Cat paw? Cat pillow!

| AnnaM

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There are few things more adorable that sleeping cats, but when they use their paw as a pillow it takes it to a whole new level.  His little head fits perfectly in his paw.  We catch him doing this about once a week.  Every once in a while, he will also stack his paws on top of each other and rest his chin on top.  He doesn’t do this every time – he also curls up in a ball and stretches out like other cats – but when he’s on the floor or even on the ottoman, he prefers something softer.   I haven’t even begun to go into how much I love his little cat feet, but that’s another blog post entirely.

My favorite place

| AnnaM

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The cats each have their favorite spots around the house.  It’s the spot I check first when I get home, that is, if they don’t meet me at the door first.  A few of the spots don’t stick for one reason of the other.  Others are like an old glove.  B’s favorite spot at the moment is on the cushion of a chair near the window and on the towel hidden deep in the closet.  Hank’s favorite spot is on the bed in the guest bedroom, although he sometimes prefers the scratchpad placed under the bed just for him.  My favorite place is the right side of the couch and the left side of the bed, but really my favorite place is home.

One of the dogs

| AnnaM

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Hank’s first experience with dogs was pretty traumatic.  It wasn’t a good decision to agree to watch a friend’s dog within less than a week of adopting Hank.  I didn’t know him well enough to know that he’s a bit of a scaredy-cat in new situations.  I was especially worried since I co-parent two dogs and it is extremely important that everyone gets along.  Thankfully the next time dogs came to visit, Hank was a completely new cat.  He was in charge of his domain and didn’t concede the living room easily.  He kept pushing the boundaries, to the point where I had to push him aside at dinner time.  He would get a jump on the dogs and eat out of the bowl while it was still on the counter.  Henri would never let Hank anywhere near his food, but Hank still tries to find other ways to get the upper hand.  It’s a hilarious battle of wills, where the winner isn’t always pre-determined.

Working on the Weekend

| AnnaM

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If you are like me, sometime on Saturday you mention that you need to do some work this weekend.  I know myself well enough now to not even attempt working on Saturday.  I need at least the one day off to take a mental break from everything.  I can’t even wrap my head around opening the Excel files that soon.  But Sunday I plan to put in a solid day’s work, maybe even going to the office since that’s much more efficient.  Then Sunday comes around and I think I can fit in a few things in the morning before sitting down at the computer.  Before you know it, you are driving home from watching football at the bar at 1:30 in the afternoon.  That’s when I start doing math in my head.  If I get home and start working right away, I can get in 4-5 hours before dinner, which is still a decent amount of time.   As soon as I get home, I immediately take an hour and a half nap.  Like clockwork, I’m opening the computer around 3:30.  Thankfully, I’ve already done most of the work in my head and can bang it out in between the TV and cat distractions.  Depending on how much I have to do, the computer can stay open after dinner as well, making for a very enjoyable moving watching experience.  The one upside from this is that I really narrow down which work is important, and the rest waits until Monday.

What day is it again?

| AnnaM

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I was chatting with a co-worker in the hall yesterday about the week.  He made a comment that it’s been a long one, which was funny because it felt to me that the week had only just begun.  I had to pause to remember that it was Thursday.  I can’t decide if that’s good or bad.  On one hand, it means the weekend is here.  On the other hand, another week has passed in a blur.  I never get depressed when it’s Monday because I know it will be the weekend again before I know it.  In this case, it will also be Monday again before we know it.

Yoga-Cat

| AnnaM

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Someone posted a video of a yoga-guru doing her practice.  I had no idea that the body could combine so much strength and flexibility into seamless movement.  You’d have to see it to really understand, but I was in awe.  This woman did a forward bend (hands on the floor while standing) then went straight into a handstand.  She then proceeded to do a crazy number of suspended back bends and cross-legged poses, all while upside down.  I was impressed!  It reminded me of when the cats fold themselves into all sorts of contortions while cleaning themselves.  If I could do half of what they do, I would be in much better shape and a whole lot more flexible.

Btw, here’s the video that was so amazing:  air dancing~ Meghan Currie Yoga

 

My work here is done

| AnnaM

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A dog that is worn out after an amazing day out is one of the best things in life.  We don’t get to give them the fun that they deserve on a daily basis, and that’s what makes a really great day so special.  It could be chasing birds at the beach.  It could be hiking, camping, or even a good, long session at the dog park and a car ride.  The goal is the same, passed out sleeping in the car on the way back or an early bedtime once we get home.  It’s what makes me feel a little less guilty about leaving for work on Monday, although I’m pretty sure that giving my best friends the best life possible is one of the most important jobs in my career.

Amazing patient, ok nurse

| AnnaM

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My friends and I were just talking about what we are like when we get sick and, more importantly, what our significant others are like when they get sick.  It was a consensus, they are terrible patients and not very good nurses.  Hank has been such an amazing patient that you would never know he’s sick until you heard his breathing.  He has had a chronic upper respiratory issue for about a year and a half.  The doctors say there’s little I can do for him except give him lysine treats and time with a humidifier.  Some days are worse than others, but Hank doesn’t seem to notice.  He still runs for the toy like an athlete, but he isn’t able to go as long because he can’t get enough air.  I will spare you from the details on what happens when he sneezes.  It isn’t every time, but every once in a while the stuff that comes out is gag-inducing.  Seeing it once is enough to make you avert your eyes at soon as it starts lest you get the image burned in your brain.  He sometimes has wheezing attacks that sound like a panic attack and asthma combined.  As scary as it is, I’m so happy that he hasn’t gotten depressed and that his condition isn’t nearly as bad as what I’ve seen online.  I don’t think he realizes he’s sick, and that makes me want to help him get healthy so much more.

Sacred Sundays

| AnnaM

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If you are like me, this is what you want your Sundays to look like.  If it’s Friday or Saturday I’m happy to make plans, but Sundays are sacred. That’s the day I want to sleep in, pick up around the house, work on projects, and go for a jog.  Ideally there’s also a nap.  Sunday evenings are for cooking dinner at home and drinking a lot of wine.  The cats are awake for more hours on the weekend from following us around, so I wonder if these days feel more like workdays to them.  In that case, 2 days on, 5 days off is my kind of week!