Katie's chair

Katie has claimed the living room chair as her own. Other than the bed, or dad's lap, it's her favorite nap spot.

I tried to take some pictures, but she didn't really feel up to posing, so here we have a yawn sequence that's so BAD, I have to post it.

This has got to be the WORST PICTURE EVER. Not flattering at all. But gee, is it hilarious?

Leaving because I'm annoying her. But isn't she athletic?

Nesting

Gunnar loves  towels. If I ever leave a towel lying anywhere he'll curl up on it. The towel could be damp and he'll lie on it. I don't know if he thinks towels are for kitties or what.

These towels were on the floor after we dried off Mojo the other day. He promptly went and made himself a little nest.

Sleeping in

Miracle of miracles, Mojo let me sleep in today.

Usually, he's nudging my hand or licking me if I haven't taken him out by 7:01 a.m. Not this morning, Gunnar decided he LOUDLY needed to try and claw out a string of the carpet at 8:30. I just went ahead and got up anyway. Mojo went back to sleep. And Gunnar decided to go sharpen his nails on the downstairs couch. Sigh.

Book worm

Not to be outdone by Gunnar's photoshoot between the books, Katie decided she needed to play in the them too. 

But unlike Gunnar, she didn't knock anything over. I think she did want me to read A Visit From the Goon Squad, though.

FAT

Our dog is fat.

His annual trip to the vet revealed what I'd been expecting: 75 pounds. He's up 13 pounds since last year. It's his cookie weight. He won't eat his food unless there are treats in it. He expects a cookie every time he goes on a walk or does his business. If you forget, he'll remind you by walking over to his treat spot and putting his snout as close as possible to the treats.

We spend a fortune on treats: Beggin' Strips, Snausages. His favorite are Lick-N-Crunch cookies—peanut butter sandwich cookies for dogs.

Also, his dad took him for an ice cream cone on the way home. They have a tradition of stopping for food on the way home from the vet. This might be part of the problem.

He needs to get more exercise and go on more walks and lay off the cookies. It's diet time, buddy.

Also, ouch did this vet trip hurt. And I'm not talking about the shots, it was the bill. $270.

At the dog wash

Tonight we bathed the dog. It was a duo effort.

First we run the bathwater. I get it just perfect. (Cooler than I'd like it) I get in the tub and we try to coax the dog in. Then, I hold Mojo in place while he gets washed. It would go a ton better if we had a nozzle, but we don't. And Mojo is fairly cooperative. He just wants to jump out before he's done. He does like the water though. 

When we asked him if he wanted a bath, he was really excited. He knows. 

wet dog

After he was shampooed and rinsed, then it was time to dry Mojo. This is his favorite part. He LOVES being towel dried. He loves the attention and it's like a mini massage. He even likes being blow dried. (Just don't tell him it was a Chi ceramic blow dryer. It minimizes frizz and maximizes shine. Not the most manly of choices, but it's all we have.) He smiles the whole way through. It was a spa day for him and he adores being pampered.

Mojo gets his ears dried. Yes, there is dog fur all over the floor.

Mojo was happy. But maybe just because he got to run around naked (without his collar) for a while.

Helping Change the Sheets

Whenever I change the sheets, the cats always run to come and help. And by help I mean flop on the bare mattress, get under the sheets, sit like a rock while I try to put the top sheet on. You know? Helpful stuff.

I managed to get both sheets on, and Katie was "helping" me tuck the sheets in. 

Cats and books

Some of my favorite things are cats and books. Both cheer me up, help me relax, occupy a lot of my time. And really, they seems like they'd go together.

Gunnar playing in my books, including (from left) my dystopian pile (+ a few misplaced books), my pile form the local press and my to read pile.

See, Gunnar's being cute and playing in the little book fort I built him my books. He even seems to approve of a book I picked up for $3 at a local book festival. Cats + books = awesome!

Or.........

Gunnar doesn't really like the books from the local press. In truth, I've had them for years and not read them.

Cats + books = destrution. 

Gunnar took out a whole pile of books.  He does really love to destroy things, and I caught him in the act.


PS) He's knocking over a book with cat in the title. How funny!

Smelly cat.....

You know it's bad when you have to turn the bathroom fan on for the cat. Geez buddy, I'd ask you what you ate, but I know the answer: Iams catfood and whatever dogfood Mojo shares with you.

Next time I clean your litterbox, I'll need a hazmat suit.

Pretty Kitty

Katie. Just because she's pretty.

Don't know what gave her that expression. Probably Gunnar.

Dirty trick?

Mojo didn't eat his breakfast, lunch or dinner yesterday. It was really weird. But as soon as Matt come home from 16-hour shift working the football game, Mojo hurriedly ate all the dinner still in his bowl.

Apparently Mojo missed Matt and wouldn't eat until he was home.

Matt had to work again today and again Mojo didn't even look at his food. So I took matters into my own hands.

I heated up a bowl of homemade soup for my lunch. And of course Mojo took up a spot right next to me, licking his chops and begging for food.

I moved Mojo's food bowl next to the table, and put some carrots from the soup in his bowl. Every few minutes I'd drop some more carrots into his food. He eagerly gobbled them up and pretty soon I had tricked Mojo into eating all of his lunch. 

Weekends

This is what weekends at my house look like:

Sleepy dog, napping cat, library book, laptop.

I was working on a story and the just want to stay next to me. Poor Mojo, he looks bored out of his mind.

Editor

Gunnar was helping me edit again. He's clearly fascinated by the process. Any typos are his fault.

Snuggle kitty

As feisty as this guy is, he sure loves to cuddle. He gives the BEST hugs and kisses. If we'r not around, he'll gladly cuddle a blanket. He also takes a nap on the bed at the same time everyday. So if around 6:30 to 8 p.m., you're looking for him, he'll be in the softest spot he can find on the bed.

Catnip Monster

Mojo watches Gunnar play

One of Gunnar's favorite toys is his Catnip Monster. It's this scraggly green toy with a teddy bear body and a frog head that you can put catnip in. 

He loves this thing. He knows that we keep in the computer desk drawer, so when he wants to play with it, he stretches up towards the drawer and meows. He applies this tactic whether or not the toy is actually in the drawer. So if he's playing with it and loses it under a chair, he meows at the drawer and we have to go look. (And if very often is under a couch or chair.)

He'll bat it around with a soccer ball or play with it like its small prey. He's just really too cute with it.