It's Been A Year

Well what do you know.  It's been a year since I stepped back and let the cat's take over. Now why on earth would I do that.  Well, for one thing, thinking up things for them to do is fun.  I don't know what that says about me.  But it is fun.  When I'm stuck in traffic on the beltway, instead of fuming I start planning a new adventure for them, or a new character comes to me and I start laughing. I guess I'm channeling my inner twelve year old.  Anyway it's also been a year since a series of unfortunate events led to me losing 35 yes 35 pounds.

Here's what happened.  It's also my birthday, so last year for my birthday,  I decided to buy some new clothes. I called a local store, told them my size and could hardly wait to see what the personal shopper selected.  Well when I got there, none of the clothes fit.  I had gone up a size.  Now I don't want you to think, I was fuming because I'd gone from a size zero to a 1 and 1/2.  Not hardly. I was now in an extra large and you can guess the size number because I'm not telling.

Well I figured that they were cutting the clothes smaller in an effort to cheap out. So I just went up a size, after all it's not about the size, it's about the fit.  Right.

So on to the doctor, where guess what, my blood pressure was up.  It was Saturday and they didn't make me step on the scale.  That was obviously all about my allergy medicine.  So the doctor switched my allergy medicine, the fact that I was wearing gicantor jeans had nothing to do with it.

Now we are up to my best friends birthday party on a wonderful brunch cruise.  So of course our jolly group decided to have our picture taken.  And when I looked at it, there staring me in the face was the truth. Somehow I had gotten FAT. Not plump, not chubby, FAT. I was shocked and determined to know the truth.  So the very next day which was a Monday, I weighed myself on the hospital scale and almost passed out.  I had to weigh myself twice, because I couldn't believe what the scale was showing.  And right then and there I determined to do something about this.

The first thing I decided was I was not going on a diet, because I don't think diets work.  In my opinion, here's why diets don't work.  You starve yourself until you've lost a few and then you don't have to diet and back up the scale you go. Nope I was going to change the way I eat and the amount I eat. And I told myself I was going to be hungry until I got used to it, but I was just going to be hungry and I did it.

The weight came off.  I eat everything, but just not as much. That's all there is to it. What's been interesting is that I can now really taste the food and I actually love what I'm eating.  And it takes me longer to eat the smaller portions than it did to shovel down the linebacker meals, who knew.

Oh yes, my polar vortex update.  Yesterday it was sunny and seventy. It's been windy, so the mud is drying out.  But we can't have that oh no.  So today and tomorrow its going to snow.  Lovely, just lovely.

To see what's going on in Katz City, check out welcometokatzity.blogspot.com

And Now a Word From Their Sponsor

While part of the gang is packing up and Squig is enjoying his cross country trip.  I thought I say a few words about what's going on here in the great white south.

Hello Al Gore, I thought we were supposed to be having global warming.  I thought Maryland was supposed to feel like North Carolina, instead it feels like the North Pole. Here are two words I would like to have erased from the English Language, "Polar Vortex."  This winter has been miserable, it's been cold, snowy, icy and just down right lousy.  Oh yes, we have had a few unusually warm days and do you want to know what that does?  It melts the snow fast, so for a day or two we have mud that's the consistency of soup and then the temperature drops quickly and we have icy mud.  Icy mud that's covered in a nice layer of snow.  Riding, who can ride?  I haven't been riding since December when this whole mess started.  Why, when it's warm enough to ride, the mud is as slippery as glass and the rest of the time, there's the ice underneath the snow which  makes riding impossible.  Do you know it's been warmer in Durango than it has been here.

Oh yes, the deer.  When it first started getting cold this little family of four deer would come to the edge of the property and the doe would stare up at my house.  After awhile I figured, she must have been one of the fawns I fed in 2010.   So when it got bitterly cold and there was nothing for them to eat, I started feeding them again.  How much trouble would it be to feed four deer.  Well it wasn't too long before they picked up two orphan fawns.  Six deer, that's not too bad.  Then two more joined and it was eight deer and as the winter progressed, they told all of their friends and extended family about the all you can eat buffet and  it was twelve deer.  Well those twelve told twelve more and I was feeding twenty four deer.  During last Monday's snowy mess, I counted thirty deer.  This is getting out of hand.  Thirty deer!  Several of my neighbors are joining in feeding them, but still.

Let's see what else can I complain about.  I've relearned how to drive on snow and steer through a skid. They say this spring is going to be colder than ever.  If that happens I am going to turn into a real contrarian. The light is great though.  It's getting stronger and brighter every day.  Maybe soon, but in the meantime, I have more mud to pick out hooves, hungry deer and horses who have had it.  So here I sit, longing for spring.

Bye.

PS:  If you think Harlan is done go over to www.welcometokatzcity.blogspot.com to see what more trouble he can cause.

Moving On - Part 1

Dweezil stood with Squig in the train station.  "Now  you remember what you're going to do and you have everything you need," he asked.

"Yes, Dweeze.  I have all of my tickets.  I'm changing trains in Chicago and Denver and arriving at Katz City at 3:00.  Ms. Katz will be at the station to meet me.  I'm going to go with her to the cafe.  Once I'm there, I'm going to snoop around and call you." He repeated, not looking at all happy. "I just don't know why I have to go there first. Why I can't go with you, Trixie and the rest of the family."

"Because, I want you there to be eyes and ears in a way I can't and the girls can't.  When I get there, I've got too much to do to get the lay of the land."

"Squig," Trixie shouted as she ran to where he was standing. "I couldn't let you leave without one more good bye kiss." She said wrapping her paws around him and kissing him soundly. Pushing him back, she looked him in the eye and smiled.  "Just remember, you're mine and don't go getting to friendly with those cowgirls."

Squig smiled as he leaned in for one more kiss.

"All aboard," the conductor called out and lifting his backpack, Squig turned to wave one last good bye and went down the stairs to board the train.

"I just have this feeling that everything is going to be so different once we're out west," Trixie said to herself sadly.

GO TO WWW.WELCOMETOKATZCITY.BLOGSPOT.COM to see what's going on there.

Finding Home Part IV - The Cat City Cafe

Trixie rushed into the den, barely taking the time to take off her coat and scarf. "Dweezil, so tell me all about our new restaurant. She cried out breathlessly, "I can hardly wait to hear all about it.

"Trixie sit down and catch your breath, " Dweezil smiled as he walked over to the desk and removed a full color brochure.  Putting on his reading glasses, he opened it and began reading.

"The Cat City Cafe is the only establishment in Cat City owned by descendants of the founding family.  In 1884, Louella Katz defied her father and opened a saloon and restaurant catering to the hoards of miners flooding the town.  Word spread quickly  of her fair prices and delectable meals and soon the Cafe was the largest and most well known establishment in the county.  From that time until the present day, it has been wholly owned and operated by a female member of the Katz family. It's doors have remained open in even the hardest of times.  During the great depression it served as the town's soup kitchen. And in every armed conflict, From World War I to the current action in Afghanistan it has served as a little reminder of home for our brave service cats in action."

Trixie listened intently, but something was bothering her so she had Dweezil read it again.  And finally after hearing it for the second time, asked, "But Dweezil what kind of food are they serving at the Cafe?"

To find out exactly what is being served at the Katz City Cafe go to www.welcometokatzcity.com

Finding Home Part III

"While we're waiting for Trixie," Dweezil said, let me tell you a little about the town. Anneabelle, this should interest you,  Let me see where did I put that description. Oh yes, here it is.

Katz City School is a progressive pre-K through 12 grade school. Principal Paul Kirki, PhD and Vice Principal Sally Alba, MA are taking the school into the 21st century with a host of progressive programs in the arts and athletics while maintaining the high educational standards that have made the school famous in this part of the state."

Go to www.welcometokatzcity.blogspot.com to see what's going on at Katz City School.

Finding Home Part II Katz City

"Calm down," Dweezil said as the family rushed to him with a thousand questions.  "Let me sit down and Squig why don't you call Trixie and tell her to come over, she's going to want to hear about it too.

As soon as Squig came back, Dweezil sat himself down and said, " Katz City is the garden spot of southern Colorado. According to their website.  It is a town built on silver with a golden future.


To see what's going on in Katz City go to www.welcometokatzcity.blogspot.com

Finding Home Part II

Dweezil was so happy, he almost skipped into the kitchen.  He was holding an email he had printed and could hardly wait to share his good news with the rest of the family.

He stopped cleared his throat and then began, "Dear Mr. Felinerino,"

Squig, dropped his morning paper, and placing his paws squarely on the table, leaned forward and hissed, "read that to me again."

"Dear Mr. Felinerino," Dweezil repeated, puzzled over his friends' reaction.

"And Mr. Felinerino would be," Squig asked, laying back his ears.

"Me," Dweezil said touching his paw to his chest, "I am Mr. Felinerino."

"You mean to tell me that for all of these years while you were giving me a load of crap about being Squigman Igmeioukowski, you were hiding a name like Felinerino?  Wasn't just a few months ago that a cat named Felinerino actually had the nerve to say that a worm or an amoeba would be embarrassed to be named Igmeiouskowski,"

"There is absolutely no comparison between Felinerno and Igmeioukowski," Dweezil said airily, waving his paw for emphasis.  Felinerino is melodious and bell sounding.  It is regal and uplifting.  While Igmeioukowski sounds like a bad combination of a lady cat in heat and duck farting,"

"Why you, miserable snake," Squig squawked preparing to hurl himself on to Dweezil.  He was stopped almost in mid leap by shriek of a police whistle.

Yvette lowered her whistle and said calmly, "Is there something else you would like to share with us Dweezil, besides our last name."

"Yes," Dweezil grumbled.  "My offer to buy the Katz City Cafe was excepted.  We are moving to Colorado in the spring.