Deep Thoughts Exposed

Did you ever stop and think of things that you thought of in the past and forgot them?  
Or things that you wanted to do but never had the chance?

At my age, if I don't write things down, they disappear forever, or at least a few years.  My short term memory is something of the past, and long forgotten.  This is due in part to Fibromyalgia.  A curse I have that robs me of life as it used to be.  But that's not what this is about.  Just an explanation of why I have such a crappy memory.

Anyway, I was thinking of things I have never done or done in a while or had in a while, and thought I would have a chance eventually.  There are also things that many don't know about me.  These are my exposed thoughts.

As a kid, I loved turnip, mashed with lots of butter.  My grandfather loved that about me, because he liked them too.  But nobody ever makes them anymore.  Well, my friend Peggy did, a few weeks ago, and they were delish!  They were white turnips, and she grew them in her garden!

I grew up in the 60/70's, a time of free love and make love not war.  I didn't go to Woodstock, I was only 13 after all.  And I never tried drugs.  Never wanted to and still don't.  I have enough prescription meds that my doc says I need to survive, so many that it is almost like a meal when I take them.

I've never been to the ocean.  Really.  Well, from 10,000 feet up.

I am allergic to cats.  Never was around cats until I was 18.  I went to visit my Great-Aunt in New York and she had a beautiful Calico named Timmy.  He loved me.  The first night, he slept at the foot of my bed.  When I woke up in the morning, my eyes were swollen shut and crusted over.  I couldn't breathe, and I was itchy all over my body.  My aunt took one look at me and exclaimed "You're allergic to cats!".  Needless to say, I had to move to my other aunt's house who had only outside cats.  Believe it or not, I now have a cat.  She found us, probably was dumped since she was only about a year old, very clean, well fed and pregnant.  She lost her kittens, but stayed with us.  That was 7 years ago and I have not had any problems with allergies around her.  She sleeps in the bed with me, usually on my pillow at the top of my head.

I grew up on the South Side of Chicago... South Side Irish.  I am a Cubs fan!  I used to like the Bears, til Ditka left.  Now I don't really pay  much attention to sports.

I never did learn to swim.

I am afraid of heights.  Can't even stand on the 2nd step of a step ladder.  I am also claustrophobic and don't like to fly.  I think they all go together.

I didn't read "50 Shades of Grey" or any of its sequels.

I still believe there is a Santa Claus.  He may not be a man in a red suit with a white beard, but a spirit who looks out for us and somehow makes things appear when we need them.

Winter Is Here.....Camping Season is Over For Now.

Took me a while to get this post up, been kind of busy with other things.

We closed the camper up Halloween weekend, so now it is winterized and ready to greet us in the Spring.
Hopefully we will have better weather next year than we did this year.  Not many hot days, well not hot enough to get the pool temp up to a comfortable "warm".  It was quite cool most of the year.  There were a few weekends where it was very nice and the water was just right for swimming and/or just floating on our floaties and noodles.  I even acquired a moderate tan!

Now that winter is here, we stay in most of the time, maybe go out for dinner or to visit mom on the weekend.  I have taken up crochet again, and we have been watching a lot of old movies and lately the Christmas shows that have been on TV.

We haven't been playing much World of Warcraft, I guess we need a break from it.  I get on occasionally to do a few things but we don't stay on for hours like we did last winter.  It just isn't a priority for us.

I have been contemplating re-arranging furniture to get a different look, but not many ways to change it around in these small rooms.  The living room is pretty much the way it will stay since there aren't enough solid walls to put a couch against or enough room to re-arrange end tables or other furniture to make it work.  The bedroom is about the same although we have the option of moving the bed from one wall to the other, but that would make the angle at which we need to lay to watch TV would be an uncomfortable contortion LOL.

Missy Dawg continues to be a source of entertainment for us.  She seems to even converse with us.  We tell her something and she makes sounds like she is answering, or most likely sassing.  She knows our schedule and routines and never fails to remind me when it is time for bed, or when it is time for me to get up, even on a weekend!  She did finally adjust to the time change, took her about a week this year.  But she still doesn't know how to read a calender.

Work has been pretty steady, lots of Wal-Mart's and Sam's Clubs going up and we are doing almost all of them in our area.  We are looking for a new location for the office and warehouse since our landlord sold the unit we are in now and the new owner wants to use it for his own business.  So hopefully we have until maybe February to actually move out.  I am already stressing about the move, worrying about getting everything packed, getting rid of what we no longer need to keep, making sure everything gets moved without damage, especially the computers and my big plotter.  I am not going to worry about the warehouse, let the guys deal with it, but the office is mine and I have to make sure everything is moved and relocated at the new place in the correct locations.  I am really hoping to get an office that has more than 1000 s.f. this time, as we have literally grown out of what we have now.  The only other thing that concerns me is how much further I will have to drive to get to it.  I don't like expressway driving, so hoping it is somewhere that I can take back roads that are plowed and salted in the winter and don't flood in the summer.  Is that asking too much?

Did My Dog Come Back As A Cat?

OK, say I'm nuts, but I really believe the cat that wandered onto our patio over 2 years ago is the reincarnated Chihuahua that we had that passed away earlier that year. This cat begs at the table or anywhere there is food, just like Skeeter did. She is very vocal and complains about everything, just like Skeeter did. And this morning she did something that made my hair stand up on the back of my neck. I was making the coffee and she followed me into the kitchen, just like Skeeter used to do. Next thing I know, she is meowing at me and staring at me, and when I looked over at her, she started licking her empty (well almost) dish, JUST LIKE SKEETER USED TO DO! OMG this was so spooky. Skeeter would do this to make you feel sorry for her because she didn't have enough food in her dish. She was a little piggy just like the cat is.
I need a vacation.

Learning To Live With Teenagers - Temporarily

So begins the two week adventure with a pair of giggly teenage girls.

We went to Missouri over the weekend to pickup the two oldest grandkids, two girls, ages 12 and 15. Both very bright and excelling very well in school.

Music, clothes, and boys are the topic of conversation most times, along with what's in the fridge.

What do teenage girls like to do with their time when they are away from home and friends?
Grandpa has some activities in mind for them, mostly helping him. He still has a few things to move from the old house, not heavy but a lot. His tool collection, some small boxes, etc. The girls can help him with that. But it isn't going to be all work. There are a few ideas we discussed on the way home, such as a visit to the library. Both of them are into Harry Potter and mysteries. Then there is the aquatic center, miniature golf, underground gardens, and just seeing the scenery.

On the weekend we will go visit with great-grandma and the cousins that are here (my family). They haven't met all of them yet since the last time we had them up here was about 9 years ago and my brother was on a camping trip with his kids at the time.

Then there is always a visit to Uncle Brian, and meeting his dog Harley, the dachshund.
The cat didn't seem too interested in them when they got here last night, except when Jen sat down at my computer. Missy seemed to think that was an invitation so she proceeded to walk across the desk, on the keyboard, and sit on the mouse, just as she does when I am there. I guess that's what she thinks is proper online etiquette?

We will also be taking a walk each night after dinner (weather permitting). Wait til they find out the walk also takes us thru an old cemetery!

A Word From The Cat...About The Move

AHEM! OK, this is the cat, Missy Dawg. I have an opinion on this move and how it has affected me.

First, I don't see as many birds out the window, altho there is a resident bird that lives in the shrubs out front, and I still haven't been able to determine what kind it is. I will have to do some more searching on the net when my mistress leaves her computer open next time.

Second, about the new house, it's all carpet except for the kitchen and bathroom. Kind of hard for me to roll my ball or slide after running from one end of the house to the other. But that's ok, it's nice and soft on my paws.

Third, my food is in a closet that I can't open, unlike the cabinet that it was in at the other house. I could just catch one edge of that cabinet door with my paw and it would open with no problem. Then when my mistress wouldn't get up at 5am on the weekends, I could just drag the bag of food out and dump it all over the floor. The sound of the bag hitting the kitchen floor usually got her attention and she would get up, feed me a little, then go back to bed.

And what the heck is this crap about sleeping in on a weekend? If I have to get up at 5am everyday, so should everyone else. My job is never ending, regardless of what day it is. And now she's talking about a 3 day weekend? HA! We'll see who sleeps in this weekend!

On a positive note, there are lots of squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, and dogs that I can see just fine from any window in the house, and there are plenty of windows! Two dogs across the street that just lay around all day on the driveway. I'll bet I could get them moving if only I could get outside! These people that I live with seem to be very wary of me whenever they open a door. Seems they think I will try to escape. They're right!

Our First Sale!

We did it! We made our first sale in our Etsy shop. It was the turquoise earrings, which we called "Mysterious Sparkle Earrings". It is very exciting to make a sale, and also very encouraging.

Last night mistress and master went to their favorite craft supply store and pretty much depleted the gift cards that the mistress received for her birthday. Watch for some new sparkly and "pearly" creations in the near future. They also bought more storage containers, which were needed DESPERATELY! Unfortunately, I cannot open them as easily as I could the other boxes, so that means the only way I get to play with beads is if they are open or there are some out on the bead boards. Altho mistress seems to be wise to me now!

below: Catscan


p.s. How do you like this font? Does it make my ears look big? ;)

The Beginning

Hi there and welcome to my blog.
I am a grey Tabby named Missy Dawg (yes, DAWG), and the best estimates are that I am around 2 years old (probably born in the summer of 2006). I was saved from a life on the streets when I walked into the yard of my owners (or should I say STAFF?) last year around this time. It was September 21, 2007 to be exact. They tried to get me inside but I was timid at first, although I did enjoy the tuna and other treats they would leave me on the hottub cover every day.

What they didn't know was that I was "with kittens" and that was probably why my previous owners dumped me. I didn't look too bad, not too skinny, fur was clean, and I did not have any fleas! I think I was on my own for about 3 days before I settled in where I am now.

One day, not sure when, but I lost my kittens. The master of the house convinced me to let him check me out and he realized that something wasn't quite right. When the mistress of the house came home from work, they took me to the vet and he told them that I had a growth on one of my ovaries that caused the miscarriage and was also the source of an infection. This is when they decided that I belonged to them and gave me my name. Mistress called me "Missy", but master called me "Dawwwg" (he's from Missouri so he drug out the ww sound), hence the name "Missy Dawg". I don't answer to either! I was given medicine for a week, then went back to the vet and was "fixed". Didn't know I was broke, but I sure felt a lot better. I was getting tired of all those late nights of prowling around the house and howling and doing the hoochie dance. The hoochie dance is what the mistress of the house called it. I did sneak out once and they were afraid I would get hurt, but I realized how good I had it and came right back. I learned my lesson, never wandered away after that, not even when they let me outside while they worked in the yard. It was all day and I just couldn't resist, the tree was there and the birds were in it singing their little hearts out. They were calling to ME! I climbed the tree, but discovered I couldn't get down the same way, so the mistress and master's son got a ladder and rescued me. He's my HERO!
The yard was very enjoyable for me, there were many bird feeders, so you know what that means! Yep! The birds were everywhere. Pretty yellow finches, chatty sparrows, colorful wrens, and the occasional bluejay. The jays weren't very cordial, they would chase me away all the time if I got near the other birds. I didn't want to hurt them, I just wanted to see what they smelled like, maybe take a little taste. But I had no intentions of hurting them.

Anyway, now I just lay around the house and seem to be the source of amusement for anyone that is there. I recently decided that I was going to be involved in the daily activities of everyone, even though they don't seem to want me involved. I help the master and the son play their World of Warcraft game, and I help the mistress making her jewelry. Well I don't actually DO those things, I just pretend but I do sit in the middle of things and act like I know what is going on. It's fun to chase the pretty beads and shiny crystals, they sparkle and glitter and the mistress even plays with me when I knock them off her work table! At least I THINK she's playing. hmmmmm