Squirrelly

Day 31: Squirrelly. Because it's that kind of day. I'm at a friend's house because my internet is down. My cell service is also down. And my heat pump...under warranty, mind you...is still not fixed, and there's no word on when the parts will arrive. The manufacturer refuses to replace the entire unit even though the company says that a unit replacement is possible when it takes more than 10 days to get parts, and even if they would honour that, the only available replacement unit is in Anchorage AK. The first repairman they sent out didn't know his butt from a hole in the ground, failed to diagnose a faulty compressor. Needless to say, I am livid, and now with internet and cell down, the steam coming out my ears might make you think Mount Rainier was erupting if you happened to look this direction. On the up side, I did manage to clear out space in my freezer, and a 16-pound turkey fit neatly into the niche.

Voluntary Time-Out

Day 29: Merry seldom gets put in the slammer these days because he's learned most of the rules. There are some exceptions, like when he will not leave the bread dough alone when I'm trying to knead it, or when I'm worried that he's too bouncy for me to risk opening the door of a hot oven. Most of the time, he's a good kid. That said, there are also times when he seems to know that if he gets too rowdy, his mama is going to be displeased. As if in anticipation of the inevitable, he voluntarily goes in the Time-Out Box and has a nap. This morning, he took Squirrelly in with him for company after being told three times to leave the toaster alone. "Oh, well, if I'm going to get yelled at, I might as well just go back to bed." Such a funny little cat!