Hey, I think we count, Zen. ;)

PM, welcome back! Don't go away again!

And now three weeks of 5-day workweeks, how am I supposed to manage that? At least I'll have a couple of days of working the outlet sale in there, which is still work but is at least different and a change is as good as a rest, right? (No, it is not, but it is better than no change)

This is part of why I like my job--the traveling part can get old, but at the same time it means constant change of environment and people, which keeps it more interesting than going to the same office and the same people every day. (though in both cases the people can range from awesome to suck)

I hate when the pitches get too specific. Because I'm a writer, not paint-by-numbers.

I'm taking a kitty to the vet today, too -- we discovered last night that Slinky has an ingrown claw. It's not uncommon (among cats in general, I mean; this is the first time it's happened to her in 17 years), and when it does happen (to cats in general), it's often the dewclaw. But no, this is one of her middle toes, and the damn claw just grew right around and into the pad of her toe. And the thing is, she wasn't limping or fussing or anything -- we wouldn't have noticed it if she hadn't made a thump thump thump noise on the hardwood floor when she walked. We thought maybe she had something stuck between her toes.

And not realizing she had an ingrown claw makes me think we went WAY too long without trimming her claws (because we would have seen it before it in-grew if we had trimmed her claws on time) and makes me feel like a negligent crappy pet owner. Like, "Honey, how long has the dog been THE UNDEAD?" "Uh...I didn't notice we have a zombie dog. Shit."

So we go to the vet this afternoon to get it dealt with. On the upside, I got my hair highlighted and it is no longer dark dirty blonde but shiny beachy blonde, and I am vain enough that that makes me so happy.

Poor old Oz.

I have 3 pair of new jeans, all the baking ingredients I'll need and a new pair of maryjane sketchers. REI was a bust for winter boots, though.

It's 70 and I had to run the ac in the car. Tomorrow, sleet. I guess I'll clean house.

In the next 3 weeks, I work 2 days this week, 5 the next and then 4 before not working for another 2 weeks. I don't expect to accomplish much. Think I'll go out and rake the back postage stamp. In a bit.

Pictures, or it didn't happen, Teppy. (Hair not ingrown claw).

We won't be able to take mystery kitten to the vet until Wednesday due to scheduling issues. I'm starting to wonder if she is deaf or hard of hearing. She doesn't react to sound the way my other cats do. Would also explain why there was absolutely NO reaction to any of the names we tried on her.

I am letting her have free roam of my room instead of just the bathroom. She raced around like she had just had 5 shots of caffiene investigating every corner, surface, and individual item and then running laps around my room, into the bathroom, over the bed and around again. Now she is sleeping at the foot of my bed.

I confess to being relieved I don't have to worry about wrestling with Shadow to get his claws trimmed. He was horrible about it.

Exactly, erika. I promised him an essay on "fandom family" and that's what I'll give him.

I've never trimmed any of my cats' claws. They have to file them down on the furniture.

It's 70 and I had to run the ac in the car. Tomorrow, sleet. I guess I'll clean house.

Hey, you've got our weather a day later! It was 68 yesterday, and about 63 at midnight -- and 35 by 6 am. BONKERS. Possible sleet later, which I hope holds off until I take the kitty to the vet.

Pictures, or it didn't happen, Teppy. (Hair not ingrown claw).

I put one on FB.

I confess to being relieved I don't have to worry about wrestling with Shadow to get his claws trimmed. He was horrible about it.

Tim can generally get Slinky's claws trimmed, because she likes to sit on his lap, and he just does one paw at a time. But I think she may not be so compliant when the vet is dealing with an ingrown claw. But the good thing is, a vet knows how to deal with a pissed-off cat.

Gracie's claws would get so long she would get caught on stuff but I never could get more than one or two cut before she turned into a ball of fury.