Welcome to another weekend, and today our visitor from Vienna, Mutz, is back in the garden to greet us. Here’s N. Fritz to set the scene:
Mutz is delighted that Spring has finally sprung in Vienna. He spends a lot of time in the garden, stopping by occasionally for food.
Tuesday around noon he announced his visit with a demanding yowl. Luckily I was ready for him! I had opened a new stick of butter and, after scraping off the excess, put it down on the terrace for him to lick.
He’s learned to hold down the paper with one paw to keep it from scudding across the floor. Look at that technique!
Mutz is gorgeous!
I’m more likely to take that approach with the stick of butter itself.
I’m with Mutz on butter.
Love his technique and such a lucky boy to get that treat. Plus he’s so handsome.
Busy weekend ahead, need to take the car in to get brakes and spark plugs replaced. Then tomorrow heading up to LA for a car show with hubby’s car club. Somewhere in the midst of all that I need to do regular chores and errands.
Ooh, almost forgot. Had two pieces of good news this week. First the lady I had met and started hanging out with just before the s**t hit the fan and we gradually lost touch with, she texted me this week! I called her and we had a nice talk, and we made plans to get together this week. Secondly, my sister-in-law emailed me, it seems my youngest niece (our wild problem child) has passed her GED and had her graduation yesterday. As I emailed back, fingers crossed that this is the start of other positive changes in her life.
Hopefully the weather is nice where you are and have a great weekend everyone.
sounds like you’re having a good weekend. Lots of good tidbits.
Oh Mutz you sweetheart helping with the gardening and inspecting the pots!
You deserve that treat…I bet there’s no trace of butter left on that paper!
Got my second shot peeps, along with most of my family and friends! The younger family and friends are probably going to be done in the next week. So let the bells ring out and the banners fly!!! 🎉🎊🪅🎈🍹🍸
I’m looking forward to getting my glasses with my new vision correction soon. I read that as “… and the bananas fly”! 🍌🍌🍌
No problem! Let the bananas fly too! 🤣🤣
Thanks for the reminder that I need to set up an appt too! Reading is fun!
I usually hate ASMR video but I could listen to Mutz liking that butter wrapper all day.
It’s been a crazy week here lots of things decided to break or stop working me included.
I had my second dose of Moderna on Monday and the side effect this time were more severe, I had a bad headache, sore muscles and an upset stomach for the next 2 days.
In other news, the car had started making a weird sound last week, my husband thought it was the brake pads rubbing so he wasn’t too worried and got an appointment at the garage for Wednesday, turns out it was the bolts on the right front wheel that were coming loose, we could have lost a wheel while driving!!
But I would like end on a good note, I went to the store yesterday and bought a pair of cutoff jean bermudas without trying them on since the fitting rooms are still closed because of Covid and miracle of miracle they fit perfectly!!
I hope every one as a great weekend and has their own mini miracle!
Sweet Mutz. And his technique is perfect!
Congrats to all the vaccinees! It’s wonderful when life starts to feel more normal.
Busy weekend for me, because next Thursday I fly to Michigan for a long Father’s Day weekend. It seems like I can barely manage getting ready for an ordinary week, and now I’ve got to make sure the cats have a sitter, the toiletries don’t need to be replenished, bake some cookies to take along as Dad’s gift, etc. etc. Plus I want to finish my current weaving project. Basically, I don’t like having my routines upset. Yes, I’m just a very tall cat without a tail. If I had one, it would be twitching.
Tall cat without a tail…🤣
I think that’s me too!
Me too!
I’m for joining Mutz in the garden.
Things have been a little odd all week. Weather is cold for June (not complaining to much) and my deck veggies are only a third as big as they should be, but are blossoming. I asked St Lucy (patron saint of eyes) to help us find a way to pay for the cataract surgery, and ICBC announces a second rebate cheque for car insurance. Duckie is growing in two missing spot feathers (finally) but they’re in the wrong spot. Nothing bad, really, but odd.
Doctor signed off on disability pension application. I should hear by end of July.
Felt Christmassy yesterday.
Have a fantastic weekend, everyone.
You can do it St. Lucy. 🙏
I’d love some deck veggies. I can barely manage catnip.
Keeping fingers crossed.
I am so looking forward to shopping for clothes in person because I changed sizes during the pandemic (the wrong direction) and there is no way to assess the functionality of pockets (can’t do without them) except by trying on the pants and putting stuff in them and seeing what falls out when I sit down.
I have continued baking, maybe less than usual during pandemic because no potlucks to encourage special efforts, but despite being 5 years old now and having lots of opportunities to lick butter wrappers, neither of my boys has learned that paw-on-wrapper trick, and I always have to be careful to keep track of where the wrappers get pushed to by the torque of ever-eager but clumsy tongues.
Diane, I too am slowly getting back to baking! Recently I got hooked on making cakes in my InstantPot. My sweet tooth will undo all my good exercise habits if I’m not careful, and the 7″ springform pan makes a little cake instead of a big one.
Am . . . am I the only one here who . . . never . . . gave my cats butter wrappers to lick? Am I a bad cat mom?
We never gave the cats butter, either. Not sure they would have bothered. Stars much preferred a chunk of good Paremsan.
No, I never did that with Mookie and Mazzilli.
I never did that either, may try it next time I open a new stick of butter and see if the cats like it.
Warning…you may start something!! Kind of like Pandora’s butter box.
Or a slippery slope.
🤣🤣😸
Minkette and Wacket were not interested in ingredients. Wacket was only interested in desserts. Minkette sat on the table next to my plate waiting impatiently for me to cut whatever I was eating into teeny tiny pieces for her. If I wasn’t fast enough she would delicately dip a paw into whatever it was and start pulling it off the plate onto the table.
Happy Caturday! Mutz is adorable.
I’ve been off the last two days. Took my car in for an oil change and to get the loud rumbling noise coming from my vents (mostly noticeable at level 3-4) checked out…turns out the vent was full of leaves. My parking space is under a tree, so I guess it’s not that surprising, but that’s never happened before. Cost me 43 bucks to get it cleaned out. Also while I was waiting a woman came in with her dog. They ended up sitting in the chairs across from the cashier desk, which still has plexiglass on it, and when I went to pay I looked up and saw the reflection of the dog in the plexiglass, and it made it look like he was sitting in the filing cabinet behind the desk. 😂
After the car dealer I went to the park, took a little walk, then found a table in the shade and read for a while. Realized the next day I got a little burned on my arms. Oops. Then I went to Target for a few things and picked up some sunscreen.
Wednesday we had our annual “cookout” at work, which was obviously cancelled last year. Burgers, veggie burgers, and/or hot dogs (we got two so you could mix and match; I got one plain and one cheeseburger), a bag of potato chips, and a bottle of water. They burgers and dogs were pre-boxed, and we just went down the line and grabbed whatever we ordered (we had to let them know ahead of time and in the morning they passed out colored tickets). But it was warm and I had lots to do so I ate at my desk. When I left at 6 the air was still thick with the smell of grilled hamburgers.
Also Wednesday we were allowed to lose the masks if we were vaccinated (though we can still wear them if we want). So now you don’t know who is not vaccinated and who is just anxious and/or paranoid. I wore mine for the most part, as did my boss who I know is vaccinated. One of my coworkers (who sits across from me) is not vaccinated (I’ll leave it at that 🙄). Don’t know for sure about anyone else in my area. Still wearing it in stores and such for now. Some people at the car dealer weren’t wearing them, either (but the employees all were).
I am always amused when people refer to their car’s parts or ailments as their own. (Sorry to hear about your vents, Allein. Glad to know you got some relief. Or unleaf.)
Ages ago I was getting gas pumped into my car when another motorist pulled in and shouted to the attendant,” Could you check my rear end? There’s a funny noise and some smoke coming out.” The attendant and I shared a glance before he (cautiously) attended to the other driver.
I hope people continue to wear the masks at least a bit longer. There are asymptomatic vaccinated people who might be carrying it. As well as those not vaccinated yet. (Sadly, there are those who refuse to be vaccinated keeping us at risk as well.) I don’t know about elsewhere, but the reasons around here for not getting vaccinated vary from scared to uninformed to “you can’t tell me what to do”. And then of course the odd one that believes Bill Gates and/or aliens are involved.
I was totally hoping for some alien/Gatesian intervention, but all that happened was that I was parking under a tree and the birds covered my car in poop while I got vaccinated.
At least I think it was the birds, not Mr Gates or the aliens. I didn’t see it though.
How are you doing? I’ve been sending good thoughts your way.
Thank you, DebG. After a lot of sudden bursts of crying, I feel somewhat better now slowly accepting what I cannot change.
The grief will ebb and flow at odd times. Many of us of here have been through the loss of a beloved pet (or pets) and will understand. Don’t ever feel like you’re being self-indulgent if you need to cry on some shoulders here. I know how much it meant to me that others were here for me when Ricky died. And several years later, I still miss him, my love for Bibi notwithstanding.
Hugs from NYC.
Same here—I needed everybody here so much when Ursula died, and you all came through. The support we give each other in times of loss makes this site so precious to me.
Hugs from me too Ems. Hard times.
💕
I’m grateful for the emotional support I get here. I love you all.
And the house is so empty without Marci.
Thank you, all, for the love you show Mutz. I dare not show him your comments or he’ll get a big head like the kitty a couple of posts ago. Today he was very bold and jumped up on the (outdoor) table, placing himself squarely between me and my second breakfast. He then proceeded to eat the last two bites of my potato and egg! My boyfriend refers to Mutz as “you gangster, you!” I’m sure he means it in the most endearing way…
He is a beautiful gangster!
Debg this tall cat wishes she had a tail to swish, and fur to stand on end because today has gone badly with vehicles and I am very pissed off. Car went in just to replace back brakes and spark plugs. I knew one other thing might be wrong but they called to confirm it also needed replacing PLUS some gasket. And there goes another $1000 on top of the $300 we spent early this week to replace the front brakes. Then took truck to the car wash we bring all our vehicles to for the last few years and it comes out with a giant crack down the middle of the windshield. We go back to see what they’ll do and they basically tell us not our fault, not our problem. 🤬😡🤬😡🤬🤯 So bad review going on Yelp and telling all our friends not to go there. What’s worse is hubby needed to drive truck on Monday for his out of town work up in LA area and soonest windshield can be replaced is Friday. Urrrgh!!!! And that’s going to cost us $500. And I just got the credit cards paid down 😢. Hubby asked what else could go wrong and I said don’t even ask. I’m hoping tomorrow turns out better.
Oh AJ how frustrating and awful and maddening. DEFINITELY hope tomorrow is better.
Arggg! So sorry about all your car troubles. Windshields are far too delicate.
Jeeze, what a day for you and your vehicles, AJ 🙁
Today must indeed be better.
That’s lots of aggravation, inconvenience and money! “All our vehicles” brought me up short though. I have lived in NYC since I was three months old and have never owned a car. Not unheard of around here. I got a drivers license when I was 33. Have not driven since the late 80s. Not having a license is not unheard of either. I have a couple of friends who don’t have licenses.
I just saw an interview with (New York native) Anthony Ramos (of Hamilton, In the Heights, etc.) where he said he just got his license at 29 because he needed it to do driving stunts in a movie he’s working on.
Yup. Often people in NYC need a reason to get a license. A friend moved to Colorado when she retired and found she needed a license to live there – can’t get around otherwise.
I would have never started driving if my town had maintained the good public transport it had earlier. I got my license at the age of 19 and started driving at the age of 39. When my town defunded public transport in 2016 I had to realise that the choice would be between 13 minutes’ driving or 1hr 45 mins by 2 buses.
Defunding public transit – now that is radical. What possible justification did they have for it?
Justification may be important in a democracy, but I don’t live in one. 🙁
Things are getting pretty iffy here! I’m actually working on getting citizenship in an EU country.
A song for Caturday
That is fantastic!
Duckie is singing along.
🎶”1,2,3 U R a QT too…”🎶😸
Why are we all having car trouble at the same time?
Not to be left out, I have two bald tires and get this, I need a new gas tank. Apparently after 21 years, they need to be replaced as the “check engine” light goes on every time I fill the tank. Weird.
Actually turned down a free car from my mother, I didn’t like the thing. I literally can’t see behind me and I don’t trust the cameras, not completely.
Oh, and I have a new cat, a beautiful meezer kitten. Unfortunately its my mother’s, who fell down a flight of concrete stairs so she and my father are transitioning to assisted living. This sucks in so many ways .
My current old lady, (Prima) Donna, is very unimpressed. So far no blood has been spilt.
I’m so sorry for your troubles with your parents. That’s indeed a difficult situation.
I hope the cats get used to each other fast and give you a lots of joy.
Thank you.
It doesn’t help that the kitten has the survival instincts of a lemming. Can’t understand why a cranky old lady doesn’t want to play or cuddle.