Thursday, February 25, 2010

What would we do without them?

So, since publishing my last post, I have recieved many anecdotes from my vast readership... oh alright, just one from my sister! She sometimes works remotely, and has a home office, AND she has the same problem I do... yes, you guessed it, those crazy adorable pets that color our life. What would we do with out them?
Her cat is fanatical about the computer mouse, and spends the major part of her feline day fixated with the computer screen. It is a constant battle for Laura, always pushing the cat out of the way so she can work. But sometimes the cat wins.


Not to be outdone, below is the other little bugge..er I mean, charmer.

When my sister's husband put together her home office, he equipped the room with steps for their daschund to use to get to choice spots like the window above the file cabinet, or up to the sofa. With a bad back, they do not want it to jump and cause more aggravation. What a life! He's such a cutie pie, how could you not?

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The Cats

We have a cat named Tiger. We meaning Harry and I, although Harry is away at school, so now it is just Tiger and I. We are watching another cat. Tiger never agreed to it but she has gotten used to Bandita and I think she might even like Bandita. I am not sure. They are sweethearts and fun to watch.

They look for me at the windows in the evening, and then Bandita runs to the door and is waiting for me to rub my ankles and say hello. Then she shadows me the rest of the evening. Tiger shows up later, but mostly Tiger shadows her. Often they chase each other or wrestle or box and it is a riot to watch.

I won't let them sleep with me because Bandita anchors herself on my leg and Tiger sits on my chest. Tiger is the worst because she pats my chin periodically ALL NIGHT LONG. I am constantly woken up for petting I guess. Instead they are waiting outside my door in the morning and Bandita shadows me as I go through my morning routine. They follow me into the bathroom and wait while I take a shower. Then back in my room, Tiger sits on top of the bed so that she can lay on anything that I throw there...whatever it is ends up with tons of cat hair so I limit it to jeans. Bandita goes under the bed where she grabs anything that I pull out of the dresser or the closet..my room is very small. When she misses she snags my leg instead and that hurts. One morning I took pictures of them as they followed me around...


Really, I think I need a life. They need to go outside.



Thursday, February 18, 2010

Hip Hop for Whites


Where I live is beautiful this time of year, even as it is, as much as I am tired of the cold. I took the picture on my left last Saturday morning,
and yes that is my thumb.

Ok fast forward....

Last night I went to my "dancersize" class... it is the first night of Winter II sessions at the gym. And, because we have such long winters here in Minnesota, we have TWO sessions per the winter season, not just one. So how awful is that?


Anyway, it was a Hip Hop class, which i like better than ZUMBA, only because gracefulness is not a requirement, and it is boxy, and looks tough, and fits my personal style better. My personal style, you ask? Some people would laugh about that one especially if you ever watched me.

Last night a lady that I know from Zumba was there. After a couple numbers, she came up to me and commented that she's missed a few classes, but boy have the dance selections changed. I explained that this was Hip Hop, not Zumba. That explained a lot and the light went on you could just tell. So she danced a couple more numbers, and usually she dances sexy, and she's very good, but with this the steps are different and she was having a rough time. The instructor is also different, not our usual Zumba instructor. So my friend says to me "The instructor is very bouncy. I don't like her." and then she says as if she had some kind of epiphany.. "this is hip hop for whites, isn't it?" and I smiled and nodded, and she gave me this "what a bunch of schmucks!" expression. When the song ended she walked out.

I could tell she was irritated, and I think she was trying to make herself feel better by insulting the instructor. She made her comments like it was an insult, but to who? She's white, I'm white, the instructor is white, we were all white in the class. Oh, excuse me, we have a few Asians..(are they white?) So yeah i guess its pretty white. I am actually not sure how people of color dance hip hop and if its any different for them. Hmmm now that I think about it, we have a few Eastern Indians occasionally, and some Middle Easterners...they are not white, but they dance as white as I do. And so, by the way, do the Asians.

Friday, February 12, 2010

FaceOff!


Dumb old face book. It seems like everybody, friends, family and now even the 40 something hold outs, are joining facebook. The kids, BUT NOT MY SON, the nieces and the nephews, have been on it for some time. With some of my generation, the change is recent. Not sure the sudden change, but it is becoming the only place they are willing to share their pictures or communicate. They are always telling me they have new pictures soooo go look at facebook.

Well, my nieces took pictures from some time ago when we were at an art fair in Chicago, and that is how I got hold of this survey.

I'll back up... A couple of days ago I filled out this IQ survey on facebook. Dumb old me. The survey asked for my cell phone number and oh boy am I stupid, I GAVE IT OUT. No sooner than did I complete this survey, when I began getting text messages on my phone from Ted, my IQ Coach.

Today, i got the 3rd text message from "Ted". I was feeling harrassed and absolutely po'd that they kept sending me these stupid long winded texts. I asked my coworker if I should tell Ted in a text to F**K Off. My coworker suggested I simply say I was too dumb or something. Of course I thought THAT was dumb, so I sent my original text anyway. I IMMEDIATELY got a text from "Ted" saying that I had violated the T's&C's of Facebook and might lose my subscription! I can't lose my subscription ..i won't be able to see all my friends dumb old pictures! Oh well..figures it would bite me. I still can't get "TED" to stop sending me messages either.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Winter 2010


I am watching a friends cat and this morning it got into my purse and stole my sandwich. I got it away from her and I ate it for lunch anyway. She is the Bandita alias the KITTYCAT KONG!

It has taken some adjustment but now she and my cat are getting along famously. More on those two another time.

I've been hibernating since after Christmas...but hey it is January and this is now a ritual for me that starts after the holidays.

And we've had a particularly cold and snowy winter. I hardly see anyone unless it is by accident. (My friends had a baby and because it is snowy and they live in the country and I am afraid to drive up their driveway that is on a steep and curvy hill, i put the gift in the mail and told them I would see them in the spring.)

So what do i do with my free time?
I've been going to the gym .. basic survival...doing ZUMBA! and HIPHOP! and it is my
answer to alzheimer's because you have to remember the dance moves you learned the week before. NOT! And you have to be able to step up and wave your arms and sashay and jiggle in that order and all at once. When i first started this i was so upset at my two left feet that i went out and bought the biggest padded bra i could find and the lowest cut shirt to wear to the next class. At least i look good. (This was also my solution to my lousy skiing skills about 5 years ago... a fantastic ski outfit ...)

I've been taking Spanish classes Monday nights and dreaming of retirement.

I've been going to the library and getting out books on Costa Rica. (LAST Winter it was Chile and Argentina. I like to get travel books, travel guides, AND cook books.)

I've checked out books like FROMME'S Travel Guide, Retirement without Borders, a collection of short stories by Costa Rican (ticos) and Panamanian women writers titled "When New Flowers Bloom". The Author's notes are written by a man and all he does is go through the history of literature WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY REFERENCES TO WOMEN. Who does he think he's kidding?

I am in the process of labeling my house espanol-ish and in full sentences...as for example "The basement is down the stairs. It has three rooms, but there are no bathrooms." ...and then i look at it later and i don't know what the hell i wrote. I use google translation tools. This saves time. I say what i want (i've also been describing all my pictures and photos on walls around my house.. cut and paste it into word, print out a page full of them, cut them out and then tape them to the walls and objects etc..bulk statements..but takes a while to figure out what i was thinking, how to translate, and then where to stick it). Is this a rare form of cabin fever?

A coworker sent me this:

" Anne,

My oldest sent this to me.
This is weird enough that I thought you'd enjoy.... when you have time.
Not to sure anyone else around here (at least on my team) would get it. Not that there's much to get !

TOM SELLECK WATERFALL SANDWICH LINK

The names of the sandwiches are light and hard to read.
One of the pages has a link to the Sellick Waterfall Sandwich Theme Song which
sounds like it was recorded in someone's kitchen.
I was never a fan of Tom Sellick."


Well, I am a big fan of Tom Sellick...and I thought it was terrific.
I miss the shorts guys wore back in the 80's. So much
man-leg. Ha cha cha!