Posts Tagged ‘cats’

Sunday stroll

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses,Tags: , , , , , , , ,
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Yesterday after dusk, Panda went on a walk to Walgreen’s to pick up some food. Along the way, he spotted a ton of fireflies, so tonight we decided to go back along the walk and catch some on our way to get groceries. We got some bug bites out of it, but it was well worth the effort. We both came away with five each, proudly stored in our respective jars. Our little stroll turned out to be a bit of a nature walk and we came across all sorts creatures! As we approached the first area we saw fireflies, a bunny rabbit scurried off. Then I spent a little time poking at an Eastern Bess beetle running across the sidewalk (thanks to my time volunteering at the Smithsonian Insect Zoo for that knowledge!). After getting our groceries, I stopped for a quick look at a June bug and then a toad.

I was pretty thrilled with our little excursion and soon we got home to play with our new firefly pets. Smokey immediately started stalking them even as they climbed around in the jars. We let one out, which she swatted at, so we quickly learned that they are not safe around her. Since they like humidity, we took them into the bathroom and let them fly free as we ran the shower. Seven out of the ten took advantage of that time to crawl out and explore. After my shower, I recaptured them all and then took the jar to the porch to set them free. Again, seven eventually made their way out (some with a little “help” from Smokey) and I decided to retire and keep the last three overnight. Smokey’s been having a blast staring at them so much that I don’t know if she’ll sleep a wink tonight!

eastern bess beetle on sidewalk at night june bug on sidewalk at night toad by sidewalk blending in with wood chips

Knackered

laelene Posted in general blog,Tags: , , , , , , , ,
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I was going to write a review of my newest subscription box, Love With Food, today, but I am just pooped. Between a day at work that required quite a bit of effort and a night that just kept going, I don’t have enough energy left to finish that post. Tomorrow, perhaps.

cat and person lying on ground sleeping

Felt much like I did this Sunday afternoon, when we had a little impromptu nap time.

I’ve been running a series of webinars at work to train partners on the features and benefits of our product. It’s surprisingly tiring to talk for an hour and explain things via a presentation, demo, and Q&A session. On top of that, I’m trying to manage follow-up for a set of events that occurred over the past two months, which required a lot of navigating websites that wouldn’t load due to some awful internet connection quality. There are a bunch of other projects I’m supposed to manage too, but those were put on the backburner while I focus on the webinars and events. I’m starting to have trouble keeping up with things.

I left work just before 6:30 and headed off to yoga class. I’m not sure why I’m so tired coming out of it because it wasn’t very difficult and we even spent half an hour meditating. I always fall asleep during meditation, so I got a nice nap out of it. Perhaps the physical exhaustion is from my attempts at headstands after getting home today. I an easily get up into one by the wall, but can’t quite seem to find the strength required to balance straight up on my own. Before I got into that, I had to jump on a call with another partner (out in the Philippines) the moment I got home. After we synced up for the week, I was finally able to eat dinner (but not before I tried those headstands).

Have you ever eaten a light salad on an empty stomach? If you’re hungry enough, it’s kind of nauseating. So I asked Panda to make me some ramen, which is helping. But boy am I absolutely knackered! Not even mentally, mostly physically. So much exertion today. I hope I can get up tomorrow.

A moment

laelene Posted in general blog,Tags: , , , , ,
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How often do you take the time to enjoy a moment? People get way too caught up in the past and the future, even as they’re living out their lives. It’s not often they stop to enjoy right here, right now anymore. They walk right by gorgeous flowers, stare right past the breathtaking sunset, and tune out the music of their lives. They tend to forget to notice the little details, to take a deeper breath, to feel, to be present. Perhaps that’s why our society is filled with over-stressed, over-worked, overly-unhappy folks. How can you be joyful if you do not get to enjoy?

cat sitting on arm of couch with arms dangling in front off couch

Zen moments.

Being present and shutting out the rest of the world can be such a peaceful experience. I love just get lost in my thoughts of nothingness while staring into someone’s eyes, gazing across a stupendous landscape, or even driving around. It’s noticing the slight breeze that tickles my face or the brilliant colors splashed all around me that brings a smile to my face. Cats are exceptionally good at living the good life; I’m sure we could all learn from them. They know how to soak up the sun in bliss, sniff the breeze with mild curiosity, and then settle in for a spectacularly long nap (after which they get an oh-so-satisfying stretching session).

What I love about yoga and meditation is that it allows me to actively be in the present. I am aware of my body, aware of my mind, and able to relax and challenge both. It helps bring a lot of peace in my life, especially when I’m letting stress get the better of me. I don’t necessarily need either to appreciate the present though. I often take time to sit quietly and let the thoughts flow in and out. I can stare out at everything without really looking at anything. It’s soothing for me, like resetting my mind. I find the most effective way to enjoy those zone-out sessions is with some sort of nature nearby. I can listen to a waterfall or the rustle of leaves; I can smell the gentle perfume of flowers and feel the breeze bringing their wafting scents; I can watch birds hopping around as they chirp their little sounds; I can even turn my face to the sun and feel my body heat up. That’s why I like to eat lunch outdoors!

So the next time you’re feeling stressed, go take a stroll (or seat) outside and notice what you can. The humidity clinging in the air. The dull roar of conversations around you. The smell of wet pavement. Let it all come and go and take some deep breaths. It’s such a wonderful release. Or if you’re stuck indoors, trying meditating. Think about your breath, feeling it go in and out. When you get distracted, just go back to the breath. I almost always fall asleep when I do this, and isn’t that the ultimate relaxation? 🙂

Cat cuddling

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , ,
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Oh how I’ve missed cats who sit or splay all over me. Smokey only likes to be pet and still can’t stand being held, much as she rubs against us. But Missy and Molly sure make sure of my body as their personal pillows/perches!

cat sleeping on person's chest

cat sitting with arms straight out dangling off sofa

Oh, and I’ve missed hilarity like this.

cat sitting daintily on person's legs

8 ways my cat is like my fiancé

laelene Posted in general blog,Tags: , , , , , , ,
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Have you ever marveled at how similar a person and an animal have been? I often wonder if Smokey is just Panda (my fiancé) in feline form. They’re so similar in their personalities and preferences that they’re perfect for each other. So much for me getting a pet cat! More like them finding soul mates in each other. Curious what I mean? Here’s a round-up of ways “my” cat is like my fiancé…

1. They’re both kinda awkward. Panda’s an engineer who often fits that stereotype. He’s a bit gangly, not always socially appropriate, and just kind of off in his own world at times. Smokey can stare into space and get lost in her little head. She doesn’t always respond the way you’d expect and she runs kind of crooked. Both very silly, but totally adorable nonetheless.

2. They’re both bad communicators. I am always working with Panda on how he expresses himself (like how he used “veer” when he meant “leer”) and how he misinterprets the meaning of phrases. He doesn’t always use the English language to its full advantage. Meanwhile, Smokey will meow at us as if she wants something, but never follows through. My other cats make it clear when they meow if they want attention or food or something. Smokey just meows and then appears to have no purpose. I wonder if that’s because…

3. They both have poor memories. Panda never seems to remember things I bring up and Smokey seems to forget something happened as soon as she turns around. Perhaps their confusing communication efforts are due to these memory lapses?

4. They both eat and sleep a lot. You’d never know it looking at Panda, but he eats a ton (and never puts on weight). He can certainly chow down and Smokey does the same. She goes through bowls of food like nobody’s business! And when they’re done eating, they can both sleep up a storm. Whereas I usually wake up after 7 or 8 hours, they’ll go on for 10, 12 hours easily.

cat sleeping soundly against soft blanket and pillow

Big sleepers in this family.

5. They both love to play. Panda is always enjoying games and toys, like his little Lego people and even happy meal toys. Smokey will bat around anything she can find, from bottle caps to wads of paper. She’s a huge fan of chasing around a laser dot and playing with her squeaking mouse toy. Lucky for her, Panda is more than happy to play with her. 🙂

6. They both like to pet people. Panda will come around and pet my head like I’m a cat sometimes, which is a funny goofy thing he does. Little did I know that Smokey would like to “pet” us in her own way… by putting her paw on our faces (claws out, ouch!). Maybe they just like to put their hands on things.

7. They’re both scaredy cats. I’m the brave one in the family, staying calm for most things. Panda gets super nervous/worried/scared about things and stresses himself out. He gets startled whenever Smokey is feeling playful and decides to pounce on his feet. He’s intimidated by bugs. And Smokey? Every little noise or movement could cause her to jump alert and/or run off in fear.

8. They both stretch strangely. I often find Panda in a strange position on his side with his knee stretched up and his arm extending through his bent leg. Apparently he finds this comfortable. Smokey is more about stretching completely long, which I’ve never seen a cat do before!

cat laying on carpet with legs stretched out straight behind her

So you see, they were really made for each other. Wouldn’t you agree?

Thunder and lightning

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog, video blog,Tags: , , , , , ,
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The dark clouds were rolling in just as I arrived home today. I had driven home taking advantage of the warm air by opening my moon roof to the sky and sticking my hand out every chance I got. At red lights, I’d blissfully turn my face up to the gathering clouds, watching their ever-changing patterns. It was serene. At home, I spent the next hour gleefully enjoying the air before the storm. I love this weather! (Certainly have written about it quite a bit too.)

As the workers laid bricks on the new homes next door, I dutifully stood outside on the porch with my camera, determined to catch a photo of lightning this time around. I just can’t get enough of how they split the sky and make the whole area glow. Those crooked lines crawling across the clouds, flashing in and out before I can even react… they’re so elusive. I could sit and stare for hours as they danced around me. I really wish I had a panoramic room since I found myself chasing the light of flashes from one end of the house to the other.

After awhile, the grumbling of thunder began and a light rain splattered down. I watched as plane after plane kept coming in to the airport amid all that insanity. Oh what I wouldn’t give to be on one of those planes, watching lightning flashing around me! I’ve always been fascinated by how things look differently when you’re up in the sky and I wish I could have experienced that. Those lucky passengers. As I admired their good fortune, I noticed that I could hear birds chirping. Strange, since I would have thought they’d be hiding somewhere. Perhaps they knew the storm wasn’t that big, so they stuck around to wait it out and sing it off.

What a peaceful way to start the evening. Thunderstorms calm and excite me all at once, and always bring a sense of contentment.

moon shining in distance as storm clouds creep across sky

When I first looked out, I noticed the moon just peeking out in the distance.

glow of light from lightning flash brightening storm clouds

For the longest time I got no more than the glow from a lightning strike.

dark grey storm clouds brewing in sky

That same view without the flash of light!

lightning bolt from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

 

Construction guys kept banging away as the storm brewed. Here are some freeze frames:

flash of lightning in thunderstorm

thin lightning bolt in thunderstorm

unfocused shot of lightning in sky

Then the one flash I did capture confused my lens and made it blurry.

lightning flash from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

 

Such a quick burst! Totally explosive.

giant glob of lightning flashing from thunder clouds

cat laying in kitchen behind screen door

Smokey was really enjoying the weather too.

airplane lightning from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

 

If only I was on that plane!!!

plane flying near lightning bolt

plane engulfed in light of lightning in thunderstorm

small streak of lightning stretching horizontally across sky

I managed to get a little horizontal one!

curling lightning bolt in dark sky

I changed my view from east to north and was rewarded with this beauty. Success!!!

The best cat toys you already own

laelene Posted in general blog,Tags: , , , ,
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box with paper scraps, packing peanut, q-tip, pen cap, bottle cap, and toilet paper tube that make great free cat toysAny cat owner (servant) will know that it doesn’t take much to amuse those cute little creatures. In fact, you pretty much never need to buy toys for them to play with, because basic household items are more than enough to keep them entertained. Smokey loves all the little knick knacks around the house and we often find her batting something across the floor. Check out some of the things she’s been playing with: a box (of course, even when she only fits her front half in it), scraps of paper, packing peanuts, q-tips, pen caps, bottle caps, and even a toilet paper roll tube. Most of these items were headed for the trash or are otherwise useless to us… but for Smokey, they make amazing little toys.

I’m pretty sure any cat toys we do buy are really more for us humans than for the cats. I’ve certainly purchased things I thought looked fun, cute, or somehow worthwhile, only to find it was a complete waste of money. Why even bother when all it takes is random things you probably didn’t even mean to drop on the floor? Smokey is particularly good at getting what she wants and she tears right into my subscription boxes with their fun strips of packing paper or peanuts. I never have to worry about her not having something to play with.

So what do your cats find to be the best toys in your house?

Little girl

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , ,
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Now that Smokey’s been with us for over two weeks, she’s really settling into things and taking over the home in her adorable way. I’ve taken to calling her “little girl” when Smokey or Smokey Bear doesn’t feel right. Take a look at her all around the house…

20140419-222832.jpgShe poses authoritatively.

20140419-222911.jpgShe gets mischievous.

20140419-223040.jpgShe claims the couch.

20140419-223119.jpgShe claims my spot on the bed.

20140419-223232.jpgShe takes over my desk.

20140419-223247.jpgShe had her own getaway.

20140419-223348.jpgShe splays all over the place.

20140419-223341.jpgShe explores the bath.

20140419-223326.jpgShe stretches out.

Ah, what a good life! When she first arrived she couldn’t seem to truly let go and rest, but now she sleeps so soundly. 🙂 It’s great having some liveliness around here!

Our cat and us

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , ,
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Smokey has been great at night, though hard to get warmed up again when we get home from work. When we come home, she’s all skittish, probably from a day being alone with scary construction and airplane noises. When we finally coax her out from her hiding place, she’s quick to run back under the bed at anything that frightens her. A few hours into the night, she’s rubbing all over the place and jumping on the bed to hang out with us. By the time we sleep, she’s happily finding various spots on the bed where there are no blankets. In the morning, she follows us around as we get ready for work and then who knows what happens while we’re away. Tomorrow will be the first day we’re home during the daytime! I think she’s learning that when we leave, we aren’t abandoning her. She’s really starting to make this place her home now. 🙂

cat laying on blanket on top of person's legs

She chills on my legs.

person laying on bed smiling at cat sleeping

She rests on the bed.

person watching cat looking out window

She peers outside.

Our very own cat

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , ,
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It’s been quite a long time coming and it only took three tries, but we finally got a cat! We first went to the shelter on Saturday, ready to bring home a cat. Little did we realize how long furniture-shopping would take. By the time we got to the shelter, we only had an hour left before they closed adoptions for the day. The time flew by as we got to know Kaotix (who is kind of like a male version of Missy) and then Bella. Both had just arrived that very day, so they were scared and confused. After we missed the adoption window, we stayed a little longer to hang out with Smokey. She didn’t come out of her cat “condo” to the visiting room, so it was hard to tell how she’d be, but things seemed quite promising.

smokey the cat sitting on shelf in visitation room at shelter

Yesterday, Smokey climbed on the shelves, ever the curious one.

The shelter was closed Sunday and Monday and after nearly three agonizing days, I happily went back yesterday to go adopt a cat. I was pretty sure I’d go with Smokey, but then I noticed Isis, who had been in a public room the other day. I only briefly went in the room before, so now that Isis was on her own I thought I’d see how she was. After spending some time with her, I then went back to Smokey. By that time, Panda had arrived and we hung out with Smokey for awhile. I wanted Panda to also see Isis, so we went back to the room with her. As we were spending time watching her, I suddenly thought about the time – turns out it was 6:35 and they wouldn’t allow us to adopt anymore! I was so upset, but that did give us a chance to spend enough time with Isis to decide that she was too vocal for our styles.

We were allowed to “reserve” her for the next 24 hours, so we had to return today no later than 6:30 to claim her. I had Panda head over first since I wasn’t sure I could make the time, so at least he could get the paperwork started. I definitely wanted to be the one to drive her home though!

pink piece of paper indicating cat adoption pending and reserved

We left last night with a note that Smokey was pending adoption.

She came to greet me when I arrived!

She came to greet me when I arrived!

We played in the room as the adoption paperwork was being processed.

We played in the room as the adoption paperwork was being processed.

Choosing a tag for her.

Choosing a tag for her.

Wow, all kinds of free goodies for new pet owners!

Wow, all kinds of free goodies for new pet owners!

Smokey, you're going to your new home!

Smokey, you’re going to your new home!

One last look at the adoption center.

One last look at the adoption center.

During the drive, she managed to claw a massive hole.

During the drive, she managed to claw a massive hole.

Out came the head (and when the head can fit, soon the body follows).

Out came the head (and when the head can fit, soon the body follows).

She pushed her way out and started climbing around.

She pushed her way out and started climbing around.

I think she liked being able to see her surroundings.

I think she liked being able to see her surroundings.

She even took a backseat for awhile.

She even took a backseat for awhile.

When we arrived at home, she took over the dash.

When we arrived at home, she took over the dash.

As soon as the car door opened, she perked up.

As soon as the car door opened, she perked up.

I carried her in and let her explore. Of course she loved the closets.

I carried her in and let her explore. Of course she loved the closets.

She briefly sat on the bed before deciding she liked it better underneath.

She briefly sat on the bed before deciding she liked it better underneath.

The free items we took from the shelter's offerings.

The free items we took from the shelter’s offerings.

Can you spot her? She's starting to stake her claim.

Can you spot her? She’s starting to stake her claim.

I discovered that she likes to lay out with her legs straight behind her.

I discovered that she likes to lay out with her legs straight behind her.

Ah yes, more confident by the minute.

Ah yes, more confident by the minute.

By now she’s explored the whole place many times over, enjoys laying down on the hardwood, and even started purring. She is quite the curious one and doesn’t really sit still. She loves nudging us and being pet, but won’t stay long. She’ll hop on the bed, make a round, and then jump right off again. She discovered some paper on the ground that crinkles wonderfully when she steps on it. For a brief moment, she did start massaging the blanket like Missy does before she settles in to sleep. For now she’s still far too alert to sleep though! I can’t wait to spend a good portion of the weekend with her and see if she’s the type to snuggle. We’ll be getting our couches Saturday and hopefully she’ll like lying on those too.

Oh, and I’m pretty sure I want to rename her even though we had her tag made with “Smokey” on it. I’ve called her Smoka/S’mocha, Silky [Smooth], and a number of other “S” names. Panda even called her Shadow at one point. I find myself calling her little girl a lot, so maybe she doesn’t need a name. 😛

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