Jif

     This post is all about my cat Jif, because three years ago today I picked him up from the adoption booth at Petsmart! Three years and three days ago, I met him for the first time when I went to get birdseed for my parakeets, and stopped in to pet the strays like I always do. For two days I couldn't get him out of my mind (cats, cats that are not kittens, and black cats are *much* less likely to get adopted.) So with my roommate's blessing, on the third day I went back and brought him home.
     Jif got his name because someone found him with a peanut butter jar stuck on his head and brought him into the shelter. He was about a year old when I got him.

Jif's first day home

     He is definitely my cuddle buddy, though he rarely wants to actually be on your lap. Just laying against or very near you. When he is very sleepy and has just woken up from a nap, that's when he comes for snuggles.

     One of Jif's favorite things in the world: Any sort of box. So he loved the packing process.

All ready to make the long move to MD!

Jif's all time favorite item: The String! It is simply a boot lace that he dug out of my closet, almost as soon as he moved in, and he has loved it unwaveringly ever since. He drags it all over the house and tries to get people to play fetch with him.

Another great item to play fetch with: hair ties pilfered off of my bathroom sink. He doesn't look very remorseful...

 

Sometimes it's so hard to choose what to watch on Netflix.

Another favorite activity: Going for walks outside. He loves sniffing things, meeting the neighbors, and putting the fear of God into those SOB squirrels.

Jif loves to "help" people do things. If there is any kind of activity going on, safe money says Jif is involved.

Jif, helping to make dinner.

Jif is the best. He is open-minded, forgiving, adventurous, playful, happy, conscientious, funny, adorable, friendly, smart, and affectionate. What more could a girl ask for?

Cat Box Fort: Success!

As most of you probably know, my cat Jif loves boxes...


So for our anniversary Paul and I decided to make him and the other cats a box fort. It's a pretty sweet design, with tunnels connecting the various boxes into a packing taped tower of awesome. In process in looked like this:


And even then Jif wanted to try it out:


And try it out some more:


Finally, it was done (can you spot the Jif?):


Here's Jif a bit later, enjoying the view from the crow's nest:


At one point Kitty got in on the action. She's in the Lowe's box in this picture. Jif came downstairs, heard noises coming from the boxes, and got very curious indeed:


One more round of spot the Jif (meanwhile Kitty is still in the Lowe's box):


And finally Jif decided that the best thing to do was take the high ground and wait for the intruder to leave (which eventually Kitty did):


Cat Box Fort: Success!

Silver bells...

Thanksgiving is over and we're ready for Christmas...

Photo "Thursday"?:The Big Move...

As I'm sure all, or at least most of you no doubt know, I recently made the longest move of my life (so far.) The following is a chronicle of that move.
The picture below is a stand-in for the picture that I did not take of the Indiana/Ohio border on I-70. Hopefully the artist's (my) rendering will do justice to the excitement that the promise of *Discovery* incites in a person upon reading the welcome sign.




Approaching lovely Columbus...


Getting into rolling, mountainous regions...


Crossing into West Virginia and approaching the Wheeling Tunnel... Yay!






And very quickly into Pennsylvania...


And growing more mountainous all the time...








And finally crossing the Maryland border. (That tiny sign says "Maryland Welcomes You - Enjoy Your Visit!" Followed by a long series of signs to tell you all the rules you need to know to legally drive in the "Free State".)




There was some exceptionally lovely scenery crossing over the Appalachians, but unfortunately I missed most of the Maryland portion of it due to the fact that the sun went down. But next time, next time I'll get the stunning pictures that I'm sure are waiting there to be taken. For instance it was too dark to see Polish and Negro Mountains. They do know how to name things in Maryland.

Photo Thursday: Lots of hard work...

Here are some pictures of my new room and the paint job Paul and I slaved over.

First, the befores: (Though my camera totally didn't do justice to the eye popping quality of the old purple paint. Looks downright pleasant in these pictures, if you like lavendar...)




During: (I believe this was second coat time.)


And after: (Glidden's "Tropical Surf" on the ceiling and "Natural Wicker" on the walls.)




This was my inspiration for the paint colors: (Aren't those Chinese laterns amazing?)


But we decided to go with a much lighter shade for the walls since there is less window and trim in Paul's spare room than in the magazine picture. I think it turned out great. And it was actually the first time I got to pick out paint colors for a room.