Cut my hair today. Here's how it's been looking, as of last November.
Here I am showing my Harpo Fighting Technique:
And my Ready-for-my-closeup look. I had cut it asymmetrically in September. You can see the natural color coming in up top.
This shows the length is was--down to the middle of my back. I've just been waiting for enough of my natural color to come back, so I could then chop off the bleachee stuff.
Most of the totally-bleached is gone. The bangs are lightly bleached (they look more coppery.) And there are streaks, so that my hair isn't all-out too oily.
Slept too long today, but had a very good head day. Had to take two Tylenols when I got up, but then my head was in tiptop shape. Phew. I'm up to 50 mg of whatever-it's-called now.
In other news... Egypt!! Mubarak's said he won't run in the next elections, which had already been set for September. But it's not what people want now. Too late, Moo, too late. And so it continues.
In other other news... friend Vidal sent a Haley a good tip for dealing with Minion:
Who has time to worry about Tiger Mothers when you have Tiger Daughters?
Minion takes on her nemesis.
Minion continues to drive Haley nuts. The water bottle only semi works. It'll keep Minion off Haley for a couple hours, but only if I can squirt her really good.
Tonight I kept hearing SQWAK! -- the sound of Minion really jumping on Haley, getting her about the neck or something. So I got hold of Minion... which isn't easy, cause she runs and hides... which is part of the fun, I'm sure. (She's all "squeeeek!" when I catch her, but she's in SUCH a hyper mood, and tries to attach me too, I'm sure she's enjoying herself.) I took her to the tub, and turned the cold water tap on over her head.
I thought... this would be worse than the water bottle, right?
Minion with her Cake Face on, trying to get at Haley. Hobbes was right about Minion--she's nasty, brutish and short! (Ya, I just called you short. Deal with it.)
I just gave Minion a tiny bit of catnip on her new scratch pad. I'm a bit fearful of the consequences since she already acts like liquid catnip flows through her veins.
I also bought a tunnel for the kitties. One always hesitates re buying these toys, since you never know if your cat will like them. So far Minion's been beating the crap out of the little ball hanging inside it.
Haley has finally found a place to hide out from Minion. Remember the box-in-a-laundry-basket-in-a-tupperware which used to be her favourite home, and I finally decorated it, but then she wasn't using it?
Haley's discovered that if she sits in it, Minion will stalk her and bat at her from the outside (which is fine, Haley likes that game) but she can't end the game (as she usually does) by getting inside and jumping on Haley's head. It's small, and on a slant, so Haley has so far been able to defend it. The one time I saw Minion jump in, she couldn't get all the way in, and jumped right back out. I hope it stays this way, cause Halzebub really does need her own little corner of Hell where she can have some peace.
Update: Since starting this post, the cat-tube is now halfway across the livingroom floor, as Minion wrestles around in it.
Updateier: Minion likes eating the catnip, but she isn't reacting to it. I guess she's already as hyper as a cat can possibly be. Which should give you an idea of what it's like to live with her. Imagine your cat on catnip 100% of the time.
I'm sitting in the bedroom cause there's no longer a couch. Haley and I are locked away from Minion so that H. can pretend she's still One and Only Remaining Cat. (That's what I call her now, when we're taking a Minion break.)
Minion had her cornered in the bathroom and she was Very Unhappy about it--I grabbed her, hissing and growling, and brought her in here. She wandered restlessly about the bed until I opened up a suitcase for her, and she settled down for a sleep.
Minion is a formidable foe because she's just RELENTLESS. There is very little that will dissuade her from a course of action, and the tougher you get with her, the more excited she gets. Her original playmate was her brother (adopted by someone else) so I assume they used to rough house like hell. It's near impossible to get her off the counters, off my finger, off Haley's back, off anything she wants to be on! Teaching her that the stove is A VERY SCARY AND UNACCEPTABLE PLACE TO JUMP hasn't met with much success so far. And Haley's had just as much luck trying to convince Minion that she is Scary and Mean and therefore Minion shouldn't Jump On Her Back.
Maybe kittens are always this insane--but the girls we got her from said she was the hyper-est of the litter. Most people prefer boys cause they're mellower. But the girls loved her craziness, and we do too. I'm sure Haley was similarly hell on wheels as a child. But her natural exuberance and toughitude were probably thwarted by repressed owners, resulting in her latent insecurities and frequent hostility. (That's my psychokitty babble.)
My mum (who was fostering Haley, that's how we met) reminded me that Haley was actually a "code red" cat -- considered impossible to adopt out, because of her aggression, and probably best to put down. (My mother always takes these kinds of fosters.) The couple at the feral cat shelter took forever just to be allowed to approach her.
The first time I went into the lockdown Haley room (at mum's, years ago), I sat on the floor, and she came right over and purred, and rubbed her cheeks on me, and I petted her, and we had a lovely time.
That night when she heard me getting ready to go to bed, she pawed at the door to be let out, so I let her hang in the bathroom while I brushed my teeth. But when I put her away, she pawed incessantly at her door again. So I hauled up an armful of blankets from the room I was in, put them on the floor of her room, and slept there. She came under the blankies for a cuddle, and then slept on the office chair.
The next day I sat at the computer internetting, and she introduced me to Shnoogling -- sitting flat up against your chest, with her head under your chin.
My mother figured we were just meant for me, and that I had to adopt her. The feral shelter woman was "miffed!" to hear of Haley's easy of acceptance of me.
Ohhhh One and Only Remaining Cat. So sweet, beautiful, and evil. We love you.
I'm not in the mood to pack. I haven't had that First Day of Vacation 12 Hour Sleep yet, so I'm not feeling very energetic. But I don't want to go to bed too late either, because I don't want to fall asleep during Evita, or get a cold or something. Sigh. So I should get off my caboose and PACK. Sigh.
I am Le Sigh.
Maybe if I could pack here in the living room, with some TV. Not very practical, though.
Mowwwz mowwwz mowwwz.
In other news, I got my sick-kitty earrings. I'm going to bring them with me.
Oh, and Haley also finally admitted to poisoning Minion. She wasn't trying to kill her, she just wanted a break from the whole running around, jumping on her back, stealing mother's lap, stealing her food, acting like top cat routine.
As I've mentioned, we never brought Haley to the vet because we knew she and Sherry would give us hell when we brought her home (reminder: he always thought Nombly was a new cat when he got home from the vet, and would Freak Out. Haley would have Freaked Out in return. shiver) But I want to start bringing her regularly now.
And Minion needed booster shots, and to talk about getting her fixed. So they both went to the doctor tonight.
I love my vet. I considered switching to the kitty-vet near our home, but then I heard some things that made me unsure of them, and I decided to stick with our current vet. We have to take a cab (well we could take the bus, but I don't want to MEOW MEOW MEOW for 20-30 minutes in public), but the doctor has cats too, and everyone is very sweet and treats them well.
Tonight she was quite relaxed so she spent a lot of time, telling kitty stories, exchanging information etc. A nice visit for me. And nice enough for Minion. She got to explore allll over the room. She's hard to treat cause she's squirmy-wirmy, but she didn't growl or hiss etc, just meowed her heartbreakingly sweet tiiiiny little meow. "Oh oh ! Saaaave me!" She wasn't fooling anyone.
I agreed to have them tested for Feline HIV and Lukemia since, as adopted cats, I can't be 100% certain neither has it. Might as well pay the money once and that's it. But taking blood isn't much fun, and Haley HATED it. She hated being held down by the vet tech, and then her veins weren't super good so it was longer. And they couldn't get enough from one arm, so had to do the other. They had to keep a collar on her so she couldn't bite them.
When I told Fernando about it I said:
- She was a good girl. Well, a medium-good girl.
And Haley replied [via Fernando]:
- I didn't KILL anyone. And I could have!
Me: That's true. You were a good girl.
Haley: I've killed before, you know. Why do you think I had to leave BC?
Me: So that tattoo on your ear isn't from a vet, it's from prison??
She refused to answer. So, you know, she was as good a girl as she could be, given her black nature. She's been calm since being home, though. That's the first time I've ever taken her out and brought her back, so proof too that we're not giving her away! She's been sitting here, relaxing on the tray table, listening to the rain and the thunder.
And for 2 hours now she's been obsessively licking her arms where they put the needles in, passive aggressively informing me that I am NOT to do such things again! Well, she's a good weight, clean eyes and ears, no heart murmur etc. So no more blood tests for a long time, let's hope.
In other cat news... last year my friend recommended the following cat litter box, and unless you have an electronic one, I highly recommend it. I just tried it out for the first time and it works perfectly, it's easy, and it's fast. The simplest and most effective design I've yet seen for a litter box.
You fill it with litter, then when it's time to clean you roll it all the way down to the floor, then back up. The used litter gets filtered into a tray, you pull out the tray and empty it. Done. I see a couple negative reviews on the Canadian Tire site, but I didn't have the problems mentioned. However I did buy the large size because the filter inside takes up a lot of space. The Cdn Tire one might be the smaller size. This must be the bigger one, it's much more expensive. My friend got his at Club Price, I ordered mine from an Ontario pet store. Or just search "cat litter box roll away." )
NOTE - My brother says my description sucks, so you can watch this video instead. I'd also like to mention that the inventor here pronounces "voilà " as "whoila", as did someone who wrote a review for it, and as do, apparently, a number of people.
Banish-ed to the end of the couch again, for offenses against fingertips.
I no longer let Evil Minion suck on my ears, and only give her the pinky once or twice a day. After which I have to fight her off like a zombie attack. I have to kick her off the couch about 10 times before she'll stop trying to assault my digits. I try to not pet her while she's sucking, so that eventually she'll realize there's an ALTERNATIVE to finger sucking, which is sitting on a lap and having a good scratch.
"This is MAH good scratch. F--k off!"
Sitting on the couch with a cat on either side. To paraphrase Morris Day: "Cutie to the left of me. Cutie to the right! It's all about the kitty sandwich tonight!" *
At long last we lock up the kitten and have some "One and Only Remaining Cat" time. (I still call her that when we're all aloney on our owney.)
* Morris Day's character in Purple Rain, when standing at the bar between a couple of hot women: "Sexiness to the left of me, sexiness to the right. It's all about the pimp sandwich tonight!"
random humour: Woke up early today because of stoopid day shifts last couple days, and getting up early for movie on weekend.
My mother asked for a Return to Meowee East update. There hasn't been much to tell.
Minion:
- is super obnoxious to humans when trying to
(a) suck their ears (rare settling-for-arm-because-ear-not-allowed)
(b) chase things on the computer screen
- plays plays plays then suddenly collapses in a nap [below: play, then sudden collapse on foot] - eats a lot, loves softies, and Snappy Tom treats - is super obnoxious to cats when trying to (a) chase them, (b) jump on them.
She Who Must Be Obeyed: - accepted the kitten quite soon - but tires of being jumped on - enjoys how often kittens need to be fed, cause she gets fed too (though we feed her a much smaller portion)
I think once the kitten's older, and less PLAY I MUST JUMP ON YOU! and their energy levels match more, then they might settle in as buddies. Cause Haley does like to play, but ease. Ease!!
Poor Halzebub has discovered that all her old Hiding Spots no longer work. Because the boys were old, she could escape them and feel safe (a) on top of the toy cabinet, (b) on top of Fernando's bookcase, and (c) in her box. But Minion can get to all those places, and does--usually cause she's chasing Haley.
Hide-away
Watching Haley in hide-away
Well, at least Box is getting some use. Years ago I took xmas decorations out of some various things, and ended up piling a box into a laundry basket into a tupperware bin. Haley decided it was the perfect angle to sit in and hang out, so I could never remove it. A couple weeks ago I finally got around to decorating the box, but she hasn't used it much since Sherry's death. Now she and kitten pop in and out during their chase scenes.
It's funny, the differences in them. Haley loves to be chased and startled. But Minion loves to pursue. Today she was walking by the sofa and I made a startling movement and grabbed her, but she didn't jump! and get ahhh!excited!! She just stepped away and gave an Offended Mew.
So today I continued to let the kitty out and feed the girls together, then let her roam around for awhile, and then put her away again. I just took her out again about an hour ago, the girls had their supper, and now Haley's sitting in one of her favourite spots (the exercise bike) and Minion's off frolicking or watching out the window or something. I haven't heard a peep out of them, hiss-wise.
A Few Hours Later: I went to check on Minion--she was kneading her blanky, so I picked her up and she sucked on my ear for a bit (making me feel like I'm in a Little Britain skit.)
Haley is still tolerating the baby, though the baby never frikking stops moving! Our first game together is that I steal whichever toy she's carrying, and she tries to get it back, and I throw it.
She also likes to leap on Haley. Halzebub actually enjoys being chased, so eventually this may become acceptable. Perhaps that's what she programmed into the little Frankenstein in the first place.
So little Nalou has been officially named: Halzebub's Evil Minion, or just Minion. Which kind of works since kitty in French is minou. Minion the minou.
The minous and I had an exciting day.
2AM-10AM - I SLEPT! YIPPY! 10AM-12 - read in bed with Halzebub 12-3PM - SLEPT YIPPY! 3PM-7PM - went down the hill for groceries, played with cats, etc. 7PM-9PM - SLEPT YIPPY! 9PM-now - intro'd cats to each other, and read almost a whole book
I'm feeling like a hu-man being again.
So Minion's been spending her time in her room, which is supposed to be so she has time to get used to us and our home. But let me tell you, this one is another Haley fo shizzle. She spent no time in hiding, and she lets us hold her and toss her around and tickle her. She wants out to explore. It was an adjustment period of, erm, 1 minute.
Today I got the ole baby gate off the balcony and put it up so that Minion and Haley could eat Snappy Tom fish while growling at each other through the gate. Minion engages in as much hissing as Haley, but Haley's the main growler. Good thing is, they are both highly food motivated, so tomorrow I'll give all their meals in proximity to each other. Sherry was very reactionary and not food very motivated, so he made integration harder.
I tossed some new toys into Minion's room, and let Haley watch the crazy kitty play and play and play. She amused herself for maybe half an hour straight with this one toy.
I let the kitton roam the apartment a bit, but Haley accidentally got out of the room she was in. Good news is, no redirected aggression at me, no Wolverbean episodes. Sniffing & hissing & growling. Then Haley started following Minion around, until I could finally scoop the wee demon up and put her away, and feed more Snappy Tom to the bigger demon.
Then I brought Wee Demon out in a cat carrier, so Big Demon could inspect her at will.
Once Minion was locked up again, I spent some time reading and playing with her; and then the rest of the evening reading and cuddling with Haley, and letting her have Balcony Time. For awhile we put Minion in my bedroom today, cause the little room was hot; so Fernando slept in there with her, and when I peeked in at 4 AM to feed her, she was sleeping on the pillow next to him.
But I have to sleep with Haley, because she's used to that. Mother's Room is her place when I'm asleep.
1. Halzebub hears the sounds of play
2. She stalks down the hall to the baby gate
3. Who is this interloper?!!
4. It is I! Your Evil Minion, come to do your evil bidding!
5. But first, I must swear at you and act mean so that you will know that I am, truly, evil.
Does anyone else find it suspicious that Minion is partly white like Sherry, and partly Tabby like Nombly? Almost as though someone dug up their kitty parts and created this little Frankenstein monster. Hmmm. Perhaps that look of surprise on Haley's face isn't "Who is this cat?" but "Oh my goddess it worked!"
