Rosh Hashanah

Happy and healthy new year to my Jewish blog readers. Here is a link for more information about this holiday: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanah. We aren't supposed to work on this holiday, and I never go into a client's office, but defining work when our lives revolve around computers can be subjective. While we aren't religious, nor observant, we acknowledge the holidays.

Speaking of religion, these people looked like they were religious people "selling" their religion. I'm glad they didn't knock on our door. One thing about growing up Jewish, we never prosletized and prosletizing is something I don't agree with. I totally appreciate that people have different beliefs, but don't try to sell yours to me. In fact, you don't even have to tell me about your religion. To me it's a private matter. These people could have been selling something else. The AT&T sales people came to our door in white polo shirts. Either way, I don't particularly want anyone knocking on my door selling anything.
I also believe that cats create harmony in the world. If more people petted cats, we would probably have more peace, less killing, etc. Of course you have to be careful which cats you pet. If you pet Cinders and she doesn't want to be petted, there could be blood, and it won't be hers.

Here's Alex doing one of his favorite things, eating. I couldn't remember if we got him in 2000 or 1999 but I just found the check records and it was Oct 7, 2000. Our vet thinks it was 1999, but I think our check records tell the story.
So that's what an ironing board is for.
A year or so ago a neighbor posted aloe vera cuttings and put them outside her house. I couldn't resist one. It's done quite well, and I finally remembered to send her a picture of it.
Sometimes I like to sit next to my humans, but it's always at a risk of her taking my picture. At least if I look away, like a typical cat, but not quite so typical as to be facing away completely as in having my backside to my human, maybe, just maybe I won't get a flash in my eyes when she takes the inevitable picture.
She wonders why we prefer our human dad - could it be because he doesn't constantly take our pictures?

Sunday

We read the Sunday paper and then walked into town. It was beautiful. Since it was only 10:30 am, it hadn't gotten warm yet.
There were Speeder Cars on the tracks today. Those are the cars that are used for inspection and repair of tracks. Here's the first one.And another...This one looks like a train!Ken and Diann rode one.
There were several!Then we walked around and back home. These beautiful yellow roses were at a house we walked by.As was this purple potato plant and some sort of berry bush.So was this kitty. She was orange tabby and black and much prettier than was captured in this picture.One of the cool things about walking around the neighborhood is how old some things are. This is from a driveway at a house on School Street. Those homes are older than our 1955 house. That's March 19, 1931.Will thougt this looked like a beehive at first, but it's a sunflower with sunflower seeds someone threw on the ground.Halie (named after her human halibut fisherman) lives two doors down from us, and is really quite cute (for a dog). She's biting a water bottle - I think she's telling her humans that she's thirsty.
And a close up...And back at home, Mowry decided to sit on the kitchen chair under the tablecloth. Now I have a picture of each of them doing that.

Saturday - Lots of pictures!

I forgot to wish my niece, Erin, a Happy Birthday on my blog! Her birthday was yesterday. I sent her a birthday message, but sometimes she reads this blog, so I wanted to be sure I put a message here for her!

Will ran the dishwasher yesterday, so it wasn't in its normal place, available for Cinders, so she was a bad cat. Can you see her? In case you didn't see her, here's a close up. BAD KITTY!

First we picked up a Tupperware Chopper and a knife set from a woman who posted on Fremont Freecyle. I thought Kathryn might like these. I wanted to bring a few lemons for the person who was giving them to us. They almost always seem to enjoy it when I do that. But wait? What IS that? It's my neighbor's lemon tree growing over into our pineapple guava tree!

Then we went to a few garage sales. Will found this cool picture of a scene from what looks like New Mexico based on the license plates. I believe it's Albuquerque based on the small amount of research I did looking up Carlisle in New Mexico. I also got a hat for a quarter at the same place. It has a little rip, but you can't notice it and for a quarter, I wore the hat the rest of the morning!They also had a pair of Old Navy Jeans in my size for a buck.
We rearranged and hung pictures in the office so the new picture could go up above the wall behind my desk. It is HUGE!

And when I thought we were done, Will decided to fix the thing on the sink that covers where a sprayer would go. He had to empty out the contents from under the sink, and crawl under to access the spot.

I almost had a great picture of Alex peering over the bags, but instead I captured him running away from the mess! Who could blame him? Who knew we could have so much stuff under the sink? One of those places that you forget about. Don't worry, Mom, it's all back under the sink, and the bags with holes have been thrown away. It's amazing how many bags I get from stores that have holes and are useless once I get home.

Friday Photos

I wasn't scheduled at a client's office today, so we did errands this morning. I met a gal at a local Starbucks to pick up mousse gel hair product she had tried and not liked and posted for giveaway. I had an old Starbucks card that I got from somewhere, and I had no idea how much $ were left so I had them check while I was there - $0.15. That's 15 CENTS! Woo hoo!!! Then to our PO BOX, the bank, and an estate sale where there wasn't anything interesting except a small digital clock Will wanted because now that we use AT&T instead of Comcast, the AT&T box doesn't have a clock. Then to Trader Joe's (always better then on a weekend), and finally to the farm.


I forgot to post this - a few weeks ago our jungle scene in the sunroom got a new member. Can you figure out which one is new?

That would be the camel. All except the monster-looking gorilla thing are leather.


There is no question that Will is Alex's favorite human. Last night he sat in Will's place on the loveseat recliner waiting for him to get home. It was only a coincidence that I sit on the other side and got some Alex time at a distance.
I made this gold scarf from Lamb's Pride wool. I wasn't sure how much I had and didn't want to bother trying to figure it out. It will be a short collar-type scarf. It's very gold, although it looks more orange here.

The guys are loving each other a lot lately. Notice the cat bed that isn't used. That's a lump in the bedding from a pillow, not a person!
And then there was one. Alex left. Lately Mowry has taken over Alex's favorite spot.Alex has a few favorite spots - in the clost under my dresses (that are now fur covered) and next to my folded jeans is one of them.
Before they joined each other in the adult "kitten pile", Alex was completely sprawled on the bed enjoying a nap.

My neighbor who was giving away 3 glass-topped patio tables and 30-40 plastic outdoor chairs never responded to my email asking for one table and 6 chairs, and never posted that they were taken. It looked like one person took all of them - I could see because she is across the street. She could probably have given one table to a neighbor, but that's her choice.

I could really get on a soapbox about people who post and either don't follow up and say the item(s) is (are) gone, or hit reply to individual messages to say "sorry, gone". It's just not that hard. Some people are really good about responding and saying "sorry, I have 5 others interested, but will keep your email address" and the others (who are probably high maintenance people and think they are too busy or it doesn't affect them) can't. People should just hold up signs that say "I am ______________" fill in the blank with "a jerk", "high maintenance" etc. Actually, by the way they act, drive, talk, etc., they essentially are holding up that sign.

Have I mentioned lately that I like my cats (yes, even Cinders, the bitchy black cat) better than most people I encounter in a day? Of course that doesn't include those I choose to encounter!

Thursday Happenings - WHATSIT?

I was scheduled to go to a client in SF today, but when I was there on Tuesday, they didn't really need me, so I told them we'd talk on Wednesday. Unlike some people in my business, if a client doesn't need me, I won't go in just to bill them. I sent two emails yesterday and didn't hear from them, so I'm home today. Wouldn't you know that one of them called in sick, and the manager was sorry I hadn't scheduled there? I don't like to go in at the last minute because then they never plan ahead. I have certification exams to review, so it's good that I am home today.

I used to watch the Kovell's show about antiques, and at the end they always had a "WHATSIT" - guess what this object is. So, whatsit? It's going across the street and looks like it is counting cars, but why would you want to count cars on our street?
It's locked to the telephone pole.It's even nailed into the street.
That's the big excitement on our street today (snooze), but that's okay. We saw the guy installing it, but he was in a white truck with no signage, so no clue there.

At home everyone is in their places. Cinders sleeps on the cat bed that is on the chest at the end of the bed. Better than where she used to sleep, which is on the bed right where my feet go.
Mowry is at the foot of the bed. This is Alex's spot. Alex meows if I have anything here - I use it in the morning as my "staging ground" where I put things that I want to remember to take with me when I go to a client's office. When we first moved here, all three would hang out on the bed, and then for awhile it was just Alex and Cinders, but now as of two days ago, Mowry is in Alex's spot.

That seems to be okay because Alex is in his "other spot" in the closet. His runny eye seems better, so we're trying to decide if he needs to see the vet tomorrow, or if we should cancel the appointment.I love lavender. Here is one variety that has the fancy flowers, but the plant isn't particularly full looking.

This is like the variety that is what I call the "runaway lavender" in the backyard. It's not in bloom right now, but it sure is full and hearty.

This lavender fern seems to be doing well.
Here are all the lavenders out front. The lavender fern is by the front door.
It got cooler a few days ago, and I was happy about that, but it's back to 88 in the office, and 85 outside. It's 2 pm, so it could get hotter.

Our neighbor across the street posted to our email group that she is giving away 3 white glass-top outdoor tables, and 30-40 plastic chairs. I convinced Will we should take one table, and a few chairs (he said 6) so if we have people over, and some want to be outside, they can be. We can keep it by the wood pile, and move it to the center of the yard as needed. I responded to her, but have not yet heard back. When I post something, I check email every five seconds, but then again, I do that anyway!!!!! That is why I'm the email queen.

Peety is getting his first oil change since we've owned him.

I Don't Love South San Francisco

What can I say? Land must have been cheap here when BioTech companies decided to move here. It's rarely sunny, although today it was, and it's always windy. I understand that as you get inland where a friend lives, it's quite nice, but right by the bay (see where it says "Genentech"?) it "ain't" San Francisco.





The sign says it all. Compare this with the Niles sign.


Speaking of being back at home, I took this picture the other night on our walk when it was windy! Notice that the plant is blowing sideways!
If you saw the pictures below of Mowry and Alex cuddling, this was taken a little while later. I guess they had enough cuddling.


I'm working on this black scarf, the one I described yesterday. It's quick, and nicer in person than in photo.