Indecisive, stubborn, hopeful

I seem to be doing a lot of shopping lately. And by shopping, I mean wandering in circles around a handful of the same old stores second-guessing anything I might want, repeatedly trolling clearance sections, more often than not regretting whatever it is I did end up buying and then telling J about what I shoulda or almost bought. (He LOVES that part!) Oh, and sniffling. Don't forget the sniffling. I can't seem to go out in public these days without my nose running like crazy. (HAI! AM GROSS! AND ALLERGIC TO PEEPLES. GO WAY.)

Of course, clothes shopping seemed easier when I was a smaller size. Then again, I really couldn't afford much of anything at that time (so it was lucky that there were usually a lot more small sizes on clearance than large). Now that the weather is getting warmer, I can't hide under layers as easily. I need some items that I can wear to work (which fortunately is on the casual end of business casual) that aren't so loose that they're sloppy and make me look bigger but not so tight that I feel like I'm squeezed into a sausage casing or worry about playing peek-a-boob. Stuff I can be comfortable (the dreaded What Not To Wear word!) wearing.

There are a lot of cute tops out there, but so many of them have the short puffy or cap sleeves. I have a few blouses like this, but I'm not sure if I should. Sometimes there's a fine line between "feminine flare" and "Polish lunchlady" and I see myself getting closer to the grumbling, mashed potato slinging end of that spectrum. It wasn't that long ago that I thought the three-quarter length shirts were stupid ("Long or short: pick one!") but, now? Three-quarter sleeved shirts, come back! Or even better, elbow length! Give me just a little more arm coverage, please!

Shoes? Pants? Oh God, skirts? Don't get me started.

Our house needs a lot of things too, and I'm trying to get some of those crossed off the list (#1 - Replace ugly-ass old plaid comforter). At least the bedding and bath sections of the stores are slightly less painful. Still, if you hear someone in the back of the store choking on their snot while exclaiming that $20 for a friggin hand towel should not count as clearance, holla!

Three's Company

Hrmm, I think it's time for another cat-related update (or um, any kind of update).

The Adventures of Arlo T. Underfoot, Jr. and Gracie May "Little Britches" Underfoot continue!
Previously, in "The Playdate That Never Was" our curious duo had what ended up to be quite a short but exciting encounter with the Huge Orange Hissbag Under The Bed (ahem, my mom's cat).

The dialogue went something like this:

Gracie (in high-pitched, overly-cheerful voice): Well, hello there! My name's Gracie, cuz I'm gray, see? Hehhhyeheh. But you can call me Little Bri-

Mom's cat: *Glare* HISSSSS! Grumbles!

Gracie: (Pulls back extended paw) Well dang, aren't you a bitch.

Arlo: HEYHEYHEY! *snoof snoof* What do we have here?

Mom's cat: *Glare* Grumbles! *Ears back* HISS X 12!

Arlo: *Tail poof* Well then, I will be crapping in your litterbox.

Dun Dun Dunnn! The End?

So, the cat-sitting experience didn't go over so well for anyone involved. My mom's cat was SO glad to be taken back home where she could be checked on by a neighbor and spend her free time quietly plotting revenge instead of putting up with us, our unfamiliar house and our lively cats. I do like my mom's cat, but it was sort of a relief when she left (practically drove herself home). Cats don't really tend to enjoy "visits" too much, and our house isn't really big enough for us to give her much of her own space to chill.

Otherwise, Arlo and Gracie seem to be doing well. They have some obsessive-compulsive quirks, but what cat doesn't? Arlo loves to follow and get underfoot, in hopes that you were just on your way to give him a treat or open a door to some restricted area. He needs a lot of attention and interactive playtime, while Gracie is more content to explore and play on her own. Arlo has what I think is a boy-cat tendency to go from purring/lovey to purring/lovey/BITEY-TIME which isn't overly aggressive, but not something I want to continue. Gracie also has an interesting habit of um, nursing on herself. She only seems to do it when she's getting snuggly with us in bed and being petted, and then she gets this intense purr going and does the push-push on her little belly and well, she finds a nip and goes to town. The suckling noises can be somewhat irritating when you're trying to fall asleep, but she's just such a cute little thing. She was the runt of the litter, so maybe she didn't get as much time as needed with her mama. Aww.

I've probably spent way more time than is necessary fretting over the type of food and litter to buy for them. People have really strong opinions about this! I think you just have to go with a balance of what your cats like, what you're willing to spend, and what you hope won't have any adverse effects. I will say that I'm not going to go so far as to start cooking up homemade cat food, or insist that they eat a raw diet like their ancestors (which seems like saying "yeah, you live in my house and all but you go catch your own dinner like your ancestors had to - it's good for ya!") but I do feel a little better giving them something that at least has recognizable, seemingly high-quality ingredients (currently it's Eagle Pack brand) and admittedly, I still hold somewhat of a grudge over the whole melamine disaster a few years ago. As far as litter goes, I don't know if any of them can really make the poop-scooping experience a pleasant one - I'm just using those that don't make me or the cats sneeze too much.

Wow, ok that's a lot of cat talk. *Honk-shu*