Single digits and helper toes

Only 9 days to go, oh nose! Kitties, quick, let's all go romping through the fields together and chase some buggies before I leave! I want to play!!!

Last night I was the greatest helper known to mommy. She bought a BUNCH of fabric the other day at a sale and brought it home. While she was ironing it out and doing all that pre-storage stuff, I was doing my part, making it smell like me! Every time there was a piece of fabric anywhere flat, I stretched out on it and rolled around on it. It didn't smell like me! I had to make it smell like me! The good news, it all now smells like me! After that was done mommy started making a table runner for my Aunt Elsie. I know, I have a lot of aunts. Aunt Elsie is my REAL aunt though. She is mommies sister. She lives in Vermont and just moved into her first real apartment, that isn't college housing, with some girlfriends. Mommy is sending her a house warming present. I had to help her with that too. Mommy doesn't like me helping when she has the sewing machine going, and I'm afraid of it, so it all works out. But I do like helping once the pieces are sewn together. Man on man, did I make them smell like me! I hope Aunt Elsie doesn't have any kitties, cause they will smell me on her present!

Well, I'm off to chase the sun spots and buggies outside the window and then snooze in my cat tree. Remember kitties, meet me in the fields for some fun times, I've only got 9 days left, I want to make the most of them!

Pretty stray and only 8 days

hehehe, that rhymes. Pretty strays and only 8 days. oh dear, 8 days. Where shall we go today kitties to play? How about... my granddaddy's garden! (He grows fresh live catnip which he grows, cuts, dries, grinds up, and sells at craft fairs!)He is always mailing me catnip socks. That's when he takes old socks, washes them, and stuffs them with fresh catnip. I love them!

So that pretty stray is getting bolder. She shows up every night for nom noms. I am a little scared of having her out there all the time. I poofs myself up really and sit in the window. Mommy picks me up, kisses my head, and sits me on her lap to explain about strays. She always says to me, "River do you remember being a stray? Do you remember how hungry, and thirsty, lonely, and scared you were? That is how that kitty feels, you stop being so tough around her." I look so silly sitting on her lap and I pouted a little bit and stare at the ground before she puts me down. Then I run off to play somewhere else. Mommy is right, the pretty stray has a hard life and mommy wants to build up some confidence and trust between them before she catches her to spay her and see if she is friendly enough to be adopted out or if she should be returned to her feral life. I have to learn to be a nicer boy about this. I just get nervous around other kitties, and she is a pretty stray kitty. All lady kitties are pretty. Sister is the prettiest! I loves sister! But... this stray is pretty pretty too!

stinky gym bags

Mommy and Daddy go five times a week to a place called 'the gym'. I don't know what it is. I know they leave for a long time and I don't like that. However, when they come home, something REALLY great happens. Mommy is always exhausted when she gets in the front door and she drops her gym back right in the entrance way. The gym bag is actually her old backpack an it always falls down on the floor with the back of it facing up and then I am so there. I dive right on it and sleep on it. Mommy can't understand why, she says it is all stinky and sweaty and why would I want to sleep on that. Doesn't she understand, that makes it great! It smells like super stinky mommy! hehehee! That is what my mommy smells like. Her backpack is now REALLY fuzzy! She never gets the chance to pick it up until hours later and she always rolls her eyes at me. Mommy rolls her eyes at me alot. I guess I'm just weird! I might be weird, but I'm excellent!

Happy Bastille Day!!!

HAPPY BASTILLE DAY KITTIES! hehehehe, that's a French holiday! One of mommies favorites. Mommy is currently getting her MA in Modern French History, her specialty is the Enlightenment and French Revolution, therefore her favorite French holiday is Bastille Day! Mommy really wanted to be in Paris for Bastille day but that didn't happen this year. She was there a few years ago. It was a good time she tells me.

Right now mommies youngest sister (Aunt Lydia) is in Europe on a band trip. She is several years younger than mommy and is almost finished with high school. Mommy got a frantic call from her this morning and couldn't figure out why. Turns out, the airline lost her luggage! Oh nose! At least they didn't lose her trumpet since she is over there to perform in a series of concerts. Still, very upsetting. Luckily if they can't find it by tomorrow the director is going to go out and buy her a whole new wardrobe in London, that would be neat! Mommy dealt with the situation over the phone and then called her parents to let them know. Aunt Lydia was too upset to tell them herself because their mommy is going in for surgery tomorrow and she didn't want to upset her. Too much stress all the way around. Luckily Mommies mommy just laughed at it and said, 'oh well it will make the trip memorable, there is nothing I can do about it from here, at least it is all being taken care of.' Poor Aunt Lydia. I like her, she spent last summer with us, she thought I was the greatest kitty in the world! Good lady!

So yesterday was one week until mommy has to go off Catster for a while, only 5 days till daddy leaves. Guess what happened to them? The AC in the car broke. Well when you live in CA and it is over 100 every day, that is a BIG problem. They brought it in to the mechanic, LOTS of money to fix it. It is an old car and it isn't worth it to repair it. They have to buy a new car when they get back from vacation. It was very stressful on them. I tried to make them happy but it was tough, so much stress for my parents. Poor parents. At least we have the money to buy a new one, but mommy isn't happy about it, and such bad timing. Everything is about to change and they need to buy a new car on top of it. Oh well, at least they get till after vacation to worry about it! Mommy is going to rent a car the day she picks up Aunt Courtney from the airport though, she has to drive to San Francisco and she says she isn't making a 2 hour drive without AC, even though the old car is safe enough. She'd rather split 50$ with Aunt Courtney on the rental than drive without AC. She'll also use the chance to rent the car they want to buy when they come back so she can get a good feel for it. I hope whatever it is it is kitty friendly! Not that I ever want to drive in the car, you never go anywhere good in the car!

Well, 6 days to go everyone. Keep your paws crossed nothing more happens that isn't happy! At least the pretty stray is becoming more confident. Although Simone doesn't like being able to smell her through the door. She sits in the window and glares at her. My sister is so cranky yet so pretty.

Silly sitting time!

Right now I'm hanging out in the dinning room under the new table and chairs. I have my back resting against the rung of one of the chairs with my black hair in the sunlight. It is glorious. I do, however, look very silly, according to mommy. She also can't understand why I'm laying in the sun when it is over 100 out there. Guess I'm just a silly kind of guy! How many kitties out there sit silly? I often sit like a peoples, with my back against something and my legs sticking out in front. How many of you guys sit silly too?

...sister wants it known that she never sits silly and she is a perfect princess lady.

Just a post to say I'm loved!

Only 4 days? How did that happen! I guess I should have seen it coming, I've been mommies stress absorber recently! She had trouble sleeping last night because of everything going on and was sitting up, I came out from the bedroom where I had been sleeping on daddy's feet, looked up at her on the sofa, squeaked, jumped up beside her and fell asleep with my head on her lap. I'm not usually a snuggler like that, mommy pet my head and told me that she loves me more than anything. In fact, she is really only writing this diary entry because she wants everyone to know that I am her baby boy, she loves me to pieces, and she can't imagine life without me. Isn't it great to be loved kitties? I'm so happy mommy loves me that much, I've got my head on her leg right now!

Daddy is all packed

Daddy packed his suitcase tonight. I got very nervous. Last time that thing got packed I got left at the vets. Mommy promised me she isn't leaving for awhile but tomorrow she has to take daddy to the airport. It is our last night as a family. We are watching old black and white movies and in a big pile on the couch. I don't want my daddy to leave. I all ready can't wait for him to come back. Sigh... I better go make the most of this time together. Lots of loves for my daddy tonight. At least Aunt Courtney arrives less than 48 hours after Daddy leaves.

No more Daddy

This morning mommy and daddy were up very early. They finished up the big suitcase and then daddy picked me up and hugged me very tight. Then they left. Mommy just came home. She is a little sad. I'm very sad. I will miss my daddy very much, at least mommy and sister are still here, and, of course, all you wonderful kitties!

Oh yes, one more thing. Mommy has finally decided to add another catster profile for us. She is going to add her beloved Dinah to Catster. Dinah was mommy's first kitty and she was very special to mommy. Dinah has been at the bridge for a few years now but it would mean the world to mommy if all you beautiful kitty angel friends of ours could go find her and see how she is doing up there. I never met Dinah, she went to the bridge before mommy moved to California, but I know she must have been a great kitty, all kitties are. Once her page is up if you friend her it would mean the world to mommy! Lots of love kitties! Don't worry about me, I'll be ok with my mommy and sister. Luckily, I'm a mommy's boy. Still going to miss that daddy of mine though!

Settling in

Well it's been a day since Daddy has been gone. He called last night at 3am and made mommy jump out of bed. He was calling to say he was safely where he needed to be. Mommy was able to come back to bed and sleep better. I crawled under the blankets with her and sister, I don't usually do that. I needed to be with my family though. Mommy also left daddy's sleepy clothes out for me, I snuggled into them under the blankets near my mommy and sister. It was very comforting. Today I'm just a little confused, been doing ok though. That's good. Tomorrow mommy is going to drive to San Francisco to get Aunt Courtney. That will probably be our last day on Catster for a while. Mommy will jump online whenever she gets the chance, but we won't be on regularly until August 17th. We will definitely try to keep up any big news though while we are gone. If anything really big happens, will someone please send us a message? We'd hate to log on in August and realize we missed something big that was either happy or sad!

Oh yeah, Dinah's page is up, here is her catster ID if you want to friend here. It would make her and mommy very happy, probably make me happy to! I'll do a happy River dance for everyone who friends her! hehehe! If you have any kitties in your family at the bridge tell them to look for Dinah. She was a little cranky in life after her litter mate brother died tragically young, but we bet that now that she is with Panther again she's her old playful sweet self again!

http://www.catster.com/cats/1145583

Well, off to beg for nom noms! Some things never change no matter how much changes around me! A hardworking man cat needs his Nom Noms!!!

Aunt Courtney is here!

Well Aunt Courtney is here kitties! She brought me some kitty milk and a squeaky mouse toy! We can be friends! That's the good news. I'm even not that stressed. I'm so happy that there are some more people in the house. I'm so happy. Well kitties I sure will miss you over the next couple of weeks but I'll do my best to keep up a happy River dancing face! Love you all, see you on August 17th!!!