Monday Rambles (Back Home Edition)

ALL HEED THE WISDOM!

That's the nicest thing a fortune cookie has ever said to me!

Well, it worked for Trump......

True that!


HOME AGAIN HOME AGAIN

We got back at about 11:30-ish Thursday evening and were very happy to be off the road.  We made excellent time coming back too.  The trip is about a 13 hour drive, give or take.  We made it in 11.  We were worn out, but it was worth it to be back home.

FAMILIAR FACE

We were greeting enthusiastically and vociferously by this little guy.

Okay, so he's not quite so enthusiastic here, but trust me, he was.

He even slept in between our pillows that night, something he never ever does.  He was super, super clingy for a few days after.  He definitely doesn't like it when we go away.

We've finally figured out that he's not a very social kitty.  Kind of like his people, he's just not that into interacting with most people.  We're all just anti-socialites here.  We told our cat-checker to just make sure that he was okay when she stopped in, but not to try and pet him or play with him.  Even at that, he still growled at her every time she came over.  He's a two-man cat, our boy.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Since we still had our rental car for an extra day, we decided to make this year's long overdue cemetery trip.  Mazda just ain't up to long interstate journeys any more, so we rent a car to go to Arkansas.  Things have been too crazy of late to head to the country, so snubbing Black Friday seemed like a good idea.

My mother now has her new winter hat.

I also averted a crisis at my grandparents' grave.

I'm pretty sure Grammie wasn't happy about this.

All better!  I picked up the stray flowers after I took this pic.

THE VISITATION

We had a real good visit in Arkansas.  Even with the extra time we had, it still seemed way too rushed and way too short.  I guess it will always be that way.  Still, we did cover a lot of ground and had wonderful times with as much of his family as we could.  One of his aunts had been going through her mother's papers and pictures and gave him an envelope filled with his old school pics, family pics, and lots of pictures of his father as a boy.  It was great!

HOLIDAY SHOPPING

I did manage to get some junking in during the trip.  More on that tomorrow.  I found a Salvation Army that I had never seen before and revisited a cute little vendor mall that I was last at a couple of years ago.  I also stopped at a couple of flea markets during the cemetery trip as well.  I didn't find a lot, but there were some cool things.

REARRANGING THE DECK CHAIRS

Booth sales are still down in the dumps.  I had a little bounce in November, but not enough of one.  I'm still due for a really low check.  It seems that consumer confidence didn't rise with the election results. 

I've got Mazda loaded down with holiday stuff to put out this week.  We'll see if that helps at all.  I desperately need a really good end to this year.

MUSIC FOR MONDAY (HOLIDAY EDITION)

I guess I'll wrap it up with this and see you all later.

Your Chiquito of the Month for December

This one is another wedding shot, combined with holiday cheer.

He's popped up in his wide-eyed best pose to wish all his internet friends a Merry Christmas!  Thanks for all the many wonderful things you all have said about him this year.

Continuing my quest for happiness...

...with another cat video, of course!



Visit thew world famous Maru at his YouTube channel!

Universal Pick Me Up

No matter what is going on. 


No matter what is going wrong. 


There's always one sure antidote:



Cat videos!

The universal pick me up!

Check out Cole and Marmalade on YouTube and Facebook.

Cat Philosophy

Take time out for a good pampering.

Cat Philosophy

All you need is love.



Been a while since I've done one of these.  Kosh says I've got to make up for lost time.

Cat Philosophy

I've been a little lax in sharing the philosophies of the feline brotherhood.  Please accept my apologies.  Here are several to make up for the lack.

There's no such thing as too much of a good thing.



Don't forget to share.  If someone does forget to share, remind them.



It's important to be helpful.



There is Napping.  Then comes everything else.



Note to Kosh and Chiquito:  There.  I did it.  Now, please, give me my keys back!

Cat Philosophy

A little bit never hurt anyone.  Unless, of course, you're driving.  But we're cats, so we can't drive.  Whatever.



Just a little, man.

Cat Philosophy

Don't mess with zombies!



Also, if they cannot find your head, then you are safely hidden.  They eat brains, you know.

Cat Philosophy

Who needs instructions?

Monday Rambles

Well, I guess there's not too much to ramble about today, is there?  Didn't do a whole lot last week other than get hacked on and end up with a lot of staples and sutures in me.  I head back to work on Thursday, after getting the ports out on Wednesday (and hopefully getting the path reports on Sixtus).

Again, thanks so much to all of you who have sent me comments and emails during and after my surgery.  Every day brought me another sweet, uplifting note or two, and it really did mean a lot to me.  I hope that all of you are also doing well, thus far into 2013.

In the meantime, I'm hoping to get a bunch of posts drafted and scheduled, plus some pricing, packing and sorting stuff done.  (Assuming my lifting restrictions are lifted.)  I've got to swing by both booths for a major tidy, foof, and re-do.  I still have Xmas out at Peddlers Mall for goodness' sake.  It's also still selling--go! go! go!!!!!

I think I'll end up spending most of the weekend to come at Peddlers.  I have a massive rearrange in mind that will take a while to get through.  I'm wanting to sell off the walls dividing my space, but they're not accessible to any prospective buyer at the moment.  I have an idea that will make my space look completely new and make it super-easy for someone to load those suckers on a cart and make off with them.  I'll try to remember to do pics.

We're coming into the busiest time of the year for re-sale--TAX TIME!  I've got to finish getting better and get out there and work it!

One of the things about being in the hodpital that I hated was not being able to use my C-PAP machine.  Someone looked at it and said that it wasn't "clean enough" to use in the hospital.  (What's a little cat hair?  C'mon folks!)  They had me on an oxygen monitor, which worked for their end of things, but I need that sucker so I can sleep.  Sleep apnea, anyone? You know, the reason people use C-PAP machines?  By Wednesday, I was getting so little deep sleep that I could not keep my eyes open for more than a few minutes at one time.  I actually had the choice to stay in the hospital another day, but chose to go home, so I could get some sleep.  First thing when I got home, I hooked my dirty ole machine up, put my mask on, and fell into a deep, lovely sleep!  I woke up several hours later, feeling much, much better just from the rest.

I would love to maybe find a little bit of Xmas clearance left, but I am pretty sure that ship has sailed.  Of course, I do have a little bit of prep to do to get ready to return to work.  Surgery aside, I really needed the holiday break.  Our last session was pretty intense!

Sorry this one is so lame.  Hopefully, I'll have some better posts this week/month to make up for it.  In the meantime, please enjoy what I believe hands down to be the absolutely, frickin' cutest kitten video on the internet.  It even won a prize recently from Friskies to prove it!

Cat Philosophy

When one door closes, stand up on your back feet and force that sucker back open!

Cat Philosophy

Take time to visit with friends.

Cat Philosophy

Cleanliness is next to catliness.



I think the face washing is one of the cutest things a cat can do.

Cat Philosophy

The job is not done, until you lay on the paperwork!

Cat Philosophy

Sometimes, it's okay to walk all over others.

Cat Philosophy

Always let the groundhog have the right of way.

Cat Philosophy

It's five o'clock somewhere!

I had to do this one

Because...well...you know....me too!

But, if you've been around here a while you already knew that.

Cat Philosophy

Sometimes staying inside the box is more fun than thinking outside of it.


If you are at all a cat person, you have to check out Maru's vids on YouTube.  If you're not a cat person, then Maru will cure of that affliction.