catiecake.

How I Spent My May Vacation by Catie Anchev

Dear Kittens,

Let's not fool ourselves and pretend that anything other than a list is possible, okay? Okay.

1. We took a trip to Seattle. It was meant to be a romantic sort of a deal. We should totally learn our lesson about that because forced romance never works out for us. It might be the stupidest thing ever about us, but when we set out to do something romantic it always ends up vaguely shitty and awful. But if we set out to just hang out- it's a good deal.

2. Here's is everything that went wrong in Seattle: On the very first day my glasses broke in half. IN HALF. In my THIRTY THREE years of wearing glasses never once have any of them broke, let alone in half. Of course I didn't bring a back up pair of glasses (why should I? I've never, ever had glasses break) so that meant heading to Lens Crafters. I hate shopping for glasses and this put such a damper on the day. I was so upset by the whole thing and I had a very hard time shaking the upsetness. We made the mistake of not really planning out our time, because it was going to be ROMANTIC and we were just going with the flow. FOOLS! So we were all undecided about what to do and nothing sounded particularly great and gah! It was just sort of sucky.

Then. On the third day, I got into a car accident. I was stopped at what I thought was a 4 way stop. I saw a car approaching on my right, figuring they would stop. I pulled into the intersection and guess what? IT WAS A TWO WAY STOP. I plowed right into the car. No one was hurt and no one's car was even that badly damaged, but talk about sealing the deal with being soured on Seattle.

3. Here's what went right with Seattle: We ate amazingly well. Seafood every single night, except for the first night when I needed Mexican food- which was sort of a mistake, but that's okay. Good seafood is really hard to get around San Jose, which is ridiculous, so when we go somewhere near the ocean I am all about the fish and what not. At a place called Nichino we had the best sushi of our lives. OF OUR LIVES. Also, we had a really good burger and fries at Red Mill Burgers. And Seattle is very pretty. We loved driving around quite a lot. Pike's Market is loads of wonderful- during the week. On the weekends it's loads of awful because of the crowds. I am willing to give Seattle another go. But the next time we will have a plan.

4. After Seattle we drove 2 hours east to the adorable town of Ellensburg to visit with friends. After Seattle, I desperately needed this part of the trip to be good. The drive was so very pretty. Washington state has so much water! Living in California my whole life I am amazed by the endless green of the trees and how there seems to always be a body of water somewhere. Washington is a really gorgeous state. Our reason for going to Ellensburg was so I could visit my friend, Eva. We met through Diaryland a long time ago and through the years our friendship has grown. I count myself so very lucky to have a friend like Eva because she is one of those extremely special people that you want in your life forever and ever.

Andy and I met Eva's husband, Francisco at a wedding years ago, but we didn't really know him except through Eva's diary. I already knew that they were an excellent match for each other, but what I didn't know is what a funny, sensitive, thoughtful and fun person Francisco is to be around. I mean, I sort of knew and I certainly was not surprised that he is all those things, I'd just never experienced the wonderfulness that is Francisco for myself. I was happy that the four of us got on very well with each other and there was lots of laughter and joking. Francisco even took Andy shooting one afternoon and Andy loved it and now he's all, let's go shooting, let's go shooting and I'm all GAH! Okay, because you will not leave me alone until I do it.

Then we got to meet Francisco's sister and her family. First let me say this- I already knew that Twyla and Senor Negativo (I don't know what his parents were thinking) were going to be amazing because we all participate in the same discussion group. They totally lived up my expectations for being super pretty and funny. But then there are their two girls who- I don't even know if there are words to describe these kids. Firstly they are both like super geniuses. Secondly, they have personalities that are huge. Thirdly, they charmed me so much that now I want to buy them each a pony, a enough candy to fill a room.

It was such a joy spending time with these people, so much so that I am a little bit weepy today for missing them and because there are too many miles between us.

5. I have not finished editing all my photos yet, but I'm working on it. But for right now I need to go back to sitting.

Love,
Catie   

Dear Kittens,

A list of things. Some good, some not good, some just annoying.

1. I hate it when I am getting something out of the freezer and the freezer door touches me. I also hate it when I rub up against a box with my leg. I cannot stand the texture of terracotta pots, either.

2. The windows are finished and they are gorgeous! I cannot wait to get the front of the house all prettified. It will be so nice to drive up to a place that I love how it looks.

3. We got a lot of laundry done this weekend and once we started putting everything away, it became very clear that we have entirely too many clothes. Part of the problem is that if I buy something and I like it, I will get two or three in different colors. While that's a fine idea for certain things (tank tops, underpants, t shirts) it should not apply across the board. And so, from now on when I like something I will just like it. It's like with the books and CDs, we only have so much storage for clothing and what doesn't fit must acquit. Or whatever.

4. We're leaving for a vacation today. The first part of our trip is all about just hanging out together. We've decided not to contact any friends, which was a hard choices, but ultimately we really want some time to just hang out the two of us without any other distractions or commitments. The second part of our trip is so I can spend time with my very dear friend, Eva.

The bummer about going on a trip is that I never sleep well the night before and I spend however much time before we're on the plane in a mild state of panic. It's a frustrating situation and I am trying to find ways to manage it, except it's occuring to me that might not be possible. The truth of situation might be that travel is stressful and there are things you can do to make it less stressful (lists, packing early, flying at convenient times), but there's no getting away from the stress totally.

5. One thing I did to alleviate some stress is I bought myself a larger suitcase. I check my bag because I cannot manage the liquid/gel restriction with all the various potions I need to pretty myself up everyday. Since I'm already checking, why am I trying to stuff everything I need in a carry on size bag? Right- so I got myself a new suitcase and it's very big and man, it makes all the difference. I did not overpack, I mean, unless you count bringing 4 pairs of shoes overpacking, which I do not.

I am bucking the trend of packing half a pair of underwear and 3 shirts for 5 weeks in Europe. Bring back the travel trunks, is what I say!

6. It's officially time for me to start getting ready to complete my list.

Love,
Catie

Yeah. Sure. Of course. Yes.

Dear Kittens,

The new windows are so wonderful. As of right this second, all of the windows have been installed and now it's just about doing the finishing stuff. I am very hopeful these dudes will be done by Thursday. They are very nice and do a good job of cleaning up after themselves and what not, but it's annoying having people work in your house. While it is very nice to have improvements made to your home, the process is just. How do you say in your country? FUCKING AWFUL.

A week or so ago I was sitting in the living room and heard some kids scream and then start crying. The crying did not stop, so I went outside to investigate. A mom and her son and daughter were riding bikes and the kids crashed into each other. There weren't serious injuries, but they were both scraped up pretty good. I offered some first aid help and interestingly, the kids accepted before the mom did. I ran inside to make some compresses out of damp paper towels and then got our paltry first aid kid out. The kids got patched up and went on their way and were no worse for the wear. The mom was very grateful and I was happy to help. Since then I have shored up our first aid supplies and I am totally prepared for almost anything. I totally admit that as soon as I hear what I perceive as being someone is distress I grab the plastic bin that houses our first aid equipment and run outside. It's very disappointing how few people are hurt around here.

Speaking of the desire to do sidewalk surgery, I've decided I need to amass some minor surgery equipment. Like tweezers, needles and maybe even a little, tiny scapel. I would also like a magnifying glass and maybe a head lamp? I already have a blood sugar monitor and a blood pressure deal- so I can pretty much diagnose (and treat) just about anything. Also, I have seen a vasectomy and a knee replacement surgey on TV, so add that to my resume, pls.

The wind kicked up today and my eyes are really bothering me. I don't have to deal with much in the way of seasonal allergies, but once in a while the right thing will be in bloom and then wind starts up and my eyes are weepy and hurty.

Tomorrow is supposed to be super duper hot around here and because my windows are going to be worked on, I will not be able to have the air conditioining on. I wonder if the window dudes will care if I run through the sprinklers?

I am going to rest my weary, weary eyes.

Love,
Catie

Quick like a bunny

Dear Kittens,

Very quickly.

1. I have an awesome relationship with my mom and I am perfectly aware at how unusual that is and how lucky I am to have her. I do not take that relationship for granted at all mostly because of the people I know (in real life and online) who have lost their mothers. I see the holes that loss leaves in these women's lives and I know to cherish my mom.

2. I am on a horrible sleep schedule, so I'm looking to fix that. In bed by 10 pm. No matter what.

3. I'm reading a book by my favorite author and I'm having trouble getting into it and that's sort of bumming me out.

4. This new medicine I'm taking is leaving me feeling a bit wonky and wobbly at times and that's frustrating, but hopefully it won't last very long.

5. I did some minor purging today and it set me free in the most unexpected way. It was a bunch of card stock that I didn't want to use anymore. I finally gave it to my mom to use in her classroom or donate to other teachers and as soon as that paper was out of the house, I felt a tremendous weight lift from me.

6. For a while there eggs tasted really bad to me. I'm not sure what happened, but when I ate eggs they tastes sulfury. That's gone away now and I am so happy because I love eggs so much. For the past two nights I've had fried eggs for dinner.

7. Bed time!

Love,
Catie

Tenth

Dear Kittens,

I finally called the guy who traps troublesome animals in hopes we could catch that bastard cat who has been attacking my cats and spraying around my house. I am 93% sure this cat was abandoned by the previous tenants of this house and has gone feral. If cats do such a thing. What I know for sure is that he wants nothing to do with people, but he loves to beat up my cats. After spending over $800 for the repair of Petey's tail- I've had enough. Anyway, so the guy comes out here and sets up two traps. He shows me how to release the traps just in case one of my cats gets caught in it. Yesterday I saw that one of the traps had something in it, so I went to look inside and it was Roo! Our almost 18 year old skinny cat who barely ever goes outside got trapped! When I release the door of the trap Roo saunters out like he just finished up at the spa.

Last night I heard the trap by our front door close and felt this incredible sense of relief. Andy and I go outside to check and it's one of our neighbor's kittens. He's got a collar on. When I release the tral this time, that cat shot out of there so fast, I seriouly didn't even get a look at him. The bastard cat did make an appearance and he made one the traps close up, but he got out before it got him. It's safe to say that I am not feeling very hopeful.

A List:

1. My parents are coming over tomorrow to celebrate Mother's Day. I'm not ready, but that's okay.

2. We went to Target tonight. We always spend way more money when we go together. We bought three cute, stripey cat beds, a new cat scratching post and a vintage looking fan for the guestroom. It's not fan weather yet, but if one waits until one actually NEEDS a fan, one will be shit out of luck.

3. I'm taking some new medication and it makes me very tired. This is supposed to go away within a week, if it doesn't we'll try something else, but for right now this tiredness is rough.

4. The installation for the the new windows starts on Tuesday. We are so excited about the windows. We're not doing anything fancy, it will just be nice to have windows that actually work properly and block out the wind when they're closed.

5. For a person who does not have an out of the house job, I have more lunch paraphenalia than anyone I know. 2 bento boxes, 2 thermoses, 1 Sigg water bottle, endless lunch ideas and a love for eating with plastic utensils. This summer I am determined to do more picnics. Have I already mentioned that? I want to take myself on picnics, I want to have picnics with Andy, I want to picnic it up this summer. If you want to have a picnic you should totally call me because I will hook you up.

6. This evening I was IMing with a friend and I horribly misspelled a word. All the letters were there, but their order was all wrong. So then I decided that we should have all our IMs be word scramble. My friend vetoed this idea claiming it would be exhausting. I pointed out it would be good for our brains, but she was not having it. Some people are not in love with fun. What can you do?

7. As I said before, I am tired. I want to get up early to finish getting ready for my mom, so I am going to bed right this second.

Love,
Catie 

Beatific Roo

Dear Kittens,

First I want to tell you about Roo. Then I will tell you about my day.

I usually sit in one particular chair in the living room because it is facing away from the window. I love looking out the window, but the glare is sometimes very intense, so I choose to sit facing the still not finished built in. To my right is a small table I mean to silver leaf and just past the table to a tall stereo speaker. The truth is, these speakers are entirely wrong for this space. They are too big and because of how the room is set up, you cannot properly enjoy them. These are Andy's dream speakers and while I love them too, they really do sound amazing when set up properly, we need different ones for this space. RIght now the speakers are most often used as cat beds. Roo is the biggest fan of sleeping on the speakers. Most of the time he is curled up cutely snoozing away, but sometimes I will glance over and he will be sitting up, with his front legs arranged in an elegant manner. And he will be staring at me with a look that can only be described as beatific. I like to pretend that in those times Roo is telling me, in his kitty way, that he loves me despite my faults. I am not the best human companion to him because I am too grabby. Roo needs his person to be cool, to not try so hard, to not be so desperate. I feel badly that in the almost 18 years of our relationship, I still cannot stop being grabby. I see Old Roo, impossibly thin, looking so adorable in some sleeping position and I cannot help myself. At the very least I say something, but more often  than not I touch him. Roo is not into being touched, unless it's by Andy and in a specific, previously agreed upon, manner. Roo's only real sign of age is his thinness. Otherwise, he looks like he's always looked. Stripey and gorgeous with velvety fur and a salmon colored nose out lined in black.

Today started with a screaming cat wake up at 5:35 am. Seamus and Petey tangled with that asshole cat again. I sorta hoped that maybe he was gone because I hadn't seen him in several days. Of course that was ridiculous. I finally called the people who trap troublesome animals. The guy told me he would be here in an hour. Excellent. I promptly forgot all about that and went to run some errands and get some lunch with Andy. When I remember about the trapper guy, it's almost an hour after he came by. Thankfully, he was very forgiving and hopefully we can hook up tomorrow. That cat needs to go bye bye.

At some point Andy and I went to go see Iron Man. We both enjoyed it. Then we came home and I made an awesome chicken salad to take for lunch tomorrow when I go to my mom's classroom.

I poached half of a chicken breast, shredded it and then cut the shredded chicken in half so none of the pieces are too big.

I added half a cup of halved grapes (I used muscat, but any seedless variety will be good, I think)

half a cup of finely chopped celery hearts, including leaves

3 artichoke hearts chopped (I used canned, packed in water)

a handful of candied pecans broken (walnuts would be good, too)

1 generous tablespoon of seedy dijon mustard

2 generous tablespoons of mayonnaise

And 2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar (this totally makes the salad)

Mix everything together gently and then serve in lettuce cups or on delicious bread.

And now I go to the bed to sleeps.

Love,
Catie