Here Kitty, Kitty

I woke up on Sunday morning, went to the kitchen, let my puggies outside, fixed a bottle of kitten formula, went to the living room, sat on the couch, and leaned over to pick up a kitten to start feeding. But they were missing! I shot up and frantically began to search the living room floor like a mad woman, under the couch, under the chair, and in the gas fireplace (God forbid!). Then I had flashbacks to my snake sighting last fall. But surely one snake couldn't eat ALL four babies, right? Then, in a moment of clarity, I recalled that Olive had been prowling around in my bathroom the night before...

Please excuse the mess. Yes, that is indeed a paint tray sitting on the floor. Intended for a paint job I'll probably never begin...

Notice the random boxes in and behind the wire basket.

Yes, the basket previously inhabited by boxes of tampons, pads, and extra rolls of toilet paper is now occupied by Olive and her fashionable offspring (from left to right: Bourke, Gabbana, Dooney (well, his ear mostly), and Dolce).

Paying It Forward

I recently received a fun gift from fellow Bunco Babe Lauren. I was one of the winners in her 'pay it forward' experiment. You can find her post here.

She gave me some super cute note cards, carrot body butter and lip balm. Can't wait to use all three, Lauren. Thanks!

If you're interested in this experiment, here are the official "rules": The exchange focuses on doing an act of kindness without expecting anything in return other than that the recipient will, in their turn, pass the kindness along and pay it forward.

This is how it works... I will send something fun/cute/nice to the first 3 blog owners post a comment on this entry. I'm already coming up with a list of a few of my favorite things! In turn, those three will post this information on their blog and pick 3 people they want to send something to and so on. Unfortunately, due to postage costs, I can only pay it forward within the United States (shouldn't be a problem, as I doubt I have any readers abroad).

So, if you want to join in the fun be one of the first 3 blog owners to leave a comment (geez, I hope I have three readers!). The little something you send can be something you made, bought, given or found. Just a gift that will make the person smile. There are no cost restraints, but don't go crazy! Again, if you'd like to join in, be one of the first 3 people to leave a comment. You have to promise that you will then post about it once you received your gift, link to me, and then send something to the first three people who sign up.

Courtney Marie And Some Sneaky Peaky Spying

For those of you who aren't familiar with Junie B. Jones and her escapades, find a book now and start reading. If a kindergardener, er, first grader can be someone's hero, Junie B. is mine!

As you know, last Sunday Olive the cat went out for an afternoon jaunt around the neighborhood and never came back home. Sunday evening found me searching the aisles of Walmart for kitten formula. For the past eight days I have fed, bathed (sort of), and coaxed these babies to pee and poop. Did you know that kittens can't go to the bathroom on their own? It's why mama kitties lick them constantly. I know...ew. So I've been waking up to feed them and, uh, "stimulate" them and make sure the heating pad is turned on again in the middle of the night. I thought perhaps that Olive had a severe case of postpartum depression or ran away with the tomcat across the street or even was flattened on a street somewhere. I was prepared to foster these little furbabies for another week before they are weened onto solid foods.

But lo and behold, an angel appeared before my eyes this afternoon! On my way up the sidewalk to my porch I happened to look over to my next door neighbors' house and there was Olive, baby mama, basking in the sunlight. Atop a bookcase. In the neighbors' living room. Abandoned living room. I almost wept for joy but the task of actually procuring my cat sidetracked me. I haven't seen my neighbors in a few months now. A couple of weeks ago a lady knocked on my door, handed me a business card, and asked me to call her if I ever see them again. Curious, no? So, back to the empty house...I went up the front steps, knocked on the door and then apprehensively turned the knob...no luck. Around the side yard and up their back steps I went. No answer there and that door was locked too. I kept going around until I came to the window where I saw her. She was still there, twisted whiskers and all. The screen was slightly ajar and so I took a deep breath and proceeded to break in. The window was unlocked (thankfully) and I was able to open it just enough for Olive to shimmy her way out. And she's so thin now that I didn't have to open it much. Then I worked my way back around to the front. Hope none of the neighbors thought I was trying to break and enter. Or steal someone else's pet.

So she's back home. She made a beeline for her food bowl and then hopped right into the kittens' basket. I don't think she has any milk but I wonder if she can get it back? At least she can take on the cleaning and bathroom duties even if I still have to feed her furbabies. She's already tried to slip outside again but I will have none of it...not until those babies can do their own business!

That Darn Cat!

Olive went out for her daily jaunt around the neigborhood on Sunday afternoon and still hasn't come home. Her little furbabies are depending on me to keep them alive. So far, so good. At first I wasn't convinced they were going to make it. They were barely eating the kitty formula I got for them. But by Tuesday they were either too hungry to keep protesting or they finally got the hang of the little bitty bottle thing. But now I have to "stimulate their genitalia" before and after feedings so they'll go to the bathroom. I think that's really going above and beyond the call of duty. I'd much rather slap a diaper on the little babies.

Still looking for home for the little guys. Seriously, I don't know how many of you there are out there but if you know of anyone who might be interested, lemme know!

NKOTB...The Right Stuff!

I had just settled in for a quick catnap yesterday afternoon (they're becoming much too frequent these days) when my phone rang. I didn't recognize the number so I let it go to voicemail. I decided to go ahead and check the message and it's a good thing I did because...my fellow bunco babe Shelley was calling to see if I was still interested in going to the New Kids on the Block concert. For free. In a suite. Uh, heck yes!

So I met her and her work buddies there. First time I've ever been in a suite for any event. Pretty posh. There was a group in the suite next door who had gone all out and were decked out in 80s garb...side ponytails, mini skirts and leggings, big day glo jewelry, etc.

First off, I loved me some NKOTB back in the day. I'm pretty sure I practiced the dance they did in "The Right Stuff" video. And Donnie Wahlberg was one of my biggest celebrity crushes growing up (second only to Michael J. Fox). In fact, I was elated when he starred in NBC's Boomtown for the lone season it ran. And even though the Saw movies really creep me out, I loved watching him in them. Yes, ladies, I still think he's got it (Oh, oh, oh oh oh, oh, oh, oh oh). Here are a few of my thoughts of the NKOTB concert experience:

1. The Jabbawockeez opened for them. I love, love, love MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew" and these boys were Season One's big winners. I so wish I was a hip hop dancer. Or a b-girl. Or could at least moonwalk. Their performance was a little long but I enjoyed them. It's interesting to note that nobody else in our suite had a clue as to who they were and used their time on stage to go to the bathroom, grab a drink, or find something to eat.

2. I was actually impressed with the New Kids. I didn't give them enough credit going into it and had some serious doubts about this whole reunion tour in general.

3. They did a whole lot of slow mo and gliding sequences in their routines. A whole lot. While impressed with some of their dance moves, the slide/glide thing got old pretty fast. Especially when in conjunction with strobe lights.

4. They changed outfits way too often. I'm not even sure how they managed to it so often and so fast. Interesting that every single outfit every single time was white, black, rhinestone, or a combo thereof.

5. Donnie said "Tulsa" more times last night than our mayor has. Kathy, by the way, was spotted in a nearby suite. Whodathunkit?

6. Cute little Joey McIntyre dropped the F-bomb. I was kinda shell shocked. I mean, I get that he's in his 30s and all, but he's Joey for crying out loud!

7. I once again found myself wondering what Jonathan Knight's role in this group really is. Solo time was split fairly evenly among Jordan, Joey, and Donnie and even Danny got to show off his break dancing skills more than once. But really, what about Jonathan?!

8. I don't think I've ever been to a concert where I've seen women actually throw their underwear at the performers. I mean, surely it's happened, but I've never actually seen it until last night.

9. I'm curious as to how they're going to write Donnie's comeback into HBO's "Entourage" script in the next couple of seasons. Man, I love that show (produced by and based on Donnie's lil brother Marky Mark's life in the limelight)!

I Love Jesus But I Drink A Little

So my crazy friend Donna's daughter got married on Saturday. They're a big Catholic family. And this was a big Catholic family wedding...complete with an open bar. Oh yeah. I'm not really a big wine drinker but let's just say I ended up on the dance floor until midnight. Lord I hope there aren't any pictures of that! But it was a good wedding. They held it at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum which at first was a little weird but as the evening wore on (and the wine sunk in) it was really pretty cool. The ceremony wasn't a Catholic mass...short and sweet. And too bad the officiant was already hitched himself. I thought he was adorable. He had that lead singer of The Counting Crows thing going on.

And I made it through the evening without Crazy Donna's mom trying to matchmake me. The last time I saw Fern she was so excited about setting me up with one of her many (56?...told you it was a big family!) grandchildren. Apparently the one she has in mind for me isn't much of a looker but is so, so sweet. Well of course he is.

And Crazy Donna made it through the evening. She was crying as soon as she was led down the aisle, all the way through the vows, and on into the father/daughter dance. But then the party started and she lived up to her name (which is Crazy Donna, if you hadn't noticed already!). Let's just say that while she made it through the evening, her underwear did not. It went home in one of her daughter and new son-in-law's gift bags. That's right, folks, she peed her pants on the dance floor. She would absolutely kill me if she read this. Good thing she doesn't know I blog...

Needless to say, I got home fairly late. The wine plus the time change didn't really do much for me or the Spanish lesson I had to teach in Okmulgee on Sunday. Oh yeah, had to give my dad and his mission trip group some basic Spanish pointers before they head down to Mexico next week. Again, I love Jesus but...

Itty Bitty Kitty Committee

Yeah, Val named me that. Just wanted to follow up and let the public know that the kittens now have names...at least until they're claimed by their future families and given permanent names like Harry (ahem, Val...).

One of my counselor aides at school helped me brainstorm and we came up with Dolce and Gabbana for the white kitties and Dooney and Bourke for the black furbabies. I'm so not a fashionista but I think the names are really cute. I just hope the white ones are girls and the black ones are boys. But I don't know when I'm going to be able to figure all that out...

Around the House

So I had a fairly productive weekend...On Saturday I did my regular thrift store circuit and found a restaurant quality chrome shelving unit. I debated about whether or not to buy it. Even left the store only to return a few hours later to make the purchase. Thought it was a great bargain but found out later that it wasn't such a fabulous deal. Bygones. I've been wanting a shelving system for my kitchen for a good while now so I'm pleased. It's nestled in between my fridge and this random wall on the other side of my cabinets. So now I have a pantry of sorts that I'm able to roll in and out when I need to get something.

And on Sunday my wonderful mother came over to help me paint my bedroom. I have a minor issue with motivation and procrastination. I've been putting off this paint job ever since I moved back to Tulsa three and half years ago. My mom had painted it the light green back when we thought she was renovating Loraine so I could sell her. That didn't happen and I've hated the color ever since. Check out the paint swatch I slapped up a couple months after moving back. Yep, that's over three years ago now, too. Wow.

If you didn't already know it, I'm a big bargain hunter (thrift stores, remember) although it may be more correct to call me a cheapskate. I rarely pay full price for anything. So when any home reno project is looming before me I head to Home Depot to scour their "Oops" paint selection. I found a gallon of a pretty gray with just a hint of blue in it and I thought it would be perfect. A score for just $5! A few weeks later I was shopping at Target (just to pick up a pack of bottled water, mind you) and found a great rug half off. It's charcoal gray with a floral motif with touches of light blue. Thought it'd match the paint perfectly. Man, this story is really boring. Sorry. Long (and boring) story short, my mom came over and we knocked out the bedroom in just a few hours. But it's more of a blue paint with a hint of gray instead of the other way. I was kind of bummed at first, but it's growing on me. Take a look.

The next thing on my list is to get rid of the brown bedding and headboard and pinkish bedskirt and find something that fits in my new (ahem, blue) color scheme. Maybe I'll actually cross it off my list before the next three years come and go.

Furbabies For Everyone!

So I woke up in the middle of the night on Friday (Saturday, technically) and I flipped on my bedroom light so I could dig around in my medicine drawer in the hallway. I realized that my cat Olive was in a laundry basket I had prepped for her last week in hopes that she would actually have her babies in it. Preferable, of course, to my closet on my shoes, the basket of towels in my bathroom, or on my living room rug. Sure enough, she was there with two little white kittens. I was in bed before midnight and this was around 2:30 AM. She had had those babies without making a peep! Everything seemed to be going okay so I turned off the light and wondered how many little kitties would be waiting for me when I woke up. Just the two. All day yesterday I was so thankful that her first (and hopefully last) litter was so small. My mom is probably going to take one of them so that meant I only had to find home for one kitten!

So then I went into the bedroom around 11:00 last night and peeked into the basket and saw a blur of black. What the...?! Sure enough, a third little baby was in the basket with everyone. Is that normal? Do they wait almost 24 hours in between babies? I had read that the wait was usually like 10 minutes to an hour. Usually indeed! So I checked on the little family of four around 11:30 and noticed Olive's stomach was kind of spasming. Within a few minutes I saw a little pouch protrude from her nether regions and watched her as she licked away. There was a tiny paw sticking out of her...with claws! Yowza! I panicked for a moment that I'd have to pull a breach kitten out of my cat's vajayjay by its lone little paw but thankfully nature took its course and the whole thing oozed its way out. Pretty cool to watch a living thing be born. Pretty creepy, too. So then I was worried about going to bed and waking up to even more babies. As of this posting (21 hours later) there are still just the four. Two white and two black. I squished around on Olive's belly a lot today trying to determine if a couple more were hiding up in there. I think we're good. Except now I have to find three good homes instead of just the one. Drats! Any takers?

Trying to come up with names. When I had the pug puppies I named them after classic movie stars. I had a Humphrey, Buster, Bing, Greta, and Ingrid. Any suggestions for these babies? Of course, I can't really tell the gender of these little guys though. I'm pretty sure I could tell with the pugs right away. Hmmm....