Getting with the program...

 

At Urgent Care yesterday, the nurse practitioner called in 4 prescriptions.  I tried to get going on them right away, but there are some hoops you have to jump through... Pfizer has an offer where you can get the Plaxlovid at no out-of-pocket cost, after you enroll in their program.

You have to listen to a bunch of stuff, then agree to it.  I think I may have signed over the title to the car, along with my left testicle... which won't do them any good without a prostate... speaking of the testicle, not the car.  I don't know for sure - I think I am already experiencing the "brain fog" that some people get with Covid.  Yes, I'm kidding - I was in a fog long before getting this virus.

I jumped through the hoops; agreed to everything, just to get that recording on the phone to shut up.  The nice lady that I spoke with gave me a bunch of things to write down for the pharmacy, I called them, it went through just fine, and Joan headed to Walgreens to get my meds... something for Covid, for cough, an antibiotic (in case of any secondary infection), and some prednisone... 'cause "We want to pump you up."

Joan made a chart to keep track of what I'm supposed to take, and when.  The info on Plaxlovid says most people start getting some relief from symptoms in a couple days.

This virus came on fast, and hard.  Friday I was riding my motorcycle and all was good.  Friday evening, I started getting snotted up.  Not much difference first thing Saturday morning, and then the excrement impacted the rotating blades.  Queasy, dizzy, body aches that felt like I was hit by a truck.  A truck hauling a giant load of snot, then backed up over me again and dropped its load of snot on me.  Really, it was a LOT of snot.

I can still smell stuff, but anything I eat has a metallic taste to it.  

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I got scammed.

No, nothing to do with the prescriptions - they're all fine and I got the Paxlovid for free (after that lengthy phone discussion with the company).  This scammer is a bit closer to home.  And by "a bit," I mean: he lives here.

I am the "feed me" guy.  That has been my role since the time of Smoke, our first cat.  Not sure what I was doing when it was cat lunch time today (OK, a bit before), but while Joan went to pick up my prescriptions, Murphy rubbed on my leg and walked to his food bowl.

"Are you hungry, buddy?" I asked.

"Yes, I am."  

I thought there were two portions in the can, but when I went to feed him, there was only one.  I figured it was "brain fog" from the Covid.  No, it was someone scamming the old man.  In case you're worried that Murphy isn't getting enough food, he is getting more per day than Rufus was getting.  Rufus was 75% bigger, but Murphy is definitely more active... the boy burns more calories.

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Joan took this sunset photo today...

Pretty sky.

Plenty of fireworks around us this evening; fortunately nothing too close.  Murphy doesn't get too worked up about it - I know the sound can be very stressful for some animals.  We're making sure he gets plenty of attention and some toy playing.

Are you sure?

 

I'm positive.  As in: tested positive for Covid.  Yes, I am vaxxed and boosted.  I take the usual precautions.  I felt fine yesterday, last night felt what seemed like the start of a head cold.  Stuffed the stick up my nose and put it in the card with the solution... positive.

I'm in that group of "older people with other complications" (asthma).  Thus far, no severe symptoms, just snotted up and a very slight fever.  I will be quaranteening, which isn't so different from my usual staying away from people.

Since the start of Covid in 2020, I haven't had so much as a cold.

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Well, that "no severe symptoms" changed quickly.  More fever, shivering, body aches, garpy (technical medical term)... and next thing I knew I was on the bathroom floor.  Hmmm... not sure how I got there... not sure how I'm going to get up.  I laid there for a while.  Not like I was able to get up.

This shi... um, stuff, is ugly.

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Two hours at UrgentCare this evening.  I guess we have good insurance.  They sent a prescription for Plaxlovid to Walgreens - kinda pointless since Walgreen's Pharmacy was closed by the time we got out of there.  They also tested me for the flu, "just to be sure."  I think the nurse was a sadist since she jammed those swabs beyond my sinus cavity and into my brain.

A big day here...

 

Well, it's the same size day as all the rest of 'em.

This morning, I went out to the hot tub for a soak to start my day.  No, no photos - you're welcome.  While I was in the tub, out came Joan with Murphy on his leash.  Yes, that is a big deal - I try to go easy with the leash training and build each day with some repetition.  The little furry boy (he seems tiny to me - only 9 pounds) has only been exposed to the leash for 3 days now.  I don't want to hit him with too much time or get him stressed over anything to do with the leash.

Murphy was curious about the hot tub, but I cautioned Joan to not come too close with him - didn't want the noise of the spa to frighten him.  Joan sat with him on the patio couch - the boy loves to look around outside (he can sit on our bed and look out the windows into the courtyard).  He is a bit unsure about new noises, so we're acclimating him to being outside on the leash.  Joan walked with him a bit, until I got out of the hot tub, then turned the leash over to me... we walked around the yard for another 15 minutes or so (which is a major increase in the leash time).  I let him nose around, gave him a bit of "guidance," but mostly let him explore this outdoor space.

I was impressed - he didn't pull on the leash, and when it got under his belly, he figured out that he could step over the leash and not be tangled in it.  Yesterday in the house, he figured out how to open the closet door in our bedroom... it is a sliding "barn door" on a track.  He doesn't have enough weight to push it open from the floor, but if he jumps up on the hamper that is right by the door, he can "lean into it" with better leverage.  I was impressed.

No, I didn't get any photos of his excursion - I was still in my robe after getting out of the hot tub.  Still no photos.

This afternoon, the thermometer pushed into the low 70s - I figured it would be a good time to get out on the CTX.  I shot some video, but here are a few photos...

As you can see, it was a hazy, light overcast day.  Later, I took this photo while walking to our mailbox...

There's a change in the weather that is supposed to roll in tomorrow night, dropping the daytime highs to the low 60s.  It was good to get out today.

Got the motorhome back...

 

 

"Where did it go?" you ask.  Thanks for asking.  I took it to the automotive service place right in front of where we store it.  Pretty convenient for that sort of thing.  I do miss having indoor storage for the coach, but we were happy to find this covered storage.  It is about 20 miles from our home, but it is the nicest facility we could find... "storage" is a good business to be in here in the Phoenix area.

It was a good experience with Champs Family Automotive, having the front end aligned and getting a few other maintenance things taken care of.  I'm glad we found a place here where we are comfortable getting service work done.

AZ registration and plates (and insurance); new front tires; this alignment.  No immediate plan to go anywhere, but we are ready when the itch strikes... we need to introduce Murphy to motorhome traveling and see how he does with that.  After all, he is a friendly "travel size" fellow.  ;-)

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Steph went with me to pick up the motorhome, and we ran a few errands while out and about.  One stop was at PetSmart to get more litter and a toy that Joan had seen on-line.  We walked past the kitties in their adoption area... every single one of them was a cutie.  I think the rescue working with this particular PetSmart must be selective in who they bring out.  No, I was not one bit tempted.  Murph is "the chosen one" - well, that's what I tell him.

Later this afternoon, Steph needed to go to the grocery store, and I tagged along.  Yes, I like doing stuff with my kid.  I picked up a couple Powerball tickets for Joan while we were there.  Hey, someone is going to win at some point, and you can't win if you don't buy a ticket.

When we got back, Joan had taken Murphy out in the yard for a short walk - her first time at that with this boy.  As the sun went behind the mountain, I took him out; we sat on the patio couch for bit.  Joan would like to let him sit out there with us for a longer time, but we're going to have to get some more experience before doing that.  Our outings so far have been very short.  He and I did a few more walks from different places in the yard to the patio door...

This blog could easily become: "Well, we did a short outing on the leash again today," over and over, because it is going to take a lot of repetition to get to the point that I feel comfortable getting further away than line-of-sight to the door.  I just like to have a photo record of what we're doing with this boy.

 

Walk about...

 

Murphy got to go for several walks today.  He already has the routine down: get the harness on, some petting, hook up the leash, and I carry him outside... and let him walk back to the door on the leash.  Several times.

Notice that the leash isn't pulled tight - he is not struggling against it.  He does like the treats at the end of our walks.

Joan suggested I give him a tour of the garage while on the leash - he has been wanting to go out there.  Anyone with a cat knows how they feel about a closed door.

Checking out the bikes (above) and the new workbench (below)...

This one is my Dad's bike...

He hasn't heard either of the bikes start up, yet.  No, I won't be taking him for a ride anytime soon.

One of us is under the weather...

 

... and the weather is pretty decent.  It isn't Murphy and it isn't me.  It is rare that Joan gets sick, but some bug got to her.  Negative Covid test, so likely the flu.  I wish there was something I could do for her, but she doesn't feel like eating.  Or moving.  Or sitting up.  Lung crud, overall body aches, pounding head.  Murphy has been laying with her in bed... I think we have determined that Joan is his person.

I took the boy for another "indoor walk"... not at good as yesterday (may have been beginner's luck), but still pretty good.  I'll try again soon, and have another treat reward at the conclusion.

That is a long, skinny feline...

Sunny and low 60s today - I may try for a short outdoor excursion with the furry boy if I can get Steph to come along and spot for me.  If we do it, it will be in the yard, not out in public.  Yet.

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With his harness on and leash clipped in, we sat by the door for a while...

 

Small steps - it is important to not frighten him at this point.  When Steph came, we took him outside and sat on the patio couch...

There was a noise that came from the construction sites south of us... he wasn't sure about that.  His head popped up and he looked around.  I told Steph, "Be ready.  I'm going to give him some line on the leash and see where he goes.  If he heads for the door, we know he considers the house his safe place.  If not, be ready to grab him."

He went to the door.  Not in panic mode.  I picked him up and carried him a bit further into the yard.  When I put him down, he sat beside me.  I gave a light tug on the leash and said, "Let's go."  He walked to the door.  No panic.  This was all my best case scenario.  And that's enough leash time for today.  We let him in, took off his leash, and got him a treat.

It will take a lot more repetition (all in due time), but this was a very good start.

This is how I worked with Izzy and Rufus to learn to walk on the leash.  It may take a couple months before we move onto a public sidewalk, but the yard (with the block walls all around) is a great place to learn and practice this leash stuff.

It's OFFICIAL!

 

 

There was never a doubt that this is our boy.  The connection was immediate when Joan took him out of his cage.  But now, baby boy kitty Bathurst has his forever name to go with his forever home.

Welcome to the family, MURPHY!

It was one of the first names I suggested; it's a family name on my Irish side.  Over the past 48 hours, we tried out different names, but this one suits him.

He was the center of attention when Steph and Dan came over for our afternoon meal.  Yesterday was Italian: Joan made manicotti, meatballs, and crusty bread; Steph made lasagna, Italian sausage, and a Caesar salad.  It was all tasty!  Today, it was casual American: I made bacon cheeseburgers, Joan made fries, Steph made onion rings.  What about Dan?  Thanks for asking - this morning, he made an apple kringle (pastry) from scratch.

We'll go back to Steph and Dan's place for round 2 of family games.  Murphy can get some rest - we're not ready to introduce him to their cats.  Yet.  We have no information on whether Murphy is good with other cats.  When it's time, we'll get him together with their smallest boy who seems to like everybody.

But, for now, our furry boy gets to relax...

He had another big day.

Merry Christmas...

 

Up early.  The only fat man tip-toeing around our house was me.  There was also one skinny cat.  He wandered a bit more on his second night with us.  Discovered that the door stoppers make a fun sound when you whack 'em.  His long furry tail flipped back and forth across Dad's face gets him some petting in the middle of the night.  The "No Cats On The Counter" Rule apparently doesn't apply between the hours of 3:00 am and 4:00 am.  Meowing in the hallway outside Mom and Dad's bedroom has a fun reverb sound when the rest of the house is quiet.

I mentioned "still has some kitten in him" yesterday.  I meant: more kitten than I anticipated.  Oh, don't get me wrong - he slept nicely at the foot of our bed for a couple hours before starting the nocturnal explorations.  

We may all need a nap this afternoon.

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Steph came over before 8:00... this new guy likes her.  Steph is patient and plays with him.  We need to have her come over before bedtime and wear him out.

We are trying out names.  "Bo" was up first yesterday... Joan said, "That doesn't work - it sounds too much like 'No!'"... and he has heard that a time or twelve while he learns boundaries.  I'm kidding - he is testing boundaries, not learning them.  Next name up today is "Murphy"... we'll see how that works out.

I looked up "When do cats grow out of the kitten stage?" - between one and two years of age.  So, only another year or so before we get a decent night's sleep.

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Chillin'...

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Baby Steps...

We put a harness on him.  Didn't phase him a bit.  I clipped on the leash.  He needed a little encouragement to hop off the couch.  The first little tug on the leash resulted in an over-the-shoulder WTF look.  I took a few steps... he didn't.  I came back to where he was standing and started again... and this time he walked with me.  Down the hall to the bedroom, then back to the living room.  Then, unclipped the leash and gave him a treat.  That's enough for today.

It's a start.

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Nothing says "Merry Christmas!" like a soak in the hot tub.  He watched me walk out, then ran to the door.  After a bit, he went back to the couch, but kept a close watch on that door (according to Joan)...

Back inside and I got into the shower.  The furry boy was curious about the shower, but not anxious to join me... I guess his bath yesterday was enough of that for now.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

 

Christmas?  Well, it's the desert.

Today, Joan said, "Can you get a photo with the new boy with a Santa hat?"  That's not a weird request - we have a "gallery" of Christmas photos, with each of the cats in a Santa hat.  It was kinda: get it now or wait until next Christmas.

So...

He was patient and sweet.  No, we don't dress up our cats... well, other than this one thing that started many years ago, and only one time with each cat.

Name?  We are working on it.  Joan has some favorites.  Steph and Dan have contributed options.  I am hoping this boy will "tell us" what suits him.  Joan presented me with a list; I narrowed it down to 6.  Or 7.  I think he has picked Joan as his human - I may have to defer to her pick.

Twelve seconds after I posted that last sentence, he put his paw out to touch my arm.  Yeah, he likes me, too.  And we've narrowed it down to 4 names.

So, how did the first night go?

 

Thanks for asking.  

We all wound down last night before heading to bed...

We had the bedroom door closed up to that point, so he had to explore.  We put his pad on the foot of the bed, and he went right to it.  That's a good start.

I am sure Joan was like me: I slept "lightly" - looking up frequently to see how he was doing.  Most of the time, he was on his pad.  A couple excursions to the head of the bed to check on us.  One wander under the bed (shoe holders under there), and one exploration behind the dresser to play with a cord shortly.

When I got up, he followed me out to the kitchen to find out what our morning routine might be... turn the calendar page, then start the cat feeding process.  He is a good eater... and while he chowed down I did the rest of my routine.

For him, everything is new.  He will get used to where everything is.  He will learn to trust that food will always be there, and cuddles are consistent, not just a first day thing.  We understand that as a one year old, there is still plenty of kitten in this boy, so playtime and exploration are important.

He has found his voice.  We didn't hear a peep out of him in the car ride home.  During the evening last night, a couple muted meows.  This morning after his breakfast, he was more vocal - I'm going with those were "thank you."

We're still discussing what his name will be.  We've tried out a few possibilities to see if he reacted to any of them... when we talk to him, he looks.  He'll learn a name when we figure it out.

On the agenda for today: a bath for the new boy.  He seems to keep himself very clean.  Wish us luck.

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Cat bathing is not something we do frequently.  They have each reacted differently to a bath.  Smoke turned into a whirling buzzsaw of fury - all 6 1/2 pounds of her.  Molly and Rufus enjoyed getting bathed.  Izzy tolerated it.  This new boy was scared, but not furious - he struggled, but Joan held him firmly and talked soothingly while she cleaned him up.

No photos of the process - it took both of us (I was just the assistant).  He was not a happy boy, but he didn't strike out in anger.

Right after...

And then, after drying off a bit...

And then some grooming - first him on his own, then with a brush.  Then playtime...

A cornucopia of toys.  There will be some new ones, but these are all hand-me-downs, and he is fine with that.  Joan said, "He is being raised by old people - we'll wear out before he does with this playing stuff."  Fear not, we will do what he needs.

Chilling, once he was all dried off...

 I do believe I see a bit of a mane and ruff now.

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I made a late breakfast out on the griddle.  The local weather weasels were calling for "mostly sunny, high in the low 60s" for today.  A fog rolled through the area, completely obscuring the mountains to the south of us.  In time, it lifted to this...

Even when it isn't "clear and a million" (aviator term), the view is still pretty (I enjoy the layers and silhouettes of the foothills and mountain).  Steph and Dan took a hike this morning, up the mountain a ways, leaving from the house.  They said those trees you see on the other side of our wall are another layer of privacy from up on the mountain, looking down to our house.

While clearing stuff out of my wallet, I came across this fortune from our outing on Friday (we stopped for a bite to eat at Panda Express after seeing one cat from a private rescue, then two others at the AZ Humane Society)... 

The decisions we had made that day were: we hadn't met the cat that would be the right fit for us.  After that meal, we decided to make that long trip across town to Old Town Scottsdale the next morning to meet the boy we brought home.  He was the only one we went there to see.  It was a good decision.

It's a boy!

 

I won't be handing out cigars, but we have a new boy in the family...

 That was our first view of him - he snuggled up against Joan when she lifted him out of the cage.  We were immediately smitten.  He is a rescue from the AZ Humane Society.  The name they gave him is Bonito... it means "handsome boy."  I'm probably biased, but, he is.  He has not been with them long enough to know that name, so we are free to pick whatever name suits us... and him.  We're working on it.

That photo above doesn't give you an idea of what he actually looks like.  If you are thinking: "He looks like Rufus and Izzy had a baby," I was kinda thinking the same thing.  He has the angular face like Izzy, but more the color of Rufus.  We weren't trying to recreate either of those great cats.

If you're in the mood, here's the story: yesterday, we went to the AZ Humane Society, which is less than 4 miles from our house.  Just to look around.  Some animal shelters are sad places, this is very nice.  We spent a little time with 2 girls and a boy.  The girls were one year old and 3 years old; the younger one was a gray tabby that is our style; the older one was a longhair tortie.  Neither were particularly affectionate.  The boy was a lighter gray shorthair, 5 years old.  I thought the 3 year old female just might be going home with us.  When we asked to see her again, someone else was spending time with her (you get 10 minutes with each cat)... yes, the decided to take her home.

We were happy for that kitty and the mother and daughter who carried her out.  Looking through the AZ Humane Society website, we saw this boy - he is being kept at the PetSmart in Old Town Scottsdale.  They start allowing you to see animals for adoption there at 11:00 - we were there this morning at 10:40.

Interestingly enough, that particular PetSmart has, unbeknownst to us, two locations in the store for shelter rescues.  We went to the area that kitties are kept in every other PetSmart we've been in, and they had... no animals.  Someone was cleaning the glass on the cages.  I asked that young lady about Bonito and she said, "We have no cats - we had a real run on them this week."

I asked, "Benito is gone?"  The nice lady at the Humane Society near our home told me that they update their website at least twice a day, and Benito was still there as of last night.  After further questioning (she wasn't going to give the info up easily), we found out that the Humane Society adoption area is at the other side of the store.  We hustled over there and were third in line to speak with someone.

When it was our turn, we asked about Bonito; the young lady said, "He is a sweet boy - you can go into the cage area and take him out if you want to."  Normally she would be the one to take him out of the cage, but she was holding a chihuahua and couldn't take the dog into the cat area.  It isn't a big area, so we looked at his photo outside the cage, and Joan opened the door and took him out.  That's the photo at the top of this post.

He was immediately snuggly.  Joan gave him to me, and... more snuggles.  He made good eye contact.  Not a big skittish.  We agreed that this is our new boy.  My first thought: he is long and thin - built like Izzy.  The Humane Society doesn't have much info on him, just that he was returned because whoever had him was allergic.  They are calling him one year old.  I am thinking he is younger than that, but probably not much.  I think he will have some growing to do; certainly, he needs some good nutrition to help him fill out.

We filled out the paperwork, gave them the adoption fee and some additional as a donation (enough to feed another animal for at least a month).  We had a carrier that we forgot at home, so Joan went into the store and bought a nice softside carrier.  Back into the store to get a few days supply of food, and we were on our way for the drive back home.

He rode in the carrier on the way home, with Joan and I taking turns putting a hand inside.  No fuss, no noise; he has the makings of a good traveler.

We brought him into the house, got him out of the carrier and let him look around.  He was curious, but not panicked by the new surroundings.  While he explored the living room (we had the other doors closed intentionally), I prepared his first meal with us.

Some initial views...

He is a long slender boy.  He is not going to be a hefty build like Rufus.  He is bright in the eyes and face, and very alert.  He likes to play and seems happy be by us.  I think he is going to fit right in, but we are taking our time to not overwhelm him.

After we had some time with the three of us in the house, Joan texted Steph to let her know it was OK for her and Dan to come over.  This boy was not concerned about new people coming in, and warmed right up to Steph...

Being social is important, as is not being afraid of new situations.  So far, so good.

Now, we need to decide on a name.  Bonito is not a bad name, but a bunch of others were offered up: Rupert (an obvious nod to Rufus), Rocco, Ranger, Jet (I heard his name pronounced as Benito... which made me think of Benny... which made me think of Benny and the Jets... which, well, you get it), and others.  We'll work on that.

The first order of business is to make him feel comfortable in his new surroundings...

I think he is doing OK.  It has been a big day for all of us; he isn't the only one who is tuckered out.  If you look close at that photo above, there is a shaved belly.  Seems that someone thought he was a female when it was time for neutering - they figured it out after shaving his belly (but before any cutting).  That was done a couple weeks ago, so the belly fuzz is just starting to grow back.

There is a bit of a ruff happening around his neck.  The Humane Society is calling him a "longhair" - we'll see if and how he fills out over the next few months.

Remember the Seinfield TV series?

 

Another Festivus post, Jim?  No, but thanks for asking.  Seinfield (the TV show, not Jerry specifically) was often touted as: being about nothing.  It was about the minutiae of daily life.   Actually, Seinfield was never pitched as "a show about nothing."

This blog has been different things over the years - it started out being a way for our daughter to check in and see what we were doing, starting with our time working in Yellowstone.  It has been about travel, boating, scooting, RVing, and a very integral part of it has been about the furry feline family members who have been with us through it all.  Sometimes funny, often cute (yes, we think each of them have been downright cute), trying to see the world through their eyes, all the love that went both ways, and the heartbreak when the time has come for each of them to cross that Rainbow Bridge.

When I started this blog, we had Molly - she was wise and worldly.  For those who don't know the story (it's in the book), Molly came to us, about 4 months after Smoke's passing.  Smoke was our first cat, who lived to be almost 22 years old.  I said I could never get another cat because I couldn't take the hurt that comes at the end of their life.  We "dated" Molly - she came into the family through me, but she spread the love around.  Molly was patient and loving, and showed us that we could make room in our hearts for another special feline.  We didn't meet Molly until she was almost 6 years old, which gave us 4 adventure-filled years with that pretty girl.  She was big and beautiful, and was with us when we sold the studio and retired; went boat cruising; added some RVing again; then took the first of our "fun summer jobs."  Her loss was pretty sudden, when she didn't survive cancer surgery.

 

A few months later, I asked Joan if she was willing to look again.  That led us to the local animal shelter near our home in Texas, where she saw this scrawny little girl with respiratory issues.  "She needs me!" Joan said... that was so true.  And thus started 9 great years with Izzy.  She went from that young thing with thin fur, blossoming into what I called our feline supermodel: tall, slender, a beautiful walk, a "waif-like" look on her face, and the heart of a lioness.  Where Molly walked on a leash with absolutely no training, it took some practice and patience to get little Iz comfortable with the idea of a leash.  Joan brought her into the family, but again she knew to spread the love around.  Izzy was like having a 3 year old little girl, approaching things with wonder and curiosity.  Her story ended when we were trying to get her to Phoenix, where an animal surgeon thought he might be able to help her.  She told me it was time, and it was crushing.

 

A short time later, we met the furry boy who I could only describe as "quirky" in appearance.  Joan thought he looked like a "street fighter, a ruffian."  I came up with the name Rufus from that ruffian reference.  He was smart and joyful.  Every meal he had was "the best ever" and he was very vocal with his thank-yous.  Once he learned to walk on a leash, every walk was a fun exploration.  People were attracted to him - he enjoyed the attention when we were out walking; his tail bobbed with glee as he confidently "marched."  We weren't sure about getting a boy, but he turned out to be sweeter and snugglier than the girls... he wanted to be on your lap, or sitting beside you, with a paw touching you.  He spooned, always looking for a belly rub.  He was a big burly boy with luxurious, full fur.  He liked being brushed, and we had a regular routine where I'd play guitar and sing, while Joan brushed him.  Our vet declared him a Maine Coon mix - the boy really blossomed in the first 6 months we had him.  He went from quirky to ruggedly handsome.

 

We took him to the vet after getting to Arizona, thinking a cough he developed might be an allergy to something in the desert.  My heart dropped when I saw the look on the face of the vet after she saw Rufus's X-rays... the news seriously bad.  An ultrasound confirmed that he was "at the end of life."  We did everything we could to make him comfortable and had 10 days to tell him how much we love him and what joy he brought to our lives... and say our good-byes.  He didn't get much time to enjoy the new house or the landscaping that we knew would be great for him to walk around.

Since Rufus's passing, it has been tough for me to write something each day.  I know a lot of it has been "about nothing."  Daily life.  With a lot of the life in our days feeling less than lively.  Ruf was the first cat that had us around all the time - we were "re-retired" before we got him.  Our daily routines were built around his feeding schedule, grooming, snuggling, and the walks that he and I shared.  To say we miss all that would be a huge understatement... the part that hurts my heart the most is not having that joyful spirit with us.

We are both ready to bring another cat into our lives.  The right situation will present itself at some point.  We are not looking for a feline to "fill the void" - we gave Rufus a great life and he brought us great joy.  I don't know if we have been fortunate to have "picked" 4 great cats, or if we have given each of them the opportunity to develop into great cats.  Each has been unique and very different from the others... none of them, however, were the stereotype "aloof" feline.  Each came to us in a different way, even though each of them needed to be rescued.  We have a Christmas ornament on the tree that says "Who Rescued Who?" with a photo of Rufus.  A good question.  Each of our cats has helped grow our hearts, and then left a cat-sized hole when they passed.

This blog has grown a lot over the years.  The number of people who look in on it often surprises me.  The daily numbers fluctuate, but I know there are plenty of people out there who click on it to see if there is any cat content.  I can assure you that my heart, mind, and soul are hoping for more cat content. 

Tires

 Up and at ‘em this morning.  Off to Discount Tire for a new set of front tires on the coach.  Well, first to the storage lot, get the motorhome ready to roll, then to the nearby Discount Tire…

I like Discount Tire - their people remind me of those at Chick-fil-A, friendly and professional.

We were there early for our appointment and got checked in.  On the coach, they usually change the tires outside..,

Today, they had me pull into a bay…

Sorta.  And now we wait for it; hasn’t been long in the past.

First House Guests...

 

Mark and Cindy came to visit today.  It was a delight to have them here.  Joan made lunch for the 4 of us and plenty of nice conversation.

Mark and I went to my music room to play some songs and give him the chance to try some of my guitars.  Joan and Cindy had moved out to the patio at that point.  I went out to check on them and Joan asked if we'd be playing some music for them... "Sure!"  Mark and I brought guitars out to the patio area and showed them a bit of what we had been working on.

There was some discussion of playing out - Joan and Cindy offered suggestions on songs they thought our proposed audience would like to hear... some we knew, others to keep in mind.

It was a nice afternoon with our friends here.  It wasn't until they were driving away that I realized I didn't get a photo to commemorate the day.

 

Brushes...

 

For your hair?  With fame?  Paint?  No, no, and no, but thanks for asking.

It was a music day again today - I got together with Mark and Ron, at Ron's house in the Art District of downtown Phoenix (yes, close to where we were when we caught the light train to the Billy Joel concert).  All acoustic, no need to plug in anything.  The plan: work up some new songs.  We did just that.

Took a break for lunch.  Being in the urban part of Phoenix, it was an easy 3 block walk to a bunch of lunch options.  Nice enough that we could sit outside while we ate.  Just a pleasant afternoon.

I did bring a cajon along.  I mentioned to Mark and Ron that I tried to buy some brushes at Guitar Center yesterday, and they didn't have the kind I was looking for.  Brushes, btw, are used to play softly on a regular drum set... they can also be used on a cajon.  I have never tried that... but I watched a couple YouTube videos and it looks like it would be easier on the hands and give some other sound options.

Ron said, "I have a set of brushes"... and he went to find them (he used to play drums).  He brought out a set of "vintage" brushes and told me to give them a try...

 

Love the sound!  I was almost giddy over the sound and comfort.  Ron said, "Merry Christmas - those are my gift to you."

I spent about 1/3 of our time together playing cajon instead of guitar.  Fun!

 

 

Tired...

 

As in: your butt is dragging?  No, but thanks for asking.  The motorhome needs new tires - uneven wear on the front pair; the front end needs an alignment.  Best to put on new tires, then get the front end work done.

Today, after a run to Lowe's, we went to the motorhome to get the tire size; called Discount Tire (our go-to no matter where we are when we need tires).  Of course, they don't have that size in stock.  We made an appointment for Thursday morning.  This Discount Tire is located near where we have the motorhome stored (not close to our home - that would be too easy).  Once the tires were ordered, I made an appointment at the auto repair facility that is right in front of the storage place - they'll do the alignment on the morning of the 27th.

So, if/when we feel the need for a get-away, the coach will be ready.

A trip to the Post Office where Steph and Dan (and us) have had a PO Box - we have all changed addresses to the new house, so it is now a matter of seeing what shows up in that PO Box in case we missed any forwards.  One more renewal on that box and we'll let it go.

Lunch out - we ate at a Cheddar's; the food was good and plenty of it.  Joan proclaimed their fried cheese curds her new favorite.

A stop at two different Guitar Centers; not for another guitar.  I was looking for some brushes to use with my cajon.  The second was was showing the brushes were "in stock"... yep, in their warehouse... in Kansas City.  Looks like another job for Amazon.

 

The Laveen Lighted Christmas Parade...

 

It turned out to be a lot of fun; partly because we had chairs to sit in while we waited for it to kick off...

 We were there a half hour early, and they already had a good crowd lined up to watch the parade...

Steph and Dan went to walk through the Farmer's Market, while Joan and I stayed with the chairs.  When they got back, we took our turn looking around...

The Grinch Family was there...

The parade was scheduled to start at 6:00, and it went off right on time.  Turns out, it was all vehicles with Christmas lights on them...

I didn't count how many vehicles participated.  Afterwards, we had the opportunity to visit with the guy who put it on (and also owns the Farmers Market and the Living Laveen website - how Steph found out about the parade).  We told him how much we enjoyed it, and he told us they put this together about 3 weeks ago, after someone suggested the idea to him... not enough time to get the city to close the street for the parade, so there was regular traffic flowing through, as well.  But, based on the turnout for participants and audience, they'll do it again next year, and... "It will be a LOT bigger."

He is a real supporter for this rapidly growing community.