Posts Tagged ‘behavior’

Catdoration

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , ,
30 November 2013
0

Can I take a moment to gush about my cat?

cat and person snuggling in bed

I love cozying up to her.

This is Missy. I’ve talked about her plenty, but I still can’t shut up about her. I mean, I love her in ways I can’t even describe sometimes. Is that crazy? Maybe. Will I become a crazy cat lady? Only if I suffer some major trauma in my life. For now, I think I’m safe. It doesn’t change the fact that I can’t get enough of her though. Ever since I first picked her from the shelter and brought her home, I’ve been super attached. It all started when she happily took a nap in my lap at the shelter – that’s when I knew that I couldn’t let this one go. Over the months and years since, she and I have only gotten closer. We now have a variety of rituals:

Every night when she’s ready for bed around 9 or 10, she’ll come find me and hop on up. I’m usually sitting in bed on the computer, so she’ll snuggle next to my legs. She won’t just lay down and sleep though. Oh no, she’s got to do her purring massaging routine. Whether it’s a clump of blanket or Rupert her boyfriend or a pillow, she has to find something to knead. Then she’ll purr and stick her nose in whatever she massages as her paws press one at a time, claws coming out to grab at it. If I’m already close to sleeping myself, she’ll sometimes come knead me (often my bare arm or leg – ouch!), especially if she crawls under the covers between my legs. As long as it’s something squishy, it’s fair game (and my inner thighs and armpits seem to qualify every time). After a good 10-15 minutes of this, she’ll finally decide she’s done her work for the night and plops her butt down to rest.

If she ever wants to be fed (generally around sundown), she’ll come meow and meow at me with her little crackly voice until I get up. I try to placate her by meowing back and talking to her, but she’ll have none of that! She keeps trying to lead me out of the room and when she sees me finally start to move, she bounds down the hallway to show me where to go. At the end of the hall, she’ll look back and if I’m not close behind, she’ll come get me and run off again. Then she’ll practically float down the stairs, skipping three steps at a time. As I get out a can to feed her and Molly, she’ll impatiently pace back and forth on the kitchen counter until I start serving. At that point, she knows not to try to eat on the counter and she jumps down to sniff Molly and wait for the plates to be put on the ground.

After eating a hearty meal, she’ll generally find me sitting eating my own dinner. At that point, she’s full and content, so she jumps up to my lap and spins around until she finds the perfect spot to settle in. I usually put one arm down for her to lean against, since my legs aren’t wide enough for her to spread out without falling. When I finish my meal, I can’t bear to move her in her slumber, so I sit… for hours until my butt falls asleep or I need to go to the restroom, I wait there with her and enjoy her company. For whatever reason, when I try to carry her up to bed to continue sleeping, she always gets up. I’ve learned that her dinner nap is sacred and if I don’t appreciate it, she’ll leave me to spend her time elsewhere. The only way to get her to stay in bed is after a play period following the dinner nap!

I happen to be an excellent scratcher, with nails that are just long enough to give a nice deep scratch. Missy loves it when I scratch her neck, back, ears, and face. The look of pure joy on her face is freakin’ amazing. I tried to capture it at Thanksgiving dinner, but it’s usually an even more pleased look. She closes her eyes, tilts back her head, and puts her weight into it to get the best results. She’ll purr gently and push her head against my hand if I stop before she’s ready.

We have a special bond that nobody else has with me or with her. I could spend an entire day just lounging around with her, letting the hours melt away. In fact, I’ve done that before. I really wish I could bring her back east with me, but I don’t feel settled enough for that yet. Plus, snow might freak her out… she can get scared of her own shadow sometimes. For now I’m milking every moment with her and I look forward to a time when I can raise her in my new home.

Scaling back

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , ,
15 November 2013
0

I’ve been working on a blog post for “today” (even though technically it’s already tomorrow) but I just don’t feel like finishing it quite yet. It’s been a long time since I skipped a day blogging even though it’s well past the one year goal I’d set for myself way back when. I just checked and the last skipped day was back in February. Sometimes I get carried away with goals like that, but it’s been chipping away at my time and energy. I think I went a little crazy deciding to blog daily on top of my 365great posts, so I’m giving myself a break. It’s hard for me to let go and not post something every day, but I think it’ll be better for me. I mean, for awhile I was doing an every other day thing and that felt comfortable.

Some nights you just want to curl up in the warmth of the bed and relax. Tonight I did that after a soothing bath and it felt wonderful! I totally put aside the looming blog post stuff and napped for a few hours as Panda watched our Bruins beat the Washington Huskies (woot!). Still, I woke up in the middle of the night as I am apt to do, and promptly got on the computer to blog. It’ll be nice to not do that and sleep through the night instead next time I’m exhausted. Now excuse me while I go work on the 365great post. 😛

Sleep-doing

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
06 November 2013
0

I’m often amazed at how functional I can manage to be even when my mind has practically shut down. I can drive, write, and have conversations… and then I don’t remember what happened later. Have you had that happen to you? Last night I was in quite a bit of pain from my back and Panda was massaging me when I drifted off. I was so warm and I was relaxing enough to fall asleep without realizing it. Panda even had a conversation with me before noticing I was asleep. I then woke up a few hours later and finished off my blogging for the night, but I barely recall what happened. How I managed to write about sailing coherently is a mystery to me.

Similarly, there have been times that I’ve driven home when utterly exhausted only to find myself pulling into the driveway with no recollection of how I drove there. Maybe I used all my brain power to do the driving so I had no room to store the memory? Whatever the case, I’m glad I haven’t had that happen to me lately. I’m sure my reaction time would be awful if anything were to get in my way, so it’s a total recipe for disaster. When it gets to that point, I think a quick 10-minute nap can be a useful refresher. Of course in our world of go, go, go, it’s hard to take that time to take care of yourself. I was meeting with someone once and he hadn’t gotten enough rest, so I could see him zoning out and even dozing off as we spoke. Poor guy really needed to just catch a few minutes of rest!

So are you like that too, pushing forward until your body and mind just give out on you? Or do you ensure to get breaks when you need them?

Helping strangers

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , ,
03 November 2013
1
box of leftover bacon and potato frittata with pieces of fruit

All he wanted were these leftovers.

Panda and I went out to Adams Morgan this afternoon for a late brunch and as we were walking back to the car, we were approached by a homeless man who asked us for our leftovers. My initial reaction was “why not?” but before I could say anything, Panda was shaking his head no and we were rushing off. I was pretty upset by that encounter, both because Panda is so ready to say no and because I was too slow to assert my own opinion. By the time I did, the man was getting further away and I felt strange chasing after him. I probably should have anyway. :-/ This is not the first time we’ve come across this situation; back in Scotland, two ladies approached us asking for directions in Mandarin and I felt whisked away before I could stop to help. Both these times, my reaction time was delayed enough that the opportunity was missed. I could have helped them, but instead we kept going our way.

Panda was brought up a very careful and cautious type of person. I don’t think he even registered what was being asked of him when he immediately refused. My mom tried to instill a similar apprehension in me when I was young and because she found me to be too trusting and helpful, she kept me in public school to try to give me a chance to learn some street smarts. Apparently she’d considered private school here and there, but figured I’d be even more sheltered than I already was. It’s always been in my nature to want to help (and often go out of my way to do so). So naturally, I wanted to help in these situations too, especially since it would be so easy to lend a hand! It bothers me that I didn’t and I’ve warned Panda to not let this happen again. Why must we approach the world with such a negative perspective?

When opportunities to help land into our laps like this, I really think we should embrace them and do what we can. I’m going to have to practice standing up for my opinions faster and more assertively. Next time, I’m not just going to let it slide. I just don’t believe it’s right. This kind of reminds me of a recent story I saw on the news, where a bus driver pulled over to talk a lady down from jumping off a bridge. At least two other people had passed by her, either not noticing she was on the wrong side of the railing or not caring enough to intervene. I would hope there are more people out there who would stop to show some compassion. What made the bus driver even more awesome was that he got the woman to safety and then sat down to talk to her and calm her down. How amazing is that? Kudos to him. We could use more of him in this world and I hope I’d be one of those rather than the one who ducks their head and keeps going.

What type of person are you? Would you have helped in these situations or would you have rushed on by?

365great Day 230: singing

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , ,
30 October 2013
0

365great challenge day 230: singingI’ll count singing, humming, and whistling for this one. I don’t think there’s a day that goes by where I don’t at least make a little peep related to music. Usually it’s whistling since it doesn’t require words and I can practice my embouchure. I’ve never been very good with song lyrics, Chinese , English, or otherwise. Singing in one form or another almost always lifts my spirits, even when I’m connecting to a sad song. It’s a way to tap into emotions and allow feelings to move you. If you’re singing a song others know, it also becomes a way to share a connection. People seem to either love singing because they think they’ve got an excellent voice or they shy away from it because they think their singing is horrible. To me, it’s more about how it makes you feel than how it makes you sound. I’m almost always (shamelessly) grooving to music in the car, having fun trying out notes and harmonizing. It’s a great feeling that I think everyone should tap into more.

365great Day 215: sleep

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: , , , , , ,
15 October 2013
0

365great day 215: sleepI haven’t been getting the best rest lately and I really treasure my sleep. I keep trying to get to bed early (midnight) but somehow an hour slips by without me noticing. It’s been harder and harder to get up in the morning and I don’t know if it’s because I need more sleep or if I might even be getting too much? It might also be that my timing is off, since I tend to wake up about an hour to half an hour before I get up, so waking up again makes me feel worse. Whatever the case, sleep is one of those things that most people don’t get enough of and something I’d certainly like more of. If only we could all sleep like cats, whenever, wherever, however… just look at Missy, who doesn’t mind if she’s all twisted, if it’s super hot/stifling, if the lights are on or noise is blaring. She can sleep no matter the situation. When I was self-employed, I got a ton of rest at just the times I needed. I think sleeping 1-7 is a lot less restful for me than sleeping 4-10, even if time-wise it’s identical. Too bad getting up at 10 means I won’t arrive at work until 11, which is rather late. So here’s to sleep, which is great when you can get it!

Furloughed fiancé

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses，Tags: , , , ,
11 October 2013
0

Panda sent me a funny article about the spouses of furloughed employees and how they’ve had to adjust to different behavior from their partner. It highlighted one woman whose husband is at home now and is cooing with the cat, organizing their CDs, and otherwise staying active with random stuff. She works from home so she really notices the difference. For me, there was quite a change too (I say was because Panda got called back as of yesterday, so now he’s deemed “essential” and they’ve put him back to work). We actually got to enjoy the furlough a bit since we don’t live paycheck to paycheck and I believe Congress agreed to give backpay so we can definitely hold out until the government shutdown finally ends.

quesadillas, tortilla chips, salsa, egg drop soup, iced tea, and a candle on dinner table

One night, I came home to this!

So what was it like for the 9 days that he was home? Well, for one thing the chores got done – floors were vacuumed, clothes were laundered, dishes were washed, and meals were cooked. I got to come home to a hot meal waiting for me quite a few times AND he even got up to cook me breakfast a few mornings. Twice, we were able to eat lunch together. He got to sleep in and get some reading and exercise in. He was able to help me pick up packages from the rental office (I never get home before they close on weekdays). He even had time to help me play a game on my iPad so I can advance faster. 😛 Not too shabby.

Did I enjoy it? You know, it really was nice. I like having a house spouse. I’m not a chores kind of gal so I loved having all that being taken care of. However…

cardboard box filled with over two dozen face mask individual packs

Packages like these could be opened pronto instead of waiting til the weekend!

Once Panda went back to work, I found that I really enjoyed having him look all professional and important as he headed out the door. I liked knowing that he was spending his days interacting with plenty of smart people, working toward a goal. I was comforted that he had that social interaction since sometimes his communication skills need work. 😛 And of course, since he’s the breadwinner of the family, I certainly like knowing he’ll be bringing home a paycheck. After all, our new condo purchase is riding on it! Definitely couldn’t afford the mortgage on my income alone. Still, sometime down the line I’d be totally open to a lifestyle change where he stayed home and took care of the household, if he wanted it. For now, we’re enjoying our DINK (dual income, no kids) status. It’s a nice life. 🙂

Exhausted sleep

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
04 October 2013
0

Are you ever so exhausted you lay down on the bed, fully-clothed with the lights on (maybe even the TV blaring) and pass out?

I don’t know what it was about this week, but I am worn out! I totally collapsed into bed even as Panda was trying to drag me out to shower for the night. I mean, I was even sleeping with my mouth open. Sometimes you just need to shut down… and I’m feeling a lot better now, though still weak. It’s crazy! I hope the weekend will offer me the recovery I need. So for tonight, you get this lovely picture of my purely worn out sleeping self.

sleeping with mouth wide open and lights on

Mischevious Missy

laelene Posted in video blog，Tags: , , ,
30 September 2013
0

I miss having cats around the house and I’m looking forward to when I can again. For now, I’ll have to just enjoy videos of my quirky Missy, who is always getting into and on things.

cat finds treat in box from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

cat chewing watermelon seed from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

cat sniffing old paper files from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

playing with cat and grass from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

cat whiskers sensing movement from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Toothpaste preferences

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , ,
23 August 2013
0

No, I’m not talking about what brand of toothpaste you like to use. Perhaps more accurately I’m wondering about your toothpaste tube squeezing preferences.

collage of toothpaste tubes squeezed randomly versus neatlyYou see, I’m a bit OCD about my toothpaste tubes and they must be neatly squeezed toward the top of the tube, with the empty part flat and usually folded over. I don’t know how I developed this particular preference since my parents don’t appear to do it. It drives me crazy when I use a tube that is just a misshapen glob, where squeezing it causes the toothpaste not just to come out the top slowly, but sometimes even pushes some of it further back into the tube. Panda’s the type to also let his toothpaste tubes run wild and I’ll find it looking like the one on the left. I then carefully squeeze everything towards the lid and flatten out the bottom. Usually I’ll use a rubber band to keep the flap folded over so his next squeeze doesn’t undo my work.

Am I weird to be so picky about this? I can’t help it; it’s just something I have to fix. What is your toothpaste tube squeezing preference? Do you even have one?

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