Future Cat

Well, I've gone and done it now.  I sent a deposit check to a Tonkinese breeder yesterday.  The details are uncertain, but apparently, sometime in 2021, I will be able to drive 90 miles and pick up a kitten who will be "sort of like" Iza.  I don't expect a clone and don't want one.  But it would be a kitten similar in appearance and nature.  Discovering her personality will be a wonderful thing.

If she is like Iza, I will love and cherish her.  If not, I will love and cherish her.  I have never had a cat that wasn't friendly to me or that I didn't cherish in return.  That part is sort of automatic.

I emailed and phoned the breeder.  She agrees I would be a great person for one of her "girls".  I can't wait.  But I have to.  

Funny how this works.  If I had done this in May when I originally contacted the Tonkie breeder, I would have  the kitten now.  But not have Laz.  

I like how things are working out.  I get both.   Laz is amazing.

Laz is a flaming ball of energy.  I've never had a cat quite like him.  He runs full-tilt everywhere.  When I hear him running in the house, I have to stop because he runs into any of MY moving parts. 

But he has adjusted to Marley and Ayla, so finally I can consider a kitten.  I'm guessing late Summer...

Holiday Decorations

Well, I put some Holiday house lights up.  I don't always.  The front of the house hangs over the basement 2 feet, so I can reach the soffit with a stepladder.  I screwed in some cupholder hooks every 3 feet years ago, so it really isn't that hard.  Depends on the weather.  I'll add strings of lights in the front windows.  Maybe.  

Being more science-oriented than religious, I know that all the early Winter holidays are based on the Winter Solstice.   Traditionally/originally, they all celebrated the New Year.  Calendars have changed a few times through history, the dates stay the same.  

I like Solstice.  It's the shortest day and what better time to think a new year has started?  The das srart getting longer again.  The hope of renewal returns.

So I put up some lights most years.  Mine are all blue.  Nice calming color.  Sedate, unflashy, different.  And I don't overdo it.  

Some of my neighbors do a LOT more.  It's their right, but s crowded with decorations a cat couldn't walk through their yard.  But I've seen "more".  One street I drove by on my work commute years ago could probably be seen by from the Space Station.

I may set up a fake tree this year.  I have some strings of bubble lights and I miss seeing those.  When I was a child, my Dad's Parents had these big 8 inch ones and I would sit on the floor (we visited each Christmas) and just stare at them.  I always wondered where the bubbles went.  The ones I found are only 4" but I still wonder when the bubbles go.  Well, I like Lava Lamps too (though I understand THAT)!

The window lights are easy.  I bought some tension rods that fit inside the tops of the windows and I just used to feed the the strings of lights around them and let them drape.  Now I have hooks and that makes it a lot easier.   

I bought a great fake 6' tree years ago.  I seldom use it.  Unfolding the branches is hard; repacking it  takes an hour.  And that is with a trick I worked out pushing the 3 sections into trash bags in a trash can to compress the limbs.  

I like the 3 foot prelit tree these days.  On a TV tray at the front window, it looks like a full tree from outside.  LOL!  But the little tree doesn't hold fancy ornaments, and I have a LOT of them.  Maybe this is a good year to set up the big one.  It it supposed to rain hard and possibly snow later today, the new computer isn't going to arrive for a week, and I went grocery shopping today.  

So maybe I have nothing to do.  Yeah, right.  I haven't had "nothing to do" since I was 12.  But it would be a good opportunity for a serious "all-out" tree decorating event.  If I do, I'll post pictures.  If I don't, I didn't.

Strange thing:  I went out to look at my house lights at 9pm last night.   Stood out on the street until my motion detector lights went off.  Looked nice.  Then I looked down the street and realized that not a single house on my street had lights on.  

Pictures from past years and it will be much the same this year.

The prelit fake tree, unadorned.  From outside, it looks like a big one...

Cheap fake wreath.  The bells help...

Note the sock on the right.  It has my name on it.  Its from childhood   Each Christmas back then, we kids got fancy stuff in them.  A box of chocolate-covered cherries, a navel orange, a red delicious apple, a candy cane of THREE colors, and a couple of tiny games.  Doesn't seem like much NOW, does it?  But in the 50s that was "big stuff".

Looks a lot from the outside, LOL!

See?

Special decorations...  I love the robins' nests with the wood eggs. I love the clear glass ornaments.

Love the glass apples. 

The glass icicles don't show up well here, but I bet I have several hundred.  Mom knew I liked them and sent me a dozen each year.  Precious memories.  Moms know what you like.

Funny story:  Dad used to love adding "tinsel" to the tree.  They were originally actually tin, so he saved them each year.  Later, they were soft pastic, but old habits die hard.  He saved those too in spite of them being nearly free in the stores.  He used to get so aggravated when we kids just tossed them on the tree.  When he thought no one was looking, he would arrange them "properly".

The tree skirt/mat Mom sent me one year...

A tree deserves a cat...

I had forgotten how festive the house can look at times...

And there used to be "real" cards.  And of course, a cat was the puurfect add-on.

The full-size tree (partially-decorated)...

Computer Update

I have finally had to accept that  I can't stay on a 2011 Mac Mini with an old keyboard and High Sierra anymore.  But moving too far forward has problems too.  

I've spent the last whole day and night learning about options.  What I have is no longer supported.  The newest stuff has problems (both the newest Apple M1 chip and the Big Sur Operating System have difficulties according to Mac Forums).

I have settled on a middle ground.  I ordered a:

Maci Mini

3.0GHz 6‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz) 8GB 2666MHz DDR4 Intel UHD Graphics 630 1TB SSD storage

3.0GHz 6‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz) 8GB 2666MHz DDR4 Intel UHD Graphics 630 1TB SSD storage Mohave Operating System That will allow me to use some 3rd party apps like Word and Excel and maybe Firefox (because I'm on Safari and it fights me on edits and formatting). On the other hand, it will help me with standard apps like Photos (I was using iPhotos, and I miss it - much easier to use).  Switching from iPhotos was a real PITA.  The organization is harder.  But there isn't much choice.  I catch on a little bit better each time. To prepare for a new computer, I spent hours deleting old files, got on The Cloud and off it (doesn't do what *I* want).  I did a full backup.  The new computer is 2 weeks away, (it is non-standard, Built To Order) but I think I can manage until then... Firefox is failing for me, and that's where my Feedly is.  It won't load.  I have it on Safari too, and it doesn't like autofilling my email and URL, but I think I solved that.  One step at a time. Have to mention that I bought a color toner printer.  A  Canon Color imageCLASS MF644Cdw Wireless Color Laser All-In-One Printer.  I got tired of the inkjet color cartridges drying out every few months. Toner lasts 4 years.  Damn thing weighs a ton though.   But, after the pain, I think I'll be good for 5-6 years.  Hoping...

Computer Update

Well, I don't have much working better, but I have discovered and done a few things...

1.  I spent several hours going through old files and deleting them.  I had to accept that there were old headers I simply did not need anymore, non-cat pics and graphics I could easily regain if needed, copies of old documents that no longer matter, download files for programs long since upgraded etc.  I mean, I even had pics of houses I considered buying 5 years ago!  I only reclaimed a few GBs, but deleting clutter probably helps.

2.  I learned that my Mac Mini is a 2011 model.  The old chips, processors, and graphics can't keep up.  Essentially, I was struggling along in a 64-bit app world with a 32-bit processor.  I slightly understand that.  It's like trying to eat your dinner and dessert at the same time.    64 bit wants to read more at once than 32 bit and the 32 bit apps choke.

3.  I actually have a newer Mac Mini but apparently I managed to kill it struggling with Mac O/S Catalina trying to remove it.  It won't even start.  It's almost funny; my computer room is nearly litterred with old computers.  I need to get rid of them (after doing a "scribble" of the hard drive a few times so nothing can be read).

4.  I managed to export my old iPhotos app pics to the newer Photos app.  It wasn't easy.  And I don't like the new organization of pics.  But who ever DOES like a new app at first.  I'll get used to it.  The hardest thing was that my newest pictures just didn't want to go.  It took over an hour to get those out of the "import folder" into actual folders with names and dates.

5.  Some apps like Firefox seem to no longer be supported with new Mac O/S, or maybe it is that my they are no longer supported by my current O/S High Sierra.  I apologize to my Windows PC friends; Apple Mac speaks its own language.  The point is that Apple doesn't much like backwards compatibility very much.  They stop providing support and compatibility every few years.  

6.  In spite of that, I'm sticking with Macs.  I used to love Windows back in the days, and could organize files well.  I bought a Windows 10 computer a year or so ago, and I can't make it do anything.  I can't even find files on it.  One thing about Macs is that file manager (called "Finder") is superb!  You almost can't NOT find anything there.  

7.  My conclusion is that I need a newer Mac Mini.  But there are still questions I am trying to get answers to.  The new ones come with an O/S called "Big Sur" (Apple likes to name the operating systems after Big Cats years ago and geography features recently (they ran out of Big Cat Names, I suppose).  Anyway, some users are complaining about Big Sur.  Most say to wait a few months until Apple debugs it better.  I agree.  But every new Mac Mini comes with it.  I feel trapped.

8.  That probably means I have to buy some new apps that offer way more features than I need, a lot of learning how to use them.  And it probably means I can't use free Mac-protection software any more.  Scammers have started to pay more attention to Mac apps.  Though it is harder to infect a Mac than Windows, they are doing it.  I read of more and more Mac viruses these days.  

9.  My older Mac is more vulnerable to these viruses.  The new O/Ss come with serious built-in and updatable protection.  That includes ransomware protection, which is becoming a real problem.  And I'll have to get a really good separate protection program like MacAfee, Bitdefender, or Norton.  

10.  And this may make you smile...  I think a part of my problems was just an old keyboard!  I was writing a To Do list and was frustrated by my spelling.  So i pecked 1 key at a time to confirm the accuracy.  And there were still errors!  I may have a malware that messes with the keyboard.  Or it is just old.

Aren't computers wonderful?

Offline, Rebuild

We are going to be generally offline for a few days or a week.  The computer is falling apart, programs are failing.  I can't fix it within the current Mac/OS, and that means upgrading the Mac/OS version to the point where other programs will fail.

 

I went through hoops trying to keep familiar programs running a year ago.  I basically succeded, but it was temporary. 

 

I've been living with Mac High Sierra.  But too many apps are no longer supported with that.  Feedly is driving me nuts not sending comments, for example.  And it is important to me to visit my friends.

 

So it is time to rebuild.  I think I will have to migrate to The Cloud.  I think I will have to pay to upgrade programs.  I think I will have to learn changes in familiar programs. I may have been hacked.

 

I'm not looking forward to any of that.  I'm not even sure I can.  Everything seems stranger with each generation of OS.  Well, at least I know what that MEANS, LOL!

 

I'll get through this change, but it won't be fast or easy.

 

But maybe I'll be good for another few years.

 

I may try to hook up the Windows 10 computer.  The organization of it baffles me (I'm used to total control over file organization and Win 10 fights me).  But I did "grow up" with Windows.  It sure has changed.  Maybe I can make sense of it again.

 

But I want Mac back. 

 

But be assured I will be back.  I'm just going to have a hard week or 2...

Baby Fish

You may remember "baby fish" from months ago.  I had a pair of live-bearing Platys and the big fish would just eat all the babies.  But I also had live plants I added to the aquarium and Anachris grows fast and floats.  It made a hiding place for new-born fish.  Most get picked off anyway, but his time, one survived long enough for me to see it.  And over the course of a week, I kept seeing it.

It grew to young adulthood at least big enough that the other fish (including Mom and Dad) couldnt eat it.

A week ago, I was surprised to notice Baby Fish had no tail.  Mostly likely a fungal disease and I dosed the aquarium appropriately.  Sadly, it was to late for Baby Fish.  It was belly-up a couple days ago.  Bye!  Not like we had an emotional connection (well maybe I did a little)...

The other fish seem OK. 

But there is good news as well.  The guppies had 3 survivors.  I was quick to catch them with a small net and transferred then to an unused 1 quart Betta tank.   They were joined the next month by another guppy and a platy.  All are thriving and the older 3 are big enough to return to the aquarium.

And there is a new platy baby hiding in the Anachris.  It is too fast to net, which is probably why it survives.  I wish it well.  It is better to get a few new fish naturally than go out and buy them.  Store-bought fish are always a disease-threat.  I have to isolate them in a small tank for a week to make sure they aren't dying of something.

I know something about that.  My first non-Summer job was in the fish dept of a department store.   visited as a customer and left with a job.  The tanks were all dirty and had dead fish.  I complained to the guy at the cash register (turned out to be the Fish Department Manager).  He was a real lay-about.  But he asked if I wanted a job.

Being broke and still a college student, I said yes and proceeded to clean the tanks of dead fish, changed the water regularly, and made sure the fish were fed 2x a day.  When the store Manager saw what I was doing, he fired the dumb guy. promoted the lady who was Asst Manager to Manager (I've never understood the connection of that, but I suspect it was because she was senior and could balance the cash register report forms (which I knew nothing about).

She and I got along great.  She understood the store procedures (THE primary skill for a Manager) and I had all the ideas.  Which was fine with me for a first "real job".

For some reason, there was a tall lighted cabinet with shelves in the storage room.  I got 2 other guys to help drag it out

With her approval, I  set up a breeding tank in cabinet.  First, guppies because they were easiest and inexpensive and many babies found their way through a slotted divider.  So customers saw baby guppies.  We sold a lot of guppies.  Then swordtails and we sold lots of swordatils.  

Then I got ambitious.  I mean, I could do stuff I had always wanted to do FOR FREE! 

I found that the store had HUGE 1-gallon Brandy Snifters.  The store Depts had an arrangement where other Depts could take stuff by filling out a charge ticket.  I should explain that some Department Stores were actually just renters of space.  They owned a core of some depts like clothes and shoes and managed the cash register stations and rented space to specialty companies like hardware, auto, equipment, records, AND FISH.  

I quickly learned that the store never paid any attention to inter-dept "purchases".  If there WAS any bill, it went to the renting company HQ.  So I filled out the form for the huge Brandy Snifter.  

And I set up a no-food, no-cleaning self-contained 1 gallon Brandy Snifter with a sign explaining all that.  It worked, and it got attention.  After that, I set up several tanks of more complicated breeding fish like Dwarf Gouramis, Bettas (Siamese Fighting Fish), and Cherry Barbs.  All egg-layers.

Customers stopped to see the Bubble nests of the Gouramies and the bright red male Cherry Barbs (hence the name).  Our Dept went from one of the least profitable locations of the company that had Depts in many stores to at least the average.

Nice Stuff

Random Good Things - 

Scored actual Flieschmans bread machine yeast at the grocery store. And at a normal price!

Finally got the trailerful of yard debris to the recycling center where they pile it up to make free mulch next year.  I cut the stuff down and tied it down months ago, but the place is a mess after rain and it rained all Summer.  It was finally dry.  They offer free mulch loading Saturdays 8-Noon but that ended last week.  I have 2 more loads of debris to go.  I'm surprized I dont have a picture of that, but I will be reloading the trailer laer today and will try to emember to take a pic.

Nice to find the car hauled the trailer easily.  But the trailer hitch is awkward.  It is low, the safety chain hooks are kinna under the car, and the light connection is awkward.  I'll have to reverse the trailer ball on the mount.  That will raise it several inches.

 

If you mount the hitch upside down, and change the ball to the "new" top, you gain several inches.  It's a deliberate design feature.

The Nandina seeds I planted in the basement in February finally sprouted in September all at once.  I have 22 seedlings growing to plant.  I have 4 plants in the yard and intend to make a hedge of them along the drainage ditch as they are evergreen with lovely red seeds.  They are very hardy and well-rooted.  They reach 4' and stop there.  Perfect hedge. 

The Mews were all-together last night.  I'll be using this picture again on their blog next week.  Not many cat-bloggers read this blog,,,

But I just had to show one now.  It was amazing.

My normal water usage is about 8-10 thousand gallons per quarter year.  Last time, it was 13,000,  Not a great increase in cost, but I was surprised.  It has rained so much this year I haven't watered anything outdoors.  But things have dried out a bit.  But one part of the front yard is soggy.  And right on the path where the water from the street pipe comes to the house.  

 

 I think there is a leak in the water pipe.  There s some uncertainty here.  A front yard leakage wouldn't have registered on the meter on the house.  But increased water usage and a soggy area in the yard suggests a water leak.  I'll  be calling the water office tomorrow.

I have Lettuces growing again in the basement light stand.  And not just lettuce.  Radishes, Celery, and Bok Choy.  It was a joy to plant them.  Not much to show yet, but here are some pics of last year...

Ignore the ivy and look at the lettuces.   I planted 2x as much this year.  It is still not enough to meet my love of salads "with everything", but is sure does add to it.  I basically thnk that any veggie that can be eaten raw goes in my salad.  With one exception... Brocolli and tomatoes don't taste right together for me.Or cheese.  I like "crispy".

Have a Happy...

Max, The Psychokitty

I don't usually post about other cats here, but have to mention one that left our world Friday.  His name was Max, The Psychokitty.  He was 19 1/2.  He was snarky, opinionated, an expert observer of his Humans, their world, and the world in general.  

Max is the reason I have a cat blog, and by extension, this one.  I do not remember how I came across his blog.  I was gainfully-employed at the time and did not spend much time entertaining myself with odd internet searches.  But somehow I found it in 2004.

The idea of a cat blogging stunned me.  I started reading it daily (at home, I was a serious worker in the office).  Max was sarcastic, snarky, and observant.  When I retired in March 2006, I noticed a clickable button that promised "free blog".  I hesitated for months.  

I had read a couple of blogs by people who were self-important, opinionated (or amazingly boring).  Max was different.  And well, I have cats and I like to write.  So after reading up on blogs a bit and missing talking to a coupe of co-workers), I pressed the "free blog" button.

Of course it wasn't easy.  I had to learn "new stuff".  But I was missing the challenge of new things at the office.  Not to be trite, but my job had always been "out on the edge" and going where no one had gone before.  Nothing was routine.  I retired because a reorg had placed me in an office that was dedicated to "routine" and I was tired of getting up at 5 am every workday, commuting an hour each way, and getting home at 6 pm.  I was working for a completely out-of-touch supervisor.  And I had already figured out I would still gain savings on retirement.

So I left the first day I was eligible.  I wasn't worried about being bored.  I have hobbies and home-maintenance.  I participate in some serious-discussion boards.  But I was missing friendly conversation.   A cat blog seemed "purrfect".  

It was days before I figured out how to post a picture on the blog (well, it WAS 2006).  It took days before anyone found my blog and left a comment (I remember them gratefully).  14 years later, I'm still cat blogging.  5,000 posts is coming up next year.  It has been a joy and I don't plan to stop.  

I've lost 3 cats along the way.  Skeeter was a heart cat.  LC was Skeeter's cat (though I miss her for her calm quiet way of living.  Iza'a loss was crushing.  She was a Tonkinese point with fur like a mink and utterly attached to me.  12 years with her was way too few.

And I have this blog just so I can sometimes say things not appropriate to a cat blog.

And I owe it all to Max and "The Woman" as he called her.  Now Max has gone over The Bridge.  My world is more than "one cat smaller".  Everyone loves their cats.  And I generally follow about 60 cat blogs.  But in cat blogging terms, Max was a GIANT.  I will miss him greatly.

Few people actually START anything, and Max wasn't the very first blogging cat.  But he was close and kept going all my blogging years.  That matters.  Max (through The Woman) invented some terms.  "Stinky Goodness" for canned cat food.  All other cats were "DOODS".  There were others but memory fails me.  

If you knew Max but haven't heard the sad news or if you didn't know but want to comfort The Woman in her loss of him go here  If you would just like to read about Max, look at the archived posts and read at random.

Farewell Max.