Awww, Andi, and here I thought there was something romantic about a couple who can lay siege to a fortress together. In the literal sense.

Huh. I've always figured building and deploying siege engines was more of a whole family thing. Lots of teachable moments for the kids.

I'm an impatient gal. Who knows if I'll have a family -- and even if I do, I can't wait that long -- so I figure at least my partner and I can wreak utter havok together now.

How is Kara a fourth grader?!?

We have kittens! Inanna and Enki. They are super-adorable, and Mal is learning to be a good big brother.

The shelter sent them directly to the vet for well-kitten checkups and neutering, so we picked them up there. This vet is out in the country; used to be solely a farm vet, but they've converted some of the stables to a very nice small animal clinic.

So it was past/future juxtaposition weirdness. The original building from 1780 is now the waiting room and grooming, and has QR codes on everything (they give you Google Maps and multiple review sites as well as vet info). The kittens had laser surgery, but the exam rooms are decorated with implements used in the middle of last century.

Also, they are insane. The vets I mean (of COURSE the kittens are; they're kittens). They told me I should keep 2 3-month-old kittens from doing anything active for 2 weeks. And that I should brush my cat's teeth daily.

The Talk went fine. I came right out with, "I've gotten a job offer and I think I'm going to take it" and she said, "oh shit" and started laughing. In awesome timing, she's getting her ACL replaced next week and will be out for two weeks. Apparently, she's been waiting for me to move to NOLA since I first went down there. Supportive and awesome to the end. I told her I want to go be the boss she'd been for me, who nurtures talents and strengths and supports the weak spots. We both got sniffly.

You know what else this new job is going to mean? Less of me around here and lots of meara-ing. I'm gonna miss hanging with y'all all day!!!

The 100 pushups program is pretty cool, I've started it several times.

Kara's outfit sounds super cute! I hope I get to meet her and the rest of the fam someday.

Still no counter-counteroffer. I'm not nervous, really, just impatient.

Oh, and Raq - if you can get them used to brushing now, you will save yourself hundreds and hundreds of dollars down the road, but they probably told you that.

The fact that they didn't come right out and say "no, can't do it" is a good sign, smonster. Hopefully the radio silence means they are busy trying to put something together that works for you.

They told me I should keep 2 3-month-old kittens from doing anything active for 2 weeks.

I am not a cat owner, but from what I know of kittens...what?

Inanna and Enki.

you are asking for trouble, there. you're going to find the first kitten clay tablet writing in history laid out at the foot of your bed one morning.

you're going to find the first kitten clay tablet writing in history laid out at the foot of your bed one morning.

I suspect I'll probably find it in Enki's litterbox. And this will lead to a blasphemous interpretation of Enki's role as the keeper of the me.

And this will lead to a blasphemous interpretation of Enki's role as the keeper of the me.

oh hey, I bet that would make a great book.

I am not a cat owner, but from what I know of kittens...what?

It's a goal, not an order. It's kind of like, when our cats go through anesthesia, we're told not to let them jump on anything for 24 hours or so. We mentally edit that to exclude couches, stairs, and beds.