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While I’m still job hunting, I’m mostly stuck in the apartment every day. Partly that’s because I don’t really want to go off exploring by myself since Kent and I love to do that sort of thing together. It’s also a money issue—if I’m out, spending money just got a lot easier. So I spend my days gaming, surfing the web, cleaning this dreadful place and looking online for jobs.

I also work very hard to keep the kitties awake during the day. They still have the nocturnal wild thing going on and can be counted on to spaz out around 11:30 PM, 2 AM, and 4 AM every single night. Eddie is the worst offender mostly because of his size and weight. At over 14 pounds, when he runs into the hallway, he makes a huge thundercat racket. Plus as I’ve mentioned before, he’s got the loudest meow I’ve heard on an indoor neutered cat. It’s bad enough when he stands right beside my head and yowls (remember, the mattress is on the floor). It’s far worse when he does it by the front door because I know from experience that his yowl carries clear to the first floor and even (if windows are open) outside to the street level.

So I pick them up frequently (and annoy the crap out of them when I do it), all to keep them awake. They hate it, and Wally has taken to finding the weirdest, most out of the way spots he can to sleep. This picture isn’t one of those spots (by the time I get the camera, he’s moved); instead it’s the beanbag ottoman I put behind the red chair so that when we open the curtains, they can look outside. They love it, as you can see.

I’ve mentioned before that I sew. I’ve made a couple of dresses for our granddaughter (you can see them here and here), which has been a lot of fun. I have a pattern for a doll which also has a pattern for a doll for the doll. With me so far? Well the doll is pretty big, like 21 inches, so rather than make a doll that’s ¾ size of Alison, I thought I would make the doll’s doll. At six inches I thought it would be perfect for her to play with and still big enough to be a safe toy.

It turned out like crap. I made it from an Irish linen handkerchief I’d bought at an estate sale and boy that material slipped and moved no matter how much I pinned it. I made her, got her face on her, made her little dress and apron, and even put her hair on her before I called it quits. She just looks stupid and lumpy.

The cats, however, adore her. I didn’t intend to let them play with her but they found her before we moved and took turns carrying her around like a dead mouse. Come to think of it, she’s probably about the size of a large mouse. She just has yarn hair. So I gave up and let them play with her because she was definitely too yucky looking to give to Alison. Yesterday as the kitties were voicing their discontent and trying to turn things into toys that ought not to be toys, I remembered the doll. So I dug her out and wow were the cats happy. Here’s what she looks like now.



Just as I finished typing this up, Eddie ran over and got her again for another round of mauling. Cats are freaky aliens, I swear.