Yes, we have fleas. Lord knows where they came from. I’m guessing that the drought and the construction next door stirred them up. In our twelve years in this apartment on the second floor, we have never had fleas or any other bugs. Ok, we had the occasional ant swarm, but those were easily dealt with. Poor kitties. As if the construction wasn’t bad enough… We’ll take care of it.
I managed to get a few pics. Between the fleas and the construction, it has been difficult.
TitoMiss JennyTitan looking rather silly
Here’s the construction update. We had cement trucks parked and running right outside our window for a little more than 5 hrs. The kitties were NOT amused.
We still have a kitchen window and this is the view. The bottom right corner is my window sill. The wall you see close by isn’t the outside wall of the next building. It’s a hallway. The outside wall of the next building is also in the bottom right corner and barely visible. There’s no space between the buildings. My window will go away at some point. I thought it would be gone already.
After all that, a bit of humor is in order. Here’s a funny vid of a horse and a cameraman.
Five years ago today, Lastech and I got sick and tired of being slaves to nicotine and so we smoked our last cigarette. We don’t miss it. More after the pointy eared people get their spot in the sun.
As an introduction to today’s Caturday, here is a comedy skit by Big Train. π
Written by Lastech:
Grand Marshal Titanescu continues to surprise… It isn’t simply that I haven’t been hit, bit or hissed at in about two weeks, the Titan’s made some surprising progress socially. It might be a combination of stress from the construction next door, the Feliway working its magic, or simply gaining his trust at last. I’m not sure, but Titanescu’s become a Velcro kitty. He runs after me wherever I go, rubbing against my legs, rubbing his scent on me and even purring. Yes now we know he does purr. You can barely feel it when he’s on your lap, and certainly not hear it. But as he peels back his lips, rubbing on you, there’s no mistaking that low rumble. But wait. We’ve also been able to pick him up and move him without injury! Oh sure, he doesn’t move off a lap voluntarily, but he’ll submit to the relocation without retaliation.
Frankly, from a cat who hissed and hit us just for laughing, that is amazing!
The Great and Terrible TitanescuThe patient and amazing Tito
Miss Nightshade Jenny had a birthday. Today a gift box arrived for her from her Auntie Grace. Tomorrow, she’ll get to see her gifts and I’ll be taking pictures of her, the boys and the goodies. Then we’ll be able to thank Grace properly.
Miss Jenny, the birthday girl now flirts with the postman
Construction update: The kitties are NOT amused.
The big orange monster is working close to the building. The furry ones are hiding.
Now, back to our 5 year smoke free celebration…
It has allowed us to climb many stairs.
Yes, you read that correctly. There are 308 of those things in addition to a steep ramped section.They weren’t kiddingThat is the Point Reyes Lighthouse. It’s also the movie home of radio station KAB 1340 and Stevie Wayne. Can you remember the movie?
The construction next door is coming along slowly but surely. Miss Jenny still hides when they’re working, but she’s out and talking to the birds today. I even managed to get a few pics.
Tito let me get a closeupMiss Jenny is stoned on nipTitanescu is watching over his domain
As for the construction, I still have a kitchen window and this is the view. The big orange monster is still outside my window.
And now for some giggles. Be sure to watch it with the sound up as it’s the commentary that makes this so funny.
Howdy folks. We managed to get some pics of the kitties but it’s getting harder. Caturday may possibly become a bit more sporadic as a result of the construction going on next door. When I say next door, I don’t mean 25 or 50 feet away. I mean inches away from our building. This is what it’s like here.
Our building is on the far right. You can see how close all the buildings are
The above pic is from a previous post about some builders who tried to burn down the block due to some sad stupidity. I still suffer from paranoia as a result and the current construction makes me nervous. This is the view out my kitchen window. The window is on the side of our building and it will be going away soon.
This mess will become five 4-story buildings.
I really shouldn’t complain. I’m coping. The poor kitties are NOT having a good time. Miss Jenny goes into hiding during the day and won’t come out until the loud noises stop. Tito alternates between hiding in my closet and hiding in the blanket tent under my knees. Titanescu doesn’t hide, but he doesn’t like it either. The Feliway is really helping the recovery time in the evenings and the pointy eared people also get a good dose of nip as a reward.
And now, here they are:
Tito soaking up a rare sunbeam (it’s the foggy season)Miss Jenny rolling in her nipHere’s Titanescu going out of his way to be adorable. Don’t be fooled. World domination is his goal…one hiss and paw slap at a time.
And now, for a very funny vid. It’s Elvis doing Blue Suede Shoes…with no music. π
And yes, here’s the full vid with music. I’ll never look at it the same way again.
It’s the weekend and so far, the noise in the lot next door is at a minimum today. They aren’t stopping for the weekend, but they aren’t as noisy. Back in the day, the lot was a gas station and the owners lived in our building. Since then, the lot was cleaned up, rezoned and sold along with our building. The new owners are going to fill the empty space with offices and shops on the bottom two floors and apartments above. There’s a plan to add two more floors to our building to do the same. That will mean eviction when the time comes, so we’re trying to get ready now.
We’re furiously thinning out everything IN the apartment and the builders are noisily building outside. The pointy eared people are NOT amused. We’ve tried to help by creating bolt-holes and other places to hide. The Feliway helps a lot. In addition, Lastech is changing from graveyard shift to swing (3 to 11 pm). That way, we can work in the apartment during the day when the furry ones are already hiding from the racket next door. With any luck, it will be a bit less traumatic for them. I know what stress does to humans. I can’t imagine what it does to them. The change will also help Lastech as it’s impossible to sleep well with construction going on a few feet away.
In spite of all that, they still managed to pose nicely for us.
Beautiful TitoHappy Miss JennyTitanescu awash in the glow of the television as he contemplates world domination
Here is a good video from The Mean Kitty at Youtube. Cory’s explanation at the beginning of the video is why we’re trying so hard to make it easy for the pointy eared people. Dogs go through the same thing when there are changes in the home, but as most of them spend time outdoors, their world is just a wee bit bigger.
As a bonus, here’s the song that made The Mean Kitty (Sparta) famous. π
Good afternoon world. This week we managed to sneak out for some fish sandwiches and a walk at the park and then yesterday we got to watch the dolphins at Baker Beach. In addition, a couple of blocks away the SFPD was dealing with the great goat caper. The pointy eared people just kicked back and relaxed. Their only concern was that we return to provide them scritches, nip, and noms.
Tito in the tub…again.Miss Jenny pretending to be a statueTitanescu decided to check out Tito’s playground (the tub)
Addiction: It’s real. Miss Jenny is a nip head. Here’s a great vid from ShoKo.
I’m a tad late today, but I didn’t forget. As you all know, cats are goofy critters. Ours our no different. Tito likes to stash his toys in the bathtub and will spend time in there playing with them. Titanescu has taken to following Lastech to the bathroom as well. When he sits on the edge of the tub, Titanescu hops on his lap and actually gets a bit lovey. It’s like he becomes momentarily possessed by the Glinda, the good witch. Miss Jenny is obsessed with grooming Lastech’s bald head. If she can get to it, she’s gonna groom it. When she’s not grooming his head, she’s stealing pens.
Tito in the tubTitanescu getting some scritchiesMiss Jenny about to start grooming Lastech’s head
Here’s a bonus vid worth a chuckle. One of my FB friends shared it the other day and it gave me a giggle.
As I type this, two hundredΒ searchers are looking for little nine-year-old Ida Rothschild who vanished yesterday while camping with her parents in Samuel P. Taylor Park. This is a heavily wooded area up in Marin County where searching is difficult. My heart goes out to her family and I hope they find her soon.
Update! When I started working on this post, little Ida had not been found. The news just came through that some cyclists found her about 2 and a half miles from the command post. Hooray! I’m thrilled with the happy ending. π
The following is in no way a criticism of Ida’s parents. It was just a sobering reminder of what can happen when you travel with children. My father was a founding member of a desert search and rescue team. Lastech works in security at a site that’s always jammed packed with tourists. My advice comes from the experiences of both.
One of the most important pieces of advice is this: If you get lost STOP! Trying to find your way once you are lost may only make it worse. This applies to grownups AND children. If you’re on an ATV (or any vehicle) and run out of gas, stay with it. If in the forest, the youngsters to hug a tree and stay there, no matter how scared they are.
Camera or cellphone: Keep a current photo of their shoes, including the soles. Take one showing them in their clothes. You can delete and replace that one as necessary each day. Under extreme stress, it may be difficult to remember those details and it will certainly help the searchers. This should apply to the adults as well.
Get a whistle. Only permit them to carry it when it you are going someplace where they might get lost or wander off. The whistle can be heard much more easily than a voice. You can make it a big and special deal that they be careful to NOT blow it unnecessarily.
Important: When it comes to blowing the whistle, have them make two are three long toots. Then they should sing a favorite ditty and then blow it again. That way, if the searchers can hear it, they can respond and be heard. If the blowing is constant, it’s harder to locate or respond. The pauses give searchers time to zero in on where the sound is coming from. Since children tend to be impatient, singing a little song between whistle-blowing can help keep them calm and patient.
Clothing: Be sure to have them wear bright colors that can be seen from a distance. It just makes it easier for them to be seen.
Their fears:Β This is very important. Make sure they know that if they get lost, you will NOT be angry. Some children have hidden (and died) out of the fear of being in trouble with their parents or searchers. The harder part is dealing with “stranger danger”. They have to know when it’s ok to approach a stranger for help.
Time is of the essence: If you should suddenly find your child missing, don’t waste a lot of time searching. Get immediate help as every minute counts. If you know where they were last seen, protect that area to preserve any footprints that can be used by searchers. It’s far better to mobilize searchers only to find them in another section of the campground or park.
The city or large crowds: If you go to a ballgame, or any other place where you find crowds, getΒ a pic of them AND the shoes. When a child is lost in a crowd, it’s easiest to start watching feet.
Getting help: Tell them if they get lost, to find someone in uniform. There will be security or park rangers in most places. The whistle should only be used in the case of a stranger trying to take them away. If they have a pocket, put a slip of paper with the name(s) , physical ,and clothing description of the parent(s). It will help.
Again, Time is of the essence: In this case, do NOT waste time hunting for them. Report it to security or rangers immediately so that many more people are looking.
Last, but not least: If you and your family are going out on a day trip to hike or drive, make sure someone knows where you are going and a check-in time so that they know when to report you missing. If you break down, stay with the vehicle. If you are on a road, an airplane will see the vehicle before they see you. Always carry plenty of water and if you’re in a place where it gets cold, keep extra blankets in the car.
I’m sorry Caturday is up late. We switched from graveyard shift to day shift and back again so it got awkward. We spent yesterday afternoon attending a graduation party for the son of a friend. It was lovely.
Before we get to the pointy eared people, we want to take a moment to remember and honor constables Douglas James Larche, David Ross, and Fabrice Georges Gevaudan. These three members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police lost their lives much too soon. We’ll not dignify their killer by naming him. Why does it matter? Moncton, located in New Brunswick, Canada is only a wee bit bigger than my hometown and we have friends there. Those friends weren’t just there. They were in the lockdown area and much closer than we care to imagine. You can read about it here. We are happy that our friends are fine, but sad at the loss that their community must endure.
Douglas James Larche, David Ross, and Fabrice Georges Gevaudan will not be forgotten
Now it’s time for the pointy eared people
Tito playing with one of his paper toysMiss Jenny playing with a toy that was given to her by our friend Grace…and now it’s a boy toyTitanescu resting on Lastech’s lap
Another Caturday rolls around and I still have a bazillion things to get done for the blog. I’m working on it, but it’s slow and I’m slower. π
Meanwhile, here are the pointy eared people.
One day, we picked up some new pillows. I placed one of the old ones on the computer chair while put pillow cases on the other. Tito adopted it immediately and now the old pillow remains on the computer chair and is his.
Tito on his throneMiss Jenny’s ear. She’s sleeping in the blanket cave.Titan is helping Lastech use the computer by napping on it.
