been too long. So I came up with the idea of staying at a hotel near the coliseum, perhaps even taking a taxi to and from the show.

That way I’m not making a late night commute, eliminating the risk of hitting a deer or something, and can imbibe if I want to without worrying. So I mentioned this to my partner.

The response? “You’re a grown woman.”

I rightfully took this to mean a kind blessing that I do what I will.

So now I have my ticket. I just need to decide where to stay but have plenty of time to decide.

What about you? Anything you’re excited about doing this summer?

WARNING: Video has imagery that may be disturbing to some viewers. No bad language, though.

-

Embracing My True Identity

For decades I blamed my significant others for the television shows I watched. Then my current partner sent me an article that listed the greatest science fiction shows and another about movies.

Wow. What a revelation! As a side note, I think one of my brothers and I must have been adopted. ~grin~ But some things do skip a generation.

Reading the names, seeing the images, I began realizing that I sat and watched many of them all by myself. Now I’ve even found my tribe on Facebook, a group called The Geek Asylum. I’m on there every day either commenting or posting, laughing sometimes until tears stream down my face.

Good times. For example, someone in the group shared the following.

How about you? Is there anything you’ve learned to stop denying and start loving about yourself?

-

You Gotta Love Pets

You know Jezebel would have gone for the laundry basket if I wanted to put away clothes rather than write in my journal. Excuse the blurry image. She’s often a tough one to photograph, seeming to know just when to move.

Ooh! Bird!

What about you? Do you have a furry friend? I know some of you have many. ~grin~ Happy Tuesday!

-

Conjoined Burrito

I think someone might be trying to tell me something, like
“Stop eating all those frozen burritos!”

They are just so quick and convenient. Stuff one in a fold-top sandwich
bag and I can eat breakfast anywhere. Or lunch.

Not both on the same day, I promise. And at least I’m eating fruit first.

My initial oddball came in the form of an empty shell. Manufacturing
mistakes happen, of course, so I laughed it off. Today I pulled one out
and found this…

Yum...

It almost put me off my feed. Ultimately I separated my conjoined
burritos before devouring the larger. I just knew that tiny bit would turn
inside out and be even more disgusting.

Have you had any bizarre food adventures lately?

-