Kitten Update

As requested, I've got an update for y'all on the kittens.

They are too cute for words.

What? You want more than that?

Okay. They're getting pretty big now. They're more catty than kitteny these days. And luckily for me they're both super affectionate and cuddly and purr-y. They really are adorable.

They're also climbers. Currently, this is Beez's favourite napping place.

That's right. Inside the suitcase on the top shelf of my closet. And Lucy is not one to walk away from the climbing challenge.

Less impressive, perhaps, but the route to the top of the closet is highly entertaining. It's a very jump and scramble and occasionally fall type thing. Comedy gold, I tell you.

And I demand that you look at this adorable little Lucy kitten face, napping in my leopard print hat, and defy you not to fall in love.

This little kitten face might seem slightly evil, but Beez is equally loveable when she's not taken by surprise.

Aw! So that's the current kitten update. They're cute. And getting big! Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some kitten cuddling to do.

The Routine

Every evening when I go to bed, I have a fairly clear idea of what the plan is for the following morning, timing wise.

It should look something like this:

• 7am - Alarm goes off. Press snooze button.
• 7:15am - Get out of bed. Open bedroom door and dodge kitten attack as they race into the bedroom.
• 7:20am - Have relaxing shower.
• 7:40am - Follow skincare regime - toner, moisturizer, eye cream. Admire fabulous looking skin.
• 7:45am - Return to bedroom and turn on TV to ITV3 to watch Quincy. Comb hair, apply styling product and begin drying.
• 7:55am - Finish drying hair, put on makeup, get dressed.
• 8:10am - Feed kittens, feed fish and water plants. Try to close bedroom door, remove kittens who have raced into bedroom, close bedroom door
• 8:20am - Locate iPod, mobile and anything else I'll need for the day. Brush teeth.
• 8:30am - Leave for work.
• 9:30am - Arrive at work, on time.

It seems so idyllic, doesn't it? And like a crazy person, every single night, I convince myself that this will be what happens in the morning.

I am twenty eight years old. I have been working full time for eight years. That's approximately 1,960 work days.

You would think that, by now, I would be more aware that this is going to be more likely the situation:

• 7am - Alarm goes off. Press snooze button.
• 7:15am - 8am - Continue pressing snooze button, deluding myself each time that I will get up after the alarm goes off the next time.
• 8:15am - Sit bolt upright in blind panic, realizing that I have to leave in 15 minutes.
• 8:16am - Race to bathroom, tripping over kittens in haste. Kick kittens out of bathroom after they attempt to jump in bathtub. Have world's fastest shower.
• 8:20am - Slap on toner and eye cream. There's no time to moisturize! Cannot admire face, as mirror is still steamed up from shower. Assume I look fine. Race back to bedroom.
• 8:22am - Turn on TV. Curse the fact that Quincy has been moved to 8:45 and I now have to watch stupid Heartbeat as I get ready. No time to find something better.
• 8:23am - Dry hair and get dressed at the same time. While choosing outfit, choices are limited, as a large portion of my wardrobe is disqualified. There is no time for ironing. Curse the pile of clothes on my chair, wrinkling clothes as they sit there.
• 8:26am - Put on makeup and jewellery at lightening speed.
• 8:28am - Kick kittens out of bedroom, and shut door.
• 8:29am - Realize I've forgotten my rings, phone and iPod. Get them. Kick kittens out of bedroom again, and shut the door.
• 8:32am - Feed kittens and fish. Debate whether or not there is time to water plants. Feel guilty for being a plant killer. Water plants.
• 8:36am - Brush teeth.
• 8:38am - Leave for work.
• 8:39am - Realize I've forgotten my phone, and whatever I needed to bring to work. Return to the flat.
• 8:42am - Leave for work again.
• 8:42am - Realize that although I have still forgotten something, I can't return to the flat again. There's no time!
• 9:45am - Arrive work. Late. Again.

Clearly, my morning plan has flaws. But unless I start setting my alarm for 5am, I don't think that this problem can be solved. Curse my love of the snooze button! Curse it!

I think the start is a new alarm clock - this one may be the ticket.

Hello Kitty!

Well, hi there Internet! I'm glad you stopped by. I've got a couple adorable girls I'd like you to meet.

Meet the most adorable kittens in the world.

The name debate carried on until yesterday afternoon, when my friend Jess at work pointed out that I would be getting them on 06/06/06, so they should have eeeeeeeeeevil names. Jess came up with the names, and Aaron came up with the abbreviations. It's all about teamwork here at the blog. My friends are very clever, so I'd like you to meet Lucy and Beez.

Lucy (short for Lucifer) is on the left, and she's very adventurous and outgoing. She's also sleeker looking and a bit bigger. Beez (short for Beelzebub) is on the right and she's much shyer. She's also quite fluffy.

And they could not be cuter if they tried. Seriously, they're adorable. It's a wonder I could make it to work today, what with the overwhelming cute factor in my flat threatening to keep me at home.

How can you not love this face?

This is Beez, looking adorable.

They were a bit shy and scared when I brought them home and had them in the kitchen, but once they got into the living room, the inhibitions came off and the cuteness ran rampant.

They really liked the shelves.

They're just as cute as can be and I love them to bits already. We just need to work on Beez's shyness. Last night, Lucy slept on my bed and Beez slept under it. Aw, bless.

For the full photo spectacular, Flickr away, Internet. Enjoy.

In anticipation of KITTENS!!...

I give you the nerd test.



The kittens will not be nerds.

Potential Cat Names

Right, people. I am getting the adorable kitties in a mere 6 days! I am very excited.

So, now it's time to think about names. These are the current forerunners.

Cagney & Lacey

Lucy & Ethel

Laverne & Shirley

Betty & Veronica

Mary & Rhoda

Mary Jo & Carlene

Wilma & Betty

It's time to vote! Alternate TV and/or comic themed female duo names welcome in the comments.

What should the kitties be named?
	Cagney & Lacey
	Lucy & Ethel
	Laverne & Shirley
	Betty & Veronica
	Mary & Rhoda
	Mary Jo & Carlene
	Betty & Wilma
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Kittens!

For quite some time now, I've been wanting to get a cat. I couldn't have one in any of the rented places I was in, and now that I'm in my own place, I thought this is the time.

But my first attempts did not go well. I called one cat rescue place, and I couldn't manage to coordinate with the woman who needed to do a home visit because she was very weird. Then I went to the Battersea Dog's Home and went through the whole interview process, but they needed to visit my house to make sure I had a cat flap to the garden, and anyway they mostly have old cats and I wanted kittens or young cats.

I mentioned this to Jess in the office the other day, and she got all clever on the internet and found an ad on a London forum from a lady who had two kittens she was looking for a home for. After some emailing and calling, I went to see them yesterday, and they are the cutest things ever.

The two black ones are the females, and they're the ones I'm going to take. The ginger kitty is their brother, and he's staying with his mum.

The one on the top of the kitty pile is pure black with some white patches on her tummy, and she's the shyest of the kittens. The middle one in the kitty pile looks like she'll be black and brown tortoiseshell patterned with some white patches on her tummy, and she's the most outgoing of the kittens.

They could not be cuter if they took a PhD in cuteness. They'll be ready to leave their mum in two weeks, so I'll get to have them then. Yay! I'm very excited about all the kitten adorableness.

And I would completely recommend as the antidote to a bad day at work the cuddling of kittens. I was in a horrible mood when I left the office, and in a great mood when I got home.

Now, to think of names. Any suggestions?

RIP Little Fish

We've suffered a sad loss at Casa Alice today. A member of the family is sadly no longer with us.

Little Fish succumbed today to a long unknown illness. He'd managed two moves, a holiday stay at a friends, and a brief period where he was almost named Tenille. But he'd been unwell since the move from Tufnell Park, and after a brief return to his usual charming self, he passed away today.

I've had Little, as he was affectionately known, for just over two years, and he was an absolute delight that entire time. Although smaller than his buddy Big, he was no less friendly and charismatic. He had a wonderful personality, and I like to think that he knew me. He may have been just a fish, but he was loved.

Little Fish, April 2004 - May 2006.

He is survived by his longtime bowlmate Big, newer friends Grumpy and Pretty, owner Alice and flatmate Buffy. After a brief memorial service, he was laid to rest in the garden.

Goodbye little buddy. You'll be missed.

They grow up so fast!

It had to happen sometime. They're adults now - I knew there was a time when they'd want to be out on their own.

I just didn't think it would happen so soon.

I'm leaving on Thursday for a work trip to the States, and then a delightfully pleasurable trip to the newly married Kobrinsky-Kleinzahler's in San Francisco, and then an equally delicious trip to Toronto for the wedding of Mandy & Jason. I'll be gone for just under three weeks.

And you know what that means.

I needed to find a fish-sitter. They're all grown up now, but not so good at the fending for themselves. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be able to feed themselves if I left them on their own.

Now, if the fishes could talk, they'd be all "God, she's always like that! It's like we're little kids or something! We can take care of ourselves!" And then, if they could walk, they'd storm up the stairs and slam their bedroom door.

Well, it's just too bad for them that they can neither walk nor talk. So that means fish-sitter city, kids.

The always lovely Heather agreed to watch them for me - she works from home so is ideally suited to the rigorous demands of fish keeping. They need to be fed once a day, people. That is hard work.

I dropped the fishes off at Heather's this evening, along with their supplies - food, water purifier stuff, fish net, fish water holder & fish cleaning sponge - and I think they look pretty happy in their new surroundings.

I felt a bit sad to leave them, though. It's funny how you can get so attached to nameless fishes. I'm sure I can trust Heather to take care of them. She's a geek, so she's going to make up a fish-feeding chart to ensure that they don't get overfed. I appreciate that kind of diligence. And she's also aware of the ass kicking that she will receive if anything happens to my fishes.

I'll miss the fishes. I hope they enjoy their holiday.

And I hope they don't pull that sulky teenager crap in front of Heather. It's so embarassing when they get like that!

Fishes!

In Toronto, I had a the most beautiful kitty cat in the world. I miss having a cat. But my teensy tiny flat is too teensy tiny to have a cat. It wouldn't be friendly.

So, I figured I'd get a little pet. I've never really understood the whole rat/mouse/hamster/gerbil thing, so that was out. Birds have always seemed weird to me. And people who own birds always have the "oh, they've got birds" smell in their house. If I'm going to be a crazy pet lady, it's going to be crazy cat lady. I can't be bothered to be a crazy bird lady.

Since the whole rodent/bird thing was out, that really only leaves fish. I've never had fish before, although my dad has pond goldfish. But they're more of an outdoor pet. So, I decided to get myself some fish.

And here they are!




I'm ever so fond of them. I didn't anticipate being fond of fish. But when I get up in the morning, they're at the edge of the bowl looking at me, waiting to be fed. And they totally notice when I move around the flat and are all inquisitive like. One is quite a bit bigger than the other, but he's not a bully or anything like that. They get along really well. At least, I assume they do. They're fish. Give me a break. But, they've got a lovely bowl with a ruined castle thingy and a very nice fake plant. And I like to think they've got it pretty good.

But the thing is - they don't have names.

I tend to just call them "fishes". I tried to give them names, but nothing seemed to stick. I went through quite a few potentials:

• Big (the little one) and Steve (the big one) - I got them just before the Sex & The City finale. Shut up.
• Sid and Nancy Fishes - that was Clare's suggestion. She's a clever girl.
• Blue and Red - I'm a fan of colour names. For animals, not people.
  
• Captain Jack Sparrow and Tennille - that one was my favourite, but it was too long
• There were more, but I can't think of them

None of them took, though. So, they're just "fishes". I'm cool with them being nameless. It used to bother me, but I'm cool with it now.

They're pretty cute, though. I'm sure if they could talk, they'd agree with me. I suspect they'd be vain like that.