Cat burglar

I woke up this morning to find my kitchen counter in disarray. A box of cornstarch had been knocked over, some of it had spilled onto the counter, and there were visible paw prints in the mess. When I went to clean it up, I saw what the real issue was:

Next to the cornstarch, behind my spice rack, were some unopened containers of dog treats for Achilles -- a bag of biscuits and a plastic jar of jerky strips. The bag of biscuits had been pushed off to the side. The plastic, tamper-proofing strip around the lid of the jerky strip jar had been chewed through and flung onto the stovetop. The lid was pried off of the jar, which was lying on its side, and half of a gnawed-on jerky strip was sitting on the counter.

The culprit had to be Punkin -- he's my only cat who is smart enough to pull of a heist like this, and also the only cat who has previously shown any interest in Achilles's jerky strips. I only wish I had a nanny cam in the kitchen so I could have caught the whole thing on video.

Scott and Bridget

Here are some photos of my older brother's kids, taken on Friday after Thanksgiving dinner (we celebrated on Friday this year to allow time for my brother and his family to drive in from Houston):

Scott (will be six years old in January):



Bridget (will be three years old at the end of December):



They are a real handful (especially together!) but so cute!

Another useful tip

(For Saija, since she enjoyed the last one. :))

Did you know that you can clean sterling silver with plain, white toothpaste? I learned this tip from the woman who makes a lot of my jewelry (her name is Kat, coincidentally).

Don't bother with any of that tartar control, whitening, or any of the other fancy stuff -- just get some plain old, white toothpaste. Use a soft toothbrush to rub it into your silver (add a little bit of water to make it easier to rub in), rinse with plain water, and ta da! The tarnish is gone! You can also take some toothpaste and water in the palm of your hand and then take a sterling silver necklace chain and just rub it around in there and then rinse. It really works!

Raccoon of Doom

So, I stepped outside onto the front porch last night for a cigarette at about 9 p.m. (That's still going well, by the way. I'm still smoking just two or three per day). As I was standing there, puffing away, I heard some rustling in the driveway. Then, I saw a little raccoon snout poking itself around the corner. I said, "Oh, hi there!" The raccoon plodded around the corner and stood there, facing me, several feet away, like an Old West gunslinger. I said, "Hi, cutie! What are you doing?"

And he hissed at me! A very menacing hiss. This raccoon meant business. So I took a few steps back towards the door, and he started lumbering his fat, round little body towards me! It was like a scene out of a B horror movie! So I took refuge inside.

I think he was just trying to voice his annoyance at the fact that the kitty food dishes on the front porch were empty, so I went back out a few minutes later and filled them with kibble while the raccoon watched from the bushes. The little bully!

As Winds that Blow Against a Star

Now by what whim of wanton chance
Do radiant eyes know sombre days?
And feet that shod in light should dance
Walk weary and laborious ways?

But rays from Heaven, white and whole,
May penetrate the gloom of earth;
And tears but nourish, in your soul,
The glory of celestial mirth.

The darts of toil and sorrow, sent
Against your peaceful beauty, are
As foolish and as impotent
As winds that blow against a star.

~Joyce Kilmer

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful for friends, family, and pets, and for all sorts of things that I think most of us tend to take for granted because we've never had to do without them for any significant length of time: a house, a car, a job, medical care, plenty of food to eat and clothes to wear, the personal freedoms that come along with living in a democracy, etc. Then there are all of the little luxuries we're fortunate to have: computers, the internet, televisions, cell phones, and the like.

I was thinking the other day that most of the things I tend to get upset about or complain about from day to day are really just minor trifles. I'm sure that, for example, any Darfur refugee would be happy to trade places with me any day of the week. I have been very fortunate in this life, and I am thankful.

My current musical obsession

I recently rediscovered Everclear’s Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile. I had bought it not too long after it was released after falling in love with the song “Wonderful,” which was getting a lot of radio play at the time. However, I misplaced the CD not long after I bought it and only recently found it again and started listening to it, with the realization that it’s one of the best albums I’ve ever heard. I love the songs, I love the lyrics, I love the way the album is arranged and the songs fit together, and I love how nearly every song on the album has a beat that you just can't help but shimmy to.

One of the first things that struck me about it was that my brother would have absolutely loved this CD. It was released in July of 2000, five months after Steve’s death, so he never got the chance to hear it, but if he had, I have no doubt it would have spent a lot of time in his CD player.

The funny thing is, even though I know he never heard the CD, when I listen to it I can actually see him grooving to it in my mind’s eye. It’s like he’s still here enjoying the music with me.

Useful tip of the day

I had the exterior of my house re-painted yesterday (it looks fabulous, incidentally -- sort of an artichoke green with cream-colored trim and a red front door). I came home from an outing just as the painters were finishing up, and when I went inside, I inadvertently brushed my purse against the door frame. I didn't notice until about half an hour later that my black patent leather purse had several large splotches of artichoke green paint on one side. I didn't figure there was any way to save it and resigned myself to going to the mall today to buy a replacement, which sucked because I love that purse, haven't had it that long, and paid quite a bit for it. I was hoping to find an identical one at the mall.

Later in the evening, as I was surfing the web, I decided to Google "how to get paint off of leather," just for kicks. I pulled up a site that suggested using dish soap and warm water. I thought, "No way will that work," but I didn't have anything to lose, so I tried it anyway. It worked like a charm! I was amazed. The paint came right off with minimal effort and the purse looks good as new.

The site also recommended using olive oil if the soap and water failed to take off all of the paint, but I didn't even have to do that. It's amazing what you can find on Google these days.