Opa!

I got myself out of the house to go to the Greek Festival last weekend.  I carried the camera around and only took one picture.  Cat art, of course.

I love the food.  We had gyros, of course, and brought home some baked delights.

In keeping with the Greek theme, Handy marinated some lamb from Costco, and barbecued it.  I would share his marinade recipe but I don't really know what he put in it.  Olive oil, red wine, spices?  He said, and I quote, "Some green stuff from the cupboard."   That would probably be oregano. It was the most delicious meal.

There was enough left to make pitas, and there is still enough left for Frank to make a Shepherd's Pie.  He is the pie man..  We are due for another peach pie soon, or at least some cobbler.

The Mouse Hunt

DISCLAIMER -- NO ACTUAL LIVE MICE INVOLVED

Homer can't be bothered with cat toys.  You must be joking, he says, if a toy is dangled in front of his face.  Give me the real thing to eat.  He will, on occasion, go out and catch himself a lizard tail.

Fifi, on the other hand, likes a nice toy mouse (or is it a flying squirrel?) to tease.

And of course Frank likes to tease Fifi with it.

He was looking for it yesterday. We searched all the usual places. Under the TV. On the stairs. Behind the chair.  Finally we resorted to fishing deep under the couch with the yardstick. No flat mouse, although we found a goldmine: a bowl, a peanut M&M, a pistachio, a penny, Bertie the Bus, and an older mouse!  Some of those items had been missing for a year or two a while.

But where was Fifi's flat mouse?

Hiding!

So Fifi and Frank were able to have their playdate with the flat mouse after all.

Let's Eat Grandma

Our charming great-nephew Mr. T celebrated his 9th birthday yesterday.

His grandma gave him this shirt:

Everyone in the family is a fan of proper punctuation, so this was a big hit.

Beep beep

I have written before about strange noises that I hear in the night. I hear them in the daytime, too, but then they are usually easier to ignore. 

Not yesterday. I kept hearing a beep. Not the dishwasher. Not the microwave. Not a smoke alarm chirping for a new battery. But close.

I followed the sound outside, which led me to the garage door opener. The display says Battery Dead. So I move the car, get out a ladder, unscrew the cover, and try to remove the darn battery. I can only get one lead off, and can't even pull it out of the compartment. But at least disconnecting the lead stopped the beeping. 

My husband comes home and pops out the battery with no problem. Of course. 

Dark Cafe Days

I'm gonna blow this damn candle out

I don't want nobody comin' over to my table

I got nothing to talk to anybody about

All good dreamers pass this way some day

Hidin' behind bottles in dark cafes

Dark cafes

Only a dark cocoon before I get my gorgeous wings

And fly away

Only a phase, these dark cafe days

Karen asked me was there something wrong with her feed or was I not posting. It's not your feed, it's just me.  It feels like I used up my mojo on the college road trip, and then visiting my dad, and since then I have felt like nothing.  I'm Snow White trapped with the dwarves Fussy, Lazy and Sassy.  I'm the stepsister's foot that doesn't fit the glass slipper.  I'm Droopy.

I suppose these dark cafe days will pass.  They always do.

I am on a lonely road and I am traveling

Traveling, traveling, traveling

Looking for something, what can it be

Oh I hate you some, I hate you some, I love you some

Oh I love you when I forget about me

I want to be strong I want to laugh along

I want to belong to the living

Alive, alive, I want to get up and jive

I want to wreck my stockings in some juke box dive

Home Again

4950 air miles.
1398 driving miles.
1 rental car.
7 colleges.
6 hotel rooms.
3 Broadway shows.
Many new friends.

Since I was driving (17 year olds are not authorized to drive a rental car, much to their annoyance), I don't have a lot of pictures.  Also I didn't want to irritate Ernest more than necessary. I do have a few cell phone snaps which I will post this week.

It was a great trip.

I received mild cat snubbing from Homer but I'm sure to win back his affection with a dollop of cream cheese.

Now to tackle that foot high pile of junk mail that someone left for me.