Mom is home!!!

We are happy to report that mom arrived home safely yesterday afternoon. She told us that she had a wonderful time with her friends and Aunt Torchy while in Arizona. Mom loved Sedona and says it is one of the most beautiful areas she has ever seen. She was very happy to spend some time there.

Mom and Aunt Torchy had lunch last Tuesday at the Rock Springs Cafe. It is about half way between Phoenix and Sedona. Aunt Torchy saw a road sign advertising their pies. They stopped and had a late lunch and pie for dessert. Mom said she thinks this was the best pecan pie she has ever had! And her lunch was delicious, too. She had the pulled pork sandwich. Mom said if any of your purrents are out that way they must stop there for a meal or even just pie and coffee!

We should take a moment to explain, too, that Aunt Torchy isn't really mom's sister. She is one of mom's bestest friends in the world. Mom is 9 years older than her, but everyone thinks they are sisters. It's just gotten easier to say they are! And if mom could chose anyone to be her sister, it would be Aunt Torchy!

There are so many things mom could tell you about.  She did the VIP meet and greet/dinner for Alice Cooper's Christmas Pudding show. She said the celebrities that she got to meet were all very nice.  She met John O'Hurley (from Seinfield), Don Felder (from The Eagles), L.A. Guns (a band from the 80s), Sebastian Bach (formerly from the band Skid Row), and of course, Alice Cooper (again). But the most exciting thing is she met Johnny Depp!!! We can hardly believe it ourselves! Mom said he was so nice. He was with Alice Cooper for the photo op. A pro photographer was taking the pics, so mom doesn't have her pictures yet. It will be about two weeks before they are available online. We promise to share them once she gets them.

But even with all of that, mom said she is glad to be home with us! I had to snub her for a little while, but I finally let her love on me late last night. The rest of the gang was all over her from the time she got home.

Purrs to all,
Clarissa

Memphis is fine and Mom is leaving town!

Memphis is doing well and is back to his normal self.  He sleeps on mom's bed during the day or in sun puddles in the family room or living room. He is eating in the kitchen again and had a good appetite. He appears to be gaining back the weight he lost. Memphis is attentive and has bouts of friskiness!!! Yes, our brofur is back!!!

The rest of us are doing fine. Mom is on vacation, but we won't get to lounge around with her. She is leaving tomorrow morning for a week in Arizona. She and Aunt Torchy are going to Sedona for a few days, then heading to Phoenix. Mom said she will take lots of pictures for us to share.

We won't be posting until mom returns next week. She'll get back home on Monday afternoon and has to go back to work on Tuesday. Purrsonally, we think she will be gone entirely too long!!!

Yesterday mom and Aunty Jen went to a fund raiser for a local no-kill shelter. Mom bought some catnip toys, a smelly candle, and a music box that was from the San Francisco Music Box Co.  It has a little white kitty sitting on a throne. Mom didn't realize that she was charged twice for the music box until she was home. She decided to let it go. It was only $6 and the money goes to the shelter. Mom considered it another small donation.

We hope everyone has a great week! We'll see everyone next Tuesday!!!

Mancat Monday: A Memphis Update

Our brofur is almost back to normal! He is a Siamese after all, and he has also been a little different. *wink* He is out and about a lot more and has started eating in the kitchen again. That means he is starting to feel better and more secure in his surroundings. He still spends a lot of time sleeping under the blankets, but he is cold-natured anyway.

Mom was home with us for the past 4.5 days, so we all got a lot of snuggles and time with her. Memphis napped in her lap several times (when he wasn't following the sun puddles around the back room). Yesterday Ginger napped in the recliner with mom and Batman rested his head on her. It was really very sweet.

We all thank you for your words of advice, prayers, and concern for Memphis. It means a lot to us. It warms our hearts knowing how many people care!!!

We are just confused...

So Memphis was out this morning. He wasn't eating from the food bowls, but he was eating dry kibble from the floor. He also used the litter box, and he gave the scratching post a vigorous workout. Could it be that we have a Siamese that is just a bit crazy? No offense meant to any Siamese who are reading this.

Memphis is going back to the vet tomorrow

Memphis is still a little more social. He spent this morning out and about and lounging in some sun puddles. However, he has been back on mom's bed under the blankets since the afternoon. Mom wants to have his weight checked again (we don't have a scale). Memphis still isn't eating much. He acts like he is interested in food, but after a bite or two he runs from the food dish. It doesn't matter if other kitties are around or not. A friend suggested getting some pureed chicken baby food for him. Since he wouldn't have to chew that, it might work. Mom will have the vet check his teeth again.

Memphis was more active this morning than he has been in a long time. However, we are all still very worried about him. We truly appreciate your prayers, purrs, and caring thoughts.

Memphis is Doing Better!

Memphis has started venturing out more. Mom found him in her bed last night, buried under the blankets. He spent the night with her and he was out and about this morning. He drank some left over milk that was in her cereal bowl this morning, and when mom left for work Memphis was sitting on the breakfast bar!  Memphis still isn't quite his old self, but this is a vast improvement. We wanted to thank everyone for their advice and concern. Hopefully Memphis will continue to improve.

We wish a great weekend to everyone!!!

Meowmie and Memphis Monday

Sorry we have been absent from the blogoshpere. We've had a sickie at home and have been taking care of her. Yep, mom has been down again. She woke up during the wee hours of Friday morning with chills and nausea.  Her nausea passed by 10am, but the fever remained until sometime early Sunday morning. We kitties were taking bets on how high mom's fever would reach. It topped on Friday night at 103!!!  Mom's temp stayed between 100/101 on Saturday.  She didn't have much of an appetite, but she made herself drink a lot of water. When she woke up on Sunday morning, she said she was all wet and stinky - her fever had broken and her temp was 98.6! Mom is feeling much better and was able to go back to work today.

Memphis is still acting odd. He has been venturing out of his closet and he has been sleeping in mom's bed at night. Our uncle was holding Memphis last night and out of the blue he started screaming - Memphis, not our uncle - and wanted down. Memphis may have seen Panda, we don't know for sure. He doesn't seem to run or get upset by anyone else. Memphis was in bed with mom again this morning, and he was cautiously wandering about while she was getting ready for work.

Mom here:  Memphis truly has me puzzled. Physically there is nothing wrong with him. He comes to me for attention if I am on the computer. He will rub around my legs, let me rub his head and shoulders, and I know not to touch his tail-less behind. Some kitties like scritches at the base of their tails, but that is a very sensitive spot for Memphis, and not in a good way! Memphis was in bed with me the other morning and I was rubbing his head. I touched one of his front paws and he smacked me and cried. This is a cat who will lay in my lap and let me trim his claws and not complain. It makes me very sad to see this change in him.

Memphis Update

Mom took Memphis to the vet late yesterday afternoon. The vet said everything about Memphis was normal except his weight. He has lost two pounds since August. He went down from 12 lbs. to 10 lbs. The vet stole some of Memphis's blood and will call us when the lab report comes in. That could be later today or sometime tomorrow.  Memphis did eat a little vanilla pudding last night (our Uncle shared his with Memphis) and he was out of the closet when mom was getting ready for work this morning.

And here is a pic of Memphis sleeping on the cat tree. This was taken a month or so ago:

Bye Bye Trees

The trees in our yard and all of the brush have been going bye-bye today. It's been way too noisy for us cats! Mom said the yard (both front and back) look so much better. We don't really care how the yard looks since we stay inside, but we know with the one maple tree gone and the mulberry tree that was up near the house, we will get lots more sun! That means more sun puddles to sleep in!!! That will be really nice this winter, especially since there is less sun light now!

Also, we wanted to thank everyone who suggest more vertical space in the house for us. Mom will see what she can do to work on that. We have three cat trees already. One is in the living room and the other two are in front of opposite windows in the family room. Mom roused Memphis out of the closet for a bit last night and held him. As soon as she relaxed her hold on him, he headed back for the closet. He came out on his own for a few minutes today, but as soon as the noise started back up he bolted back into the closet.

Mom did make an a vettie appointment for Memphis for later today. She is going to have him checked out just to ease her mind that there is not a physical problem going on with him. One thing she has learned over the past 12 years of having us is we usually hide when we aren't feeling well.

We promise to keep our friends posted on what we find out.  

We have a bullying problem...

Memphis, our Siamese-Manx brother, has taken to hiding in the closet and even sleeping there. Last night, while mom was on the computer, Memphis came into the room meowing and acting racing around and then ran into the closet. Mom found him hiding in the corner between the wall and a storage box. Our uncle said Panda had walked into the room and Memphis lost his mind and ran.

One day last week mom and our uncle heard a lot of growling and meowing. Our uncle said the ruckus was caused by Panda and Memphis. Memphis took off and hid. Memphis has been doing this since then. Memphis will come out as long as Panda isn't around. He will also come out and stay with mom when she is on the computer or hang with our uncle if Panda isn't around.

Fiona used to bully him but they finally came to an understanding. Mom knows our house really isn't large enough for the number of cats who live here, but here they are and here they will stay. And Panda really isn't a bad cat. She is just not fond of other cats who get too close to her.

Mom is at a loss as to what to do. Will this run it's course and everything be fine? She feels bad for Memphis and doesn't want him to hide in the closet. He does come out to use the litter box, eat, and drink. If anyone has suggestions mom would appreciate them!

Mancat Monday:

Today we wanted to introduce you to Dominic. He is lives with a friend of mom's. He is quite handsome with his beautiful green eyes. Domi is an "only child". His dog sister, Star, crossed the Bridge sometime last summer.

Domi is also quite the party animal:

We hope everyone is having a good Monday. Purrs and prayers for everyone who is in the path of Hurricane Sandy to stay safe!!!!

Whiskerhump Wednesday: One-Eyed Fiona

One-Eyed Fiona is showing off her whisker humps today. We wish the picture quality was better. Mom didn't use the flash on the flashy box and the last set of pics she took are a little dark.

Doesn't she have a sweet face? Fiona lures you into thinking she is all sweetness and then she will put the bitey on you!!! She fools mom every time. You would think she would have learned by now.  Mom, not Fiona! MOL!!!!

Whiskerhump Wednesday: Ginger

Sister Ginger Pie is sharing her whiskerhumps with us this morning. We think she has a very sweet face.

Ginger is the shy one out of the natural sibling group of four.  They all turned 9 years old this year.  It's hard to tell in this picture, but our sister has some scar tissue on her left eye. This probably occurred from an infection when she was a kitten. The group was 4 years old when they came to live with us from Ohio.  Ginger is the smallest of her litter, and she still weighs a healthy 14 lbs!  Mom says Ginger also has the softest fur of the litter.  Technically, Ginger isn't a "cow cat" since her spots are tabby (Sister Panda is a true "cow cat").  Also, Ginger and Brother Spunky are bonded together.  It's not unusual to find them snuggled together on mom's bed or in one of the cat beds.

Ginger is finally starting to get up in the recliner with mom.  She hasn't napped in the middle of mom's lap yet, but there is hope. The closest she has come is placing her back end on mom's thigh and draping her front half over the wide arm of the chair. Most of the time she will lay on the foot rest, stretched out along mom's leg.

Ginger HATES being picked up!!! She will cry and meow and struggle until mom puts her down. The entire litter is like that! Of course, Puff is just too large to pick up! But that's another story for another time.

Have a great day and show us those whiskerhumps!!!

Gorgeous Tuesday

We hope everyone is have a lovely Tuesday. It's a beautiful sunny day here and we are planning to nap in the sun puddles on mom's bed, on our uncle's bed, in the laundry basket and on the cat trees, on the living room sofa, on the living room coffee table and anywhere else we please! That's because we are cats and that's what we do

Mom did watch the season premiere of The Walking Dead on Sunday night. We ignored it. Some of us did nap in mom's lap during the show. Mom said she hopes old man Herschel makes it, even if he did keep his zombie-fied family chained up in his barn back on the farm. Whatever...

We wanted to share a picture with you that isn't cat related. One of mom's cousin's has twin granddaughters. They are about 2 1/2 years old. Their dad said they have discovered nail polish:

Would you believe he said they didn't get any of the polish on the carpet?!!!

Have a great day!!!! 

Easy Like Sunday

Serendipity is taking it very easy today! She didn't even raise her head when mom took her picture!

It is sunny, 75F, and very very windy today! We might have storms later tonight. We sure hope not.

We hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday as much as we are. Mom is home with us today. We watched a movie with her this afternoon, and we might watch The Walking Dead tonight. It depends if mom chicken's out! She loves the show, but she is also a big scaredy-cat!!!! And we thought we were the only kitties around this house!!! MOL

We Got An Award!!!!

Oh joy! We are so excited!  The beautiful and charming Katie Isabella gave us the One Sweet Blog award!!!

Thank you Katie! We think your a very sweet yourself!!!

Now, we have to nominate five furriends to share this award with. This is never an easy thing to do. Let's see...okay...hmm...here we go:

Sweet Purrfections

Katnip Lounge

Prancer Pie

Brian's Home

Rumblebum

Wow...that was hard. I think we deserve a nap now!!!

Whiskerhump Wednesday/Good News

We are going to start with the good news.  We found out yesterday that Oliver has found a forever home. We told you about him last week. It made our hearts happy to get that great news.  Thank you for purrs. We just know the Great Cat heard them and helped Oliver out of his situation.

And now for Whiskerhump Wednesday with Memphis Meezer. You get not one, but TWO pictures of my handsome Siamese/Manx brother.  You also get the bonus view of black toe beans in the first picture and his pink tongue in the second picture!

Have a great day!!!

Tuesday News-day

We are back! Mom ended up being really sick so we didn't much computer time. She had a nasty sinus infection and it knocked her on her butt! She is feeling better and went back to work today.

But now for the important news:  We have had an intruder in our yard! It's true! A lovely, large, long-legged, silver tabby has been visiting our yard. We assume said tabby is a girl since her collar is pink. Of course, boys can wear pink too. There is nothing wrong with that. Anymew, said tabby is of medium length fur and is very beautiful. But there is more!!! The tabby has a companion: A big black short haired kitty!!! This kitty also has a collar and tags, but we couldn't see the color of the collar. We have just started seeing them so they must be new to the neighborhood.  Mom said she wishes their guardians would keep them inside. It is so much safer!

Lastly, mom took some pictures of a few of us on Sunday. We will start sharing them soon.

Have a great day!

Mom is feeling puny....

Our mom is feeling a bit puny today.  She said she feels like there is an alien in her chest. We made her take a Mucinex DM and now she is feeling a little sleepy. Hopefully it is nothing serious. We hate it when she is sick. We get to cuddle with her, but we want her to be well!  Mom said we have "allergy season" twice a year. Each one last 6 months!!!  Seriously, mom usually will get sick in the spring and again in the fall.

We also wanted to thank everyone for their good wishes on finding Oliver a home. We haven't heard anything new, but then again, we might not. We can only keep our claws crossed and hope for the best.

Now it is time to go nap in some sun puddles while we can!!!

PSA: A Home For Oliver

Clarissa here.  Mom and our gang are trying to find home for this handsome orange boy:

Oliver's people moved and left him behind, ALONE, in an empty house.   He is living in a temporary foster home but can't stay there. If a home is not found soon, he will be going to the local Humane Society.

Oliver is about a year old. He is neutered and current on his shots. We don't know if he gets along with other cats or not. His first year has been spent as an only cat as far as we know.  Mom said she would take him in if it is an emergency situation, but she also said we are really at "catpacity" now with 15.

It makes us all very angry, and sad, that this boy was left behind. We don't understand how anyone could do that to any animal.

Oliver says,"Please help me find my forever home!"

Questions Answered and Other Stuff

It looks like we are going to have thunderbloomers here at any minute. The sky is dark and there are flashes of lightning!  Unless it gets really loud, storms don't really bother any of us kitties. Sister Serendipity will sit in the window and watch the storms. The rest of us tend to sleep through them. At least mom made it to work before the storm got here.

A couple of kitties left questions for me in their comments about yesterdays post. I thought I would take a couple of minutes to answer them.

Katie Isabella wanted to know how old I am.  I turned 12 this year, probably in June. Mom adopted me on August 27, 2000 when I was 8 weeks old!  I was 4 years old when I started over-grooming my tummy. Mom thought it was in response to my human grandpa being so sick. I was with him during the days while mom was at work.  He went into the hospital in July 2004, then move to a nursing home, the back to the hospital. He crossed the Bridge in late August 2004.  Mom has taken me to a dermatologist, and he recommend that we try I different food. Mom has tried many different foods and none of them have made a difference.  So now, about ever three months, I have to get a Depo shot.  Mom doesn't like it, but it is the only thing that works with me.

Prancer Pie asked if I kissed my mom with my dirty mouf! The answer is YES!!!  Mom will scoop me up and kiss my nose and sometimes she will kiss me right on my kitty mouf!!!  She calls me her "baby girl" and "Rissa Roo the Kitty Poo".  I got that nickname from her dad when I was a kitten. Actually, mom said she knew he fell in love with me when he started calling me s**thead!  Mom didn't think that was a very nice name for a cute little kitten like I was! So maybe I actually learned those bad words from him!!! MOL

Me and the crew hope everyone has a safe and dry Tuesday!

Cuss Like A Sailor Day (Not Really!!!)

Happy Monday!  Fall is in the air and the nights are getting cooler here. It was 42 degrees when mom left for work this morning. But it is sunny and bright, and while mom is at work, I will be napping in every sun puddle I can find! That's what most of us did yesterday, too.  Being a cat is hard work sometimes. All that eating kibble, washing up, and napping makes us tired!

Anymew, mom took me to the v-e-t on Saturday. I had to get my depo injection again. It's the only thing that makes my belly feel better so that I stop pull my fur out.  I don't mind it when mom puts me in the PTU (pet transport unit) and I usually don't mind riding in the car. I actually don't mind being at the vet's office. What I do mind is when the tech and the vet start weighing me and poking around on me. This visit was no different.

As soon at the tech lifted me out of the carrier I started growling. She put me on the scale and I hissed. I do weigh 9 lbs., which is a good weight for my build. My regular vet was out of the office, so a substitute vet filled in for him. This doctor was very nice, as far as vets go! He trimmed my talons claws and I growled and hissed some more. Then he looked into my ears. They were really dirty so he cleaned them. More hissing and growling ensued. Finally he asked, "Where did you learn such language, young lady?"  Mom told him I learned to cuss from Fiona!

Soon it was all over. I got my injection and it was back into the PTU and home!  Mom will be checking the injection site for any cyst that may develop. The last shot caused one, but then it went away.

Oh, Jazzpurr and Spunky get to go for their annuals next Saturday!

Meow Like a Pirate Day

Bonus Whisker Hump Wednesday from Capt. Puff

Arrgh, me mateys. Cap'n Puff "Puffypants" MacPufferson at ye service! The ol' airship has been cleaned up. The decks have been swabbed, the brass has been polished and I'm ready to take you ol' seacats out for an adventure.  One word of warnin' to all aboard: Thar'll be no poopin' on the poop deck!

 

Our mom is so dumb!!!

We are still meowing out loud about what our silly mom did yesterday. Our mom has been parking in the university's stadium parking lot and riding the Cardinal Shuttle to the other side of campus where her office is. It usually works out better that way since parking is almost unlimited there.  When she left work yesterday, she hopped on the shuttle and rode to the stadium, got off the shuttle and started walking to her SUV...and then she remembered that she didn't park in the stadium lot yesterday!  She had parked in the designated "blue" lot that the shuttle bus had already passed. Mom had to get back on the shuttle and ride almost the full circuit around the campus again to get to her vehicle. Isn't that funny?!!!!

We are also purring for the family of our friend, Sheriff John Wayne, who crossed the Bridge yesterday. He was part of the Looney Coons who live in California. He has joined his brofur Bart (who greeted him with a good washing!).

Sheriff John Wayne, ? - 10/12/2012

Wordless Wednesday: Cousin Alfred

Cousin Alfred (aka Squishy)

Gone too long....

I must apologize for disappearing again. It seems that mom gets busy and forgets to help us post!  She just got back from Gatlinburg, TN on Sunday.  Our Aunty Jen had rented a cabin in the Smokey Mountains for three days/four nights. Her now ex-boyfriend bailed out on her, sticking her with the cabin that was too late to get a refund on to cancel. Stupid boys (men!).  Anymew, since the place was paid for and Aunty Jen didn't want to lose her money, she asked mom to go with her.

Mom said it was beautiful all day Thursday and Friday (they drove there on Wednesday). Saturday was cold and rainy, but she said the clouds surrounded the mountains and at times they couldn't see anything but the trees right by the upper deck on the cabin! Mom said it was still beautiful, but in a different way.

She also saw a lot of birds and squirrels, one ground hog, katydids, moths, butterflies, and blue tailed skinks.

Mom didn't take this picture, but this is what a blue tailed skink looks like:

We think he'd make a nice snack!

We are also remembering September 11, 2001. Me (Clarissa) and Sable were the only two kitties from our house who were around at that time - and Sable would have still been with his cat-mommy.

A Better Day

It was a better day for me than yesterday. I want to thank everyone who left such kind words and comments yesterday. It helped me make it through the day.  I was diagnosed with chronic depression a few years ago. I found a good therapist and a good doctor and the right medication. It made all the difference it the world to me.  I have good days and bad days, but that is normal. Everyone does.

Thank you all again.

The kitties are demanding that I return their blog back to them tomorrow!

Mom Malinda

Not So Happy Monday (Kitties are Fine)

Please don't panic, all of the kitties are fine! This is mom, Malinda. I've had a very difficult weekend. My dear friend, Richard, took his own life on Thursday. I am still trying to wrap my head around it all.

Richard had suffered with serve depression his entire adult life. He was on numerous medications and was getting professional help. He had a partner who loved him and a ten year old daughter who loved him. But none of these things could pull him out of the dark place he was in.

Richard loved animals. When he and his partner were living in Florida they did rescue and rehabilitation for wild animals. Primarily they dealt with possums and raccoons. Richard had two pet raccoons (not at the same time) that were a result of the rescue program. Both had been abandoned pets and couldn't be released. He loved themed dearly and I know it broke his heart when they passed away.  While in Florida they also had a houseful of cats and dogs (all rescues).

Richard was also a very talented costumer. He had worked with some regional theaters in Florida doing costuming. He had just done some sewing for me in May. He made a couple of Victorian inspired skirts for me for the steampunk convention I was going to. It was then when he told me he had tried to kill himself (again) in March. What do you say to someone who tells you that?  I told him that I loved him and that I'm glad he didn't succeed.

So, I can't say that his death came as a surprise to me. I'm still stunned, my heart aches for him and those he has left behind. I know that there was nothing I could have said or done to stop him. It still doesn't make his loss any easier.

Anthony, Richard's partner of 26 years, is going to hold a healing circle at their house on Friday for their close friends. Richard's parents are having a memorial service at their church next Monday. I am planning on attending both.

I hope that Richard has found the peace in death that he fought so hard to find in life. I will miss him.

Richard Harland-Bennett

May 15, 1962 - August 9, 2012

Easy Like Sunday

This is our friend, Gretel. She lives in Ocean City, MD. Gretel is an only cat and she is about 18 months old now. We know one her favorite toys as a kitten was a ball of yarn! She has two angel kitty sisters, Willow and Holly, and an angel Irish Wolfhound sister named Clara.

It sure looks likes Gretel is having a very easy Sunday!

Sleeping Fiona

Sound asleep on the back of the computer chair...

Huh? What? Go away! Can't you see that I'm sleeping?!!!

Napping is hard work!!! Now take the flashy box and be on your way!

Mancat Monday with Bandit

Good Monday Morning, kitties!!! I'm here to tell you about our noisy Saturday.  It wasn't fun for us kitties at all. You see, Mom finally had the new roof put on the house! The workers showed up at 7:30am and by 8:00am there was way too much noise. They took off all of the old shingles and tar paper, then they started putting on the new stuff.  We cats all found places to sleep and ignored the noisy men as much as we could. All of the hammering did make Clarissa nervous. She kept pacing around the house and pawing at mom to make the noise stop.

On a much happier note, we have found a new place to yak up our dry kibble and hair balls!!! It just happens to be on mom's bed!!! We love to hear her joyous remarks when she finds our presents. Yesterday, one fur left his or her mark on mom's pillow. She had to throw the pillow in to the washer to clean it. The good news is the pillow cleaned up just fine. The bad news is it took three 90 minute cycles in the dryer to get it dried!!!

Also, mom had a sleep study done on July 22. She finally got the results back this morning. It wasn't good kitties. Mom officially has Obstructive Sleep Apnea. She had 50 episodes per hour where she stopped breathing!!! That good definitely explain why she is tired so much of the time. The person she spoke with this morning wanted to scheduled another session so mom could be monitored with a CPAP machine. If she sleeps well with that, then they will prescribe it for her. Mom says it's always something!

Have a great Monday!

Clarissa Explains Our Mom's Obession with Alice Cooper

Spitty-the-Kitty left the following comment regarding mom's meeting with Alice Cooper: No waaaaay!! Is he like her best friend or sumfing???? How did that happen????? We needz a story!  Please let me explain mom's obsession with Mr. Cooper.

Our mom listened to Alice Cooper when she was a teenager in the 1970s. That was way before we were even born, kitties!!! She never saw him in concert until 2002. Mom's friend had gotten them first row seats for the show, and mom said as soon as Alice appeared on stage she was hooked. All he had to do was reel her in.  Her second Alice Cooper concert was in July 2003. She and two friends drove to Toledo, OH to see him. One of her friends knew one of the guitarists in the band at the time. Mom and her friends ended up hanging out with the bass player (Chuck Garric), two guitarists (Ryan Roxie and Eric Dover), the drummer (Eric Singer) and Alice's daughter, Calico (she danced in the show). It was also mom's 43rd birthday and she swears it was one of her best birthdays ever!!!

Time marched on, as it is wont to do, and mom has gone to as many Alice Cooper shows as she possible could. She has seen him approximately 55 times since 2002. She went to a charity golf tournament that he played in. She has met him "officially" at concert meet and greets four or five times now. But she has run into him at various hotels on concert road trips. Mom said Alice is one of the nicest people you would ever meet.

The picture we posted of her on Wednesday was taken in Peoria, IL last Friday night. She and her friend had front row seats for the concert. Mom actually paid extra for the VIP Platinum Package. That includes the meet and greet with Alice, the photo op, and a tote bag filled with goodies (a t-shirt, poster, copy of the set list). Mom also took her Alice Cooper bobble-head and Alice signed it and the box it came in.  The meet and greet package isn't cheap, but the money goes to Solid Rock Foundation, the charity started by Alice and another fellow.

In 2006, mom saw Alice in concert 12 times!!! She saw 9 of those shows over a 12 day period when he was touring the mid-west. She started in Louisville where he opened for the Rolling Stones. From there she drove (by herself!) to Nashville, TN, St. Louis, MO, Joliet, IL, Springfield, IL, Evansville, IN, Pikeville, KY, Cleveland, OH, and finished in Kalamazoo, MI. By the time mom took this trip, the band knew her. Chuck made arrangements for mom to have a guest pass at each show (except for the Rolling Stones - security was tight for that show!).  Mom also saw him in Anaheim, CA when she flew to Los Angeles to visit friends.

Mom has seen three shows this year, and we know she will go to Phoenix, AZ in December for his charity variety show.

So now you know something about our mom and her favorite obsession (besides us kitties!)

Aug. 20, 2005 - Cincinnati, OH

Oct. 10, 2006 - Kalamazoo, MI (hotel lobby)

Oct. 29, 2009 - Las Vegas, NV

May 18, 2010 - Knoxville, TN

Alice signed mom's shoulder. She did not get his autograph tattooed.

Wordless Wednesday: Our Mom with Alice Cooper

July 20, 2012 - Peoria, IL

Homeless Tuesday

We don't think this handsome boy has a name yet. Our mom saw his picture on Facebook. Her friend's friend is feeding him and trying to earn his trust. Hopefully she will be able to capture him and have him neutered. And even better, hopefully he will want to become a house kitty.

He looks like he has some Siamese in his genes with his dark face and dark feet. But look at that white bib and that intelligent expression! Purrs that this boy will be able to find a forever home.

As our friend, Brian would say, "Adopt cats, we deserve it!!!"

Wordless Wednesday

Tortie Tuesday with Jazzpurr

Hi all! I'm Jazzpurr (aka Jazzy) and Clarissa said I could share a picture of myself today!

See my white whiskers? Would you believe they used to be black?! It's true. We aren't exactly sure how old I am. Mom adopted me in October 2004 and she was told I was five years old. That would mean I'll be 13 years old this year! I guess that makes me a senior kitty and a year older than Clarissa!  I'm a bit of a plumpkin, and sometimes I have a hard time grooming my back. Mom will have to trim the mats out of my fur every now and then.  My mom teases me and tells me she is going to take me outside on Groundhog Day! She said if I see my shadow we will have six more weeks of winter!  But I know she loves me and would never take me outside unless I was in my PTU (Pet Transport Unit).

Have a great day! I'll visit again sometimes!

KABOOMS!!! and BOOMERS!!!

Good morning kitties (and any doggers who visit, too!). We hope everyfur had a very safe July 4th. It was much too noisy around here for our tastes! As soon as darkness fell, the noisy celebrations began.  The KABOOMS! were so loud, mom said it sounded like we were being bombed.  This noise had to be from the professional fireworks show that was downtown on the Ohio River. Even though we live in the suburbs, we can usually here the explosions at our house. For the most part, we kitties just slept through it. Mom is relieved that the majority of us aren't afraid of fireworks.

Mother Nature sent her own fireworks display around 3:00am. We had thunderboomers rumble through the area. The worst of it stayed in the southwest part of the county. We just had the lightning and thunder, but no rain. Mom knows we could use some rain, but it would only make the air more steamy than it is now.

When the 100+ temps arrived last week the humidity was still low. Now the humidity level is up so it feels very sticky outside. We are glad we get to stay inside in the air conditioned coolness. Mom has to go out and she hates it.

Stay cool kitties!!!

We Are Back!

Have you missed us? We have missed all of our friends. Mom has been busy and we haven't had much computer time. She went to Knoxville, TN to see Alice Cooper. Then the next week she saw Alice Cooper when he played in our hometown, Louisville, KY. Then she took off and went to North Carolina to visit our Aunt Torchy AND they went to another Steampunk convention that was in Chapel Hill, NC. They also saw a movie: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. We heard that it got horrible reviews but mom liked it. Her next short trip is in a couple of weeks or so. She is going to Peoria, IL to see Alice Cooper. You'd think she likes this guy or something!

It looks like we will be getting a new roof put on our house and garage soon. The insurance adjuster and contractor will be at our house early tomorrow morning for a look at the old roof. It's about 20 years old, and we've had a lot of wind and hail over the past couple of years. Mom's pretty sure there is damage. We are a little worried about all of the noise that will be echoing through the house when the work begins. We haven't gone through anything like this before. Mom said we will all find places to hide while the workers are here.

We are going to have a very bad spell of the HOTS over the next three or four days. The temps are suppose to be 100 or higher! According to the weather pundits, it looks like a good portion of the mid-west and east coast will be in the same predicament. We hope everyone will stay safe and cool indoors!

Purrs to all of our friends!

Clarissa & Co

Easy Like Sunday

It's been overcast here and rain is on the way. Mom is off to Knoxville, TN tomorrow and won't be back until Wednesday. We won't be posting again until she gets home. We've spent the day napping in various places. We will leave you with a picture of Brother Spunky and Sister Ginger sort of cuddling together. Mom woke them up when she came in with the camera.

A Wasp Invasion!!!

It's true!!! We had an invasion of paper wasps at our house. Mom found two nests of wasps and our uncle found two! That's FOUR WASP NESTS kitties!!! Mom freaked out and said that was too much for her to deal with, especially when one nest was between the screen and the window. We liked to sit on the windowsill and watch the wasps move. We would swat at the glass and try to get at them. Mom was very afraid that the bugs would find a way to get into the house, too. She didn't want us to get stung, so she finally called an exterminator.

The bug guy came yesterday and sprayed all around the eaves of the house and the garage. So far it looks like that took care of the problem. Mom felt kind of bad about killing them because they weren't really bothering anyone. However, they were too close to invading our space so they had to go. The bug spray should keep the wasps from returning and rebuilding.

Mom and our uncle are going to see Glen Campbell in concert tonight. Mom is afraid it will make her sad. You see, she grew up listening to him and now he has Alzheimer's Disease. Some of his adult kids are in his band and they watch out for him. This is Glen's farewell tour. We hope she will have a good time and not cry!

Have a good weekend!

Whiskerhump Wednesday

Princess Daisy Thistlechaser shows off her tortie whiskerhumps

Extreme closeup:

Our ABC Award

Way back in April, Katie Isabella sent us the ABC Award. We have been very neglectful in posting the reward and our response to it. Since there are 15 of us, it will be a group effort.

A is for AWESOME.  Mom says we are all awesome kitties!

B is for BOISTEROUS. Serendipity is the most boisterous kitty!

C is for CUDDLES.  Sable is a major cuddle-bug!

D is for DOODLE.  Doodle is one of Daisy's nicknames!

E is for ENERGETIC.  We all have these great burst of energy and wear mom out!

F is for FEISTY.  Fiona is the feisty one at our house!

G is for GAZING. Sometimes we gaze out the windows and watch the birds and squirrels!

H is for HALO.  We know Angel Colin has his halo and wings!

I is for ICE CREAM.  We love it when mom shares her vanilla ice cream with us!

J is for JUMPING.  Memphis is the highest jumper of the family!

K is for KICKING.  We love to "bunny kick" our catnip toys (and sometimes mom's hand!)

L is for LOVED.  We are loved and we love our meowmie! 

M is for MEOW.  Bandit and Fred have the softest meows!

N is for NIP.   Most of us like catnip. Clarissa is the only one who tries to bury it!

O is for OVERDRIVE.  That's the speed we go at when we chase each other!

P is for POOP.  There is plenty of that at our house!

Q is for QUICK.  Sable was the quick one when catching real live mice!

R is for RISSA ROO.  That's Clarissa's nickname and she is mom's baby girl!

S is for SNEAKY.  Sable is sneaky when he tries to steal Fred's food!

T is for TERRIFIC.  We are a terrific clowder of cats according to mom!

U is for UNIQUE.  We all have our unique personalities and quirks!

V is for VEXING.  Mom says we are vexing when one of us gets sick and hides on her!

W is for WONDERFUL.  We are cats! How could we not be wonderful!!!

X is for X-TREME.  Bandit and Jazzpurr will have x-treme wrestling matches!

Y is for YOWL. Memphis will yowl from another room if he is left alone!

Z is for ZIP.  We love to zip around the house when we have our crazy ears on!


We read too many great blogs to pass this award on to a favorite. Therefore, if you haven't won this award yet, please consider yourself chosen!  We would love to read more about all of our friends!       

Mancat Monday: Cousin Alfred & Cousin Wick

That's our North Carolina cousins, Wick & Alfred. This probably could have been an easy Sunday picture, but since it has been a rainy Monday in Louisville, KY, we thought this would be an appropriate way to spend it! They sure look comfortable!!!

Easy Like Sunday

Good evening! It's been another easy Sunday. Mom knitted and napped and we napped with her.

Memphis naps in a sunpuddle on the old sofa.

And Sable naps on the opposite end of the sofa.

Ginger naps on the coffee table...

And I napped on mom's robe in the laundry basket.

Where did you spend your easy Sunday?

Happy Caturday!!!

We are enjoying our Caturday by lounging around the house while our mom does laundry and final unpacks from her trip. We always like it when mom stays home with us on the weekends. We all get cuddle time and that makes us happy.

The weather is cool today, at least for the 2nd day of June. Mom turned off the air conditioner and opened up some windows. She is airing out the house AND we get to have window whiffies all day!

We hope everyone is enjoying their Caturday!!!!

Steampunk Mom (Pictures)

Today we are going to share a few pictures from the World Steam Expo. That's the steampunk convention that mom was at last weekend. She was being a Lady for these pics. One day we will post the pics of her as an Airship Pirate!  Mom is the one in the checkered skirt and blue skirt. The other person is our Aunt Torchy. We've posted pics of her kitties here.

Aunt Torchy and mom made up character names. Aunt Torchy's is Gwendolyn Torchester Goodhead and mom's is Millicent Ophelia Goodhead. They are the Goodhead sisters and always say two Goodheads are better than one!

They attended a morning tea on Saturday. Look at that delicious food!!! And flowers to nom on too!!!

This was taken at the end of morning tea. Would you believe that a lot of people thought mom's wig was her real hair?!!!

The band, Abney Park, played two concerts at the convention. This was after the Saturday afternoon show. Mom was very excited to meet them. She has a big crush on Capt. Robert (he is in the white shirt).

Thanks for letting us share the pictures of our mom with you! We promise to have more pictures of us to share soon!

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

So Happy It's Thursday

Good morning! It seems that we have been away for a long, long time. Maybe if we could keep mom off of Farmville we would have more computer time!

We hope everyone had a lovely Memorial Day weekend. Mom went to a steampunk convention in Dearborn, MI over the weekend. She left on Thursday and didn't get home until Monday evening. Our uncle was here to take care of us, and Sable woke him up every morning just like he does with mom! And in case anyone is wonder what "steampunk" is, it's the Victorian era as it never was. Basically it is a sub-genre in science fiction & fantasy. We well share a few pics later after mom downloads them from her camera.

We were saddened to learn about Parker Pie crossing the Bridge. Although we knew the time was coming, we still weren't ready for it. We know she had a wonderful life with her family and that she was dearly loved. We will miss her. We also hope her purrents will keep her blog up and perhaps let the other furs post.

We also wanted to say goodbye to another friend who crossed the Bridge last week. Her name is Chita McChew and she was a regular poster on the Meowmail message board. Chita was beautiful white and tabby girl who had lots of lovely spots. She was also known to steal the noses, spots, and tails of other cats who visited the board. She was preceded across the Bridge by her sister, Nala La, a year or two ago. Although we will miss her, it seems right to the the McChew-La girls together again. They are survived by their mom (Stacy), and furblings Precious Peter McChew-La and Callie Marie McChew-La.