Vet Visit

Annual vet visits are not a day of celebration in our house.   First there's the problem of corraling two cats and convincing them they they truly do want to get into their crates.    Then there's the 20 minute ride in a car that you repeatedly assure them they want to be in.   Oh the howling.   It was so pathetic I laughed.    Then there's the howling while I walk through the parking lot carrying a 15 lb cat in each hand - while they howl.   Into the vet's office, where there are many other kitties in crates.   They aren't howling.    Jack didn't stop until I put him back in the car to go home.   Fortunately he's had the same vet since he was 8 weeks old, so she's kind, and finds him amusing.   And didn't check his ears since that is the worse part of a physical and it didn't seem worth upsetting him more.   He got a rabies shot and got to go back into his crate.   Where he howled.

Stanley sat/crouched quietly during his exam, was told how pretty he is, how his teeth and ears are so clean.  and didn't budge during his rabies shot.    Then we were discussing outside cats and the Tom that roams and terrorizes the neighborhood.   So it was decided maybe a lukemia shot would be order just to be on the safe side.    Stanley took his well - she uses the air type shot. 

Jack had to be pulled out of his crate again.   He was NOT amused.

But now they're home and while I won't go so far to say they are happy, they are at least less unhappy.

Don't even THINK about putting me in the car again

I'm right there with you - wish I could look more fierce

Spin Cycle

Years ago, when I was around 40 and worrying about making it to 50 and beyond healthy I got up 3-4 mornings a week at was at the gym lifting weights by 6 am.   spent about 30 minutes doing a routine, then home for shower and work.    A few times I would go to an exercise class.   I always passed the spin cycle room.   It looked kinda fun and they had loud music.   So I tried it out one day.   I made many misstakes, the first being not letting the instructor know I had NO idea what I was doing - but how hard can it be to get on a stationary bike and pedel?   She was kinda intimidating and maybe a little rude so I suffered and muddled through.   I could barely walk when the class was done, and I didn't keep up very well.    The spin room is on the bottom floor of the rec center.   That means two flights of stairs to get up because there's no elevator.   I. Thought. I. Would. Die.    I vowed never to get near one of those horrible things again.

So, I kept up with my weights, until I wasn't really working too hard anymore, and the very pregnant woman was doing way better than I was.   So I quit. 

I walk not far every day, but as long as it's not over 95 degrees out I go about 5 miles a day with my daughter, probably 4 times a week.   I Yoga on occasion, especially if I'm feeling like I've sat too much.  I wii on occasion, and keep saying I need to start doing that again.

My older overweight sister decided earlier this summer it's finally time to do something about her health.  YEA!  She's eating better, not depression eating quite as often and goes to the gyp 3-5 times a week.   And she spin cycles.   She wants me to do it too, becuase she wants me to ride a bicycle with her on the paths.   Of course we live 70 miles from each other so I'm not sure when or how often we can get together for that, but I haven't ruled it out.    So after months of nagging I found a beginner spin cycle class.   In the very same room where I. Thought I. Would. Die.   She came with me this past Sunday for my first class.

The class was taught by a woman named Karen.   Karen was apparently sick Sunday so Bruce was teaching the class.   Bruce is about 6' tall and has arm muscles bigger than my fat, flabby thighs.   I was a little worried.   But I put my big girl panties on and said with my hand raised, I've never done this before.   He was SO NICE.   He showed me how to adjust the bike to work for me, and since it was a beginner class, it wasn't so difficult.   Don't get me wrong, I sweated, and quite a bit, but I could walk up those stinkin two flights of steps when we were done, and I was starving by the time we went to get lunch.  

I actually may even go again.   Apparently sometime a year or so ago, I bought a block of visits on my rec center card.    I have 19 times left to go that have already been paid for.   

Fate.

Rain and Cats

Do not necessarily go together.  Well, the rain doesn't really care about cats, in fact it probably laughs at them.   FLowers and trees and grass like rain.   Sometimes dogs like rain.  Cats not so much.

I called home today when it started getting storm dark.   I called because I was pretty sure that DH was asleep it being about 3 in the afternoon.   I said let the cats in, it's gonna storm.   Then I continued to work and watch the storm.   Oh, yeah, we had a storm.   Black skies, rain going sideways, it was a thing of beauty.   If you like storms. 

I left work a little later than normal to let the rain stop some, it slowed down but was good and steady, not a problem I said, I'm going home, as long as no trees fell across the road between work and home I'll be there in 10 minutes and can dry off . . . or walk if I have to.   When I got inside DH said he couldn't find Jack.

My poor baby was out in a storm.  as much as a pain in the ass my cat is, I love him.   So, since I was already wet I went around the house looking for him and calling.   I checked at the back fence because sometimes he likes to go to the neighbors house.   I looked under the shed because that would be the logical place to hide if stuck outside during a storm.    Then I worried that because he's such a stupid cat that maybe he went down in the sewer system to get away from the rain - that would be bad.   So then I told myself that he was fine and walked back around to the front of the house.

There was my poor boy at the front door, he was wet, all the way under his belly.   He was not happy.    And walked right in when I opened the door.   then the problem became, it was cold in the house and he needed to be dried off.   Hahahahahahaha   It took two of us and even then we didn't get him all dried off, but once he started grumbling and really trying to get away, I had to let go.    Stanley (the other cat) was very cautious for awhile around cranky cat.    But now he's dry, and all fluffy and soft and gasp clean.

And annoyed that I won't let him back out.   It's thundering.   Looks like rain.
 

National Cheesecake Day

And it's Friday, what better wayto end your day than with a date night out for dessert.     Think we'll do this tonight.  I love cheesecake, but don't usually buy it becuase it's so rich and we can't eat it all.   Well we could, but we don't.

In knitting news I finally admitted that thre is a sweater I'm never going to finish.   I have the back done, I have the sleeves done.   I've started the front five times.  It is a simple ss stitch except for the 45 stitches of pattern.   I count the stitches between my markers.  45.    I knit the pattern row and there is always a stitch left over (and there was no increase stitch).   Or I knit the pattern and it ends where it should so I knit to the end of the row.  I purl back.   The pattern row has too many stitches.   I rip out, I try again.   

I have seen a couple of people  knit up the Minimalist Cardigan and thought it looked pretty nice, would make a good sweater to wear everywhere.   Yarn?   See above.  Why yes, I am ripping out the back as I knit this one, there is just a tad of satisfaction in finally winning over that stupid sweater I started two years ago.

Now however, I'm finding that not only am I challenged with a simple k2, p1 in one diection and p2, k1 in the other, but I can't even seem to do a moss stitch.   Well, I did finally realize I'd dropped a stitch so once I fixed that it got better.   

National Milk Chocolate Day

Well, I'm not a huge fan of milk chocolate, and I'm trying an experiment and trying not to eat candy during the week - more sitting, less exercise is making for a wider nether regions.  But maybe today I'll make an exception as I have in the past and have just one dark chocolate kiss.   yummmm
[no it's not milk chocolate, but it has the work chocolate in it so work with me here]

AND, my new ice cream maker came!    the barrel is in the freezer and as soon as I can get to the market we'll be testing it out.   I got the hamilton beech 1.5 qt. model from Amazon - LOVE Amazon.

I had to laugh when I read the part of the directios that said ice cream tastes best when fresh.  Itiwll begin to lose it's fresh taste after 1 to  weeks in the freezer.   Hahahahahahaha

I don't think one container of ice cream has lasted more than 3 days in my house.  

Yarn . . . for a change

Got this from Jennifer earlier this year, her own hand dyed fiber

Spun it up

soaked it

waiting for it to dry

wonder if I can get these two together successfully the pink is double ply and Jennifer's is a single . . . hmm

National Junk Food Day

Well, there's a day/activity we should certainly celebrate!   I'm waiting for National Salad Day myself. 
Still waiting for my ice cream maker to arrive.   I couldn't find what I wanted in any local store so ordered.   Of course the first one I ordered was out of stock so I had to start over again, and I'm lazy so it took a few days.    Should be here by the end of the week though so the weekend will be a haze of "ice cream testing"

And, shamelessly stolen from someone else   . . . .

Did you ever stop and wonder who was the first person to look at a cow and say "I think I'll squeeze those pink dangly things here and drink whatever comes out"?