CUTE kitties

Mowry's "mug shot" from July 2006. Kathryn's kitten Ouija in a cat bed we bought at a garage sale on the way to her house. We didn't know she had a kitten - it was for Mowry, but when we saw this cutie, we decided to give it to him. He looks like Mowry except he has a little white by his mouth and chin, and he has gold eyes.

The lighting doesn't help, but Mowry has green eyes but is close in color to Ouija. The next two are Mowry.

We know they weren't separated at birth because Mowry is two years older. Maybe all orange male kitties just look alike!

I found out some information about the big picture we got of Albuquerque New Mexico that is hanging above our desk. It's by a famous photographer, and it's a storm scene, not a night scene, taken in 1969.

Cute Cats and Bad Cats and Things

It doesn't get any cuter than this, does it?

Well, maybe it does! Thank you, Will for grabbing my camera and taking this picture when you saw them together.


Does Mowry look like he could be a very bad cat? Last night at 1:00 am he came into our room and was rummaging around under my night stand and meowing. I got him to come up on the bed, but then while he was purring, he was also not interested in staying. He gets what Will calls "all stiffy and standy" - that's when he stands real straight and stiff and wants to get away. I finally threw a soft tiny pillow at him when he went back under the night stand, and that worked for about 5 seconds. Will finally got up, turned off the alarm, went into the office, got his canned air, and sprayed Mow with the air. He didn't come back after that. Then Will reset the alarm. That's big stuff for a sleeping until awoken by a bad cat Will. Canned air meant for cleaning keyboards and things, but it's another thing that won't hurt the kitties but gets the message across.


This morning I was wiggling my toes and Alex was at the end of the bed biting them. He hasn't done that since he was 8 months old. I found from Alex and Mowry that kittens do that, and seem to stop at around 8 months old. Maybe Alex was bored. I didn't mind!

Cubs and Dodgers

I've been a baseball fan since I was 8 years old and my father took my 5 year old sister and I (and Mom) to a Dodger game. I went home, listened to Vin Scully, the best announcer ever (you can argue with me, but you'd be wrong) and read the box score the next day and many other days, and learned a lot about the game.

I always wanted to go to Wrigley Field, and got a chance on a business trip in 1987, the year before Wrigley installed the then-controversial lights.

It's never been easy for me when the Cubs and Dodgers played each other, but I've been gone from L.A. for 17.5 years, and I don't know most of the Dodgers, and the Cubs have had a very promising season, and so it was that I was hoping to see the Cubs beat the Dodgers in the LDS (league division series) and go on in the playoff maze. But the Dodgers swept the Cubs in 3, and so it will at least be 101 years since the Cubs' last World Series win.

Wrigley was cool. Here are facts about this wonderful stadium:

Wrigley was built in 1914, and played host to Major League Baseball for the 95th season in 2008, and to the Cubs for the 93rd year.

Wrigley Field is the second-oldest ballpark in the majors behind Boston's Fenway Park (1912).

The bleachers and scoreboard were constructed in 1937 when the outfield area was renovated to provide improved and expanded seating --- the original scoreboard remains intact. The score-by-innings and the pitchers' numbers are changed by hand!

Wrigley Field added lights in 1988. The first night game on Aug 8th was against Philadelphia, but was rained out after 3/1 innings.

In 2008, Wrigley Field celebrated its 21st year of playing baseball under the lights. (WOW! It was 22 years ago that I got to see a game against Montreal at Wrigley!!).

So now I will return to my roots and cheer for the Dodgers.

I spent many days and nights at Dodger Stadium. It was before the tacky advertisements. Back then, Dodger Stadium only had ads for its main sponsor, Union 76 Gasoline (on top of the scoreboard). Now its joined the ranks of tacky stadium advertising, but I digress.

As for all those Giants fans who yell "Beat L.A." and think it's the same as cheering for their own team - I don't need to say anything! Except maybe "HA". Or "Who's in first place?" or "Who's in the playoffs?" I just can't contain myself!!!! Oh, and did I mention that the Giants' announcers suck? Who cares about the person eating hot dogs in the stands! I want to know what's going on in the game.

GO DODGERS!

It rained last night and other random things....

Perfect - it rained a little, and wasn't cold. It's cloudy today, and maybe it will rain more. My plants are happy, and I'm happy.It looks like there's a party at Centennial Plaza in Montrose, CO. I think it's some Octoberfest celebration with a band and everything. This place is usually empty. It's very close to where Will grew up as a kid. We went here on our trip two years ago. Here's the webcam link: http://www.dickgilbert.com/colocam-montrose2.htm The Seinfeld set always had cereal in Jerry's kitchen.
According to a Sony Pictures website, Jerry would suggest to the show's prop master what cereals to add or take away over the course of each season.

But I think we win this one. This is our cereal cabinet. And it doesn't include the cereals in current use, and one or two big Costco-sized boxes in the garage. For one thing, you won't find Cocoa Pebbles on our shelf if I have anything to say about it.
If I'm not mistaken, these pink mums were from my parents' 50th anniversary party in 2001! I replanted them and they are looking their best this year.

The obligatory cat photos:

Mowry just keeps getting cuter, doesn't he?
Alex loves his "Double-wide cardboard cat scratcher" from Trader Joe's, especially when the catnip supply has been recently replenished. He's lying with his head upside down in complete relaxation.

Things on Friday with Pictures

I worked at home today and had billable work to do. We also got to do some errands. We went to an estate sale, but there wasn't anything special except a frame for a quarter and a plug in clock for a dollar. I'm not sure where the clock will go, but Will is on a mission with clocks that are easy to read.


I'm surprised that the geraniums are growing out front by the mailbox. I planted geraniums because we have so many in the backyard, and they are hearty, but I am still surprised. The ones to the right aren't doing as well, but they may have been planted later. I don't remember.

We went to the farm. It looks so pretty with flowers and crops. You can see the Niles sign on the golden hills by the peak.



I've wanted to take a picture of the mushroom factory on our main street, but I usually forget my camera, or there's too much traffic on the street to slow down to snap it. This is about the most we can see, but I noticed the door to the right of the truck was open when I snapped this.

Driving down Mission Blvd is a nice frame of Mission Peak and palm trees.
The Henkle building that burned down in May was demolished. Well, part of it. The ugly cement part still stands. There was a hearing last night about this. I don't know yet the outcome, but I also don't know why anyone wants to preserve this big hunk of cement. It's not attractive. We also don't want what Fremont is famous for promoting - high density housing. Not on this spot.

I'll post this again because I accidentally downloaded it twice, and because this is beauty - nature, not development. I'd rather look at this, than the cement above, or worse, a dense housing development.

Back at home, Mowry was in Alex's favorite spot on the bed trying to nap.

Alex doesn't seem to mind. He's hanging out in the hall. He was sleeping in his other favorite place, the closet, until Will rang the bell and he panicked because it could have been a stranger, or a friend, or who knows who. He was about to run from the closet to the safe haven under the bed, when he realized it was Will.I ordered this shirt from Hills/Science Diet and then forgot I ordered it. Will said he'd wear it!

It's supposed to rain here this afternoon and tomorrow morning. It's 3:30 pm and no rain yet, but it's cloudy.

Can you say "Periodontist"?

My friend is a periodontist, and I once told him I never wanted to see him, or anyone like him, professionally. Well that worked for many years, as I always had great teeth and gums, but today I had to go see a perio. I went to one he recommended, rather than the one my dentist recommended, and while I liked him, I did not like the whole idea, the discussion about gum surgery (scheduled for December), or the cost of it all. But such is life. It's fixable, and for that I am grateful.

It's October 2nd already, and it's getting darker earlier. This is the train station around 7:11 pm. It's deserted until the next train, except for the drink cup some slob left. Speaking of that, I actually witnessed a poor excuse of a woman walking across the street as she finished her soda and threw the bottle into the street. People can be such pigs. I can't believe anyone would do that. I yelled at her from the car window, and all she could say was "go to hell". Nice, huh? What lowlifes I encounter in my travels. Don't worry, I wouldn't yell at someone who I thought was dangerous. She just looked like a pathetic loser, which she turned out to be. How hard is it to find a trash receptacle? I don't understand what people's socioeconomic position, education or anything else has to do with not being an inconsiderate slob.


Back to it getting dark earlier. Look at the beautiful plum tree in our backyard, drawfed by the magnolia tree behind it. I don't like the plum tree because it's messy and I don't like its plums, but it's still pretty.I took this looking over the roof of the house of our neighbor across the street. You can barely see Mission Peak, and the interesting cloud formation. It is supposed to rain tomorrow, and it looks like it will.


It's fall, so our hills are golden, but still beautiful.
When I went outside to take pictures, Kandyman was on our driveway. I've never heard him meow so much or so loud. I can't know if something is wrong, or if he was just being friendly. His humans seem to be gone more lately, so maybe he's just craving some human time. He was rolling for me when I snapped this. I'm surprised it isn't blurred since he wouldn't be still for longer than a second.
I was knitting a black sock with cables, but decided I didn't like the placement of the cables, so I did the unthinkable and ripped it out. It's not unthinkable to me, but it drives Will bonkers to see me rip. I'm doing a K2 P2 rib, and then stockinette. My dad reads this, so I'll translate: A few rows of knit 2 stitches, and purl 2 stitches, and then just knitting around. I'm told I might not like the yarn because it isn't wool, but it sure feels nice to knit with.

We watched about a half hour of the VP debates before Will had to leave for band practice, so it's being recorded so we can watch it together, probably tomorrow.

Reports Reports Reports

One of my clients sent me home with a laptop so I can view their data and work remotely. They have become a favorite, but now they are getting acquired and will soon go away. Another set me up so I can view their data remotely by going onto my computer, so no laptop to be responsible for, or return when I'm done. It's a good new/bad news story. I don't have to go into the offices often, but then I'm at their beck and call to be responsive when they need me. They are usually respectful of timing, but sometimes they get urgent requests that then funnel to me. While both are in the biotech industry, they aren't literally savings lives, so I don't always get their urgency. So now I'm home, I've eaten dinner, but I'm running quarter end reports and they are S L O W. I should have scheduled myself at home today or tomorrow, but I didn't, so them's the breaks.



It's not quite the weekend, and it's hard to believe it's already October 1st, and that 3 months from today will be 2009! This weekend on Sunday we are going to a performance at the local college performing center of a Paraguayan harpist who is supposed to be great. Before that we are going to a potluck at our friends' who arranged this. They live in an 1860 something farmhouse that they are restoring, some of which is done and is magnificent. First she asked me to bring the chocolate zucchini bread I made once before when she was over, but then she said she needed a green salad. That's much easier, so I'm there!


I'm looking forward to watching the VP debates tomorrow night, or the next night if we record them because Will may not be home tomorrow night. Should be interesting.