Archive for the Category ◊ Xena & Beano ◊

08 Jul 2010 Hotter Than Hades
 |  Category: Blah Blah Blah, Xena & Beano  | One Comment

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Ice cubes to the rescue! It would work better for the emergency-ness of the photo if the ice cube tray were red, though. Eh, what am I talking about, I’m a little delirious in my non-air-conditioned third-floor apartment. I broke down and used the fan last night, it was sweltering and I was trying not to fall asleep while working. It feels like I’m melting into my computer chair.

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Cat in heat. Temperature heat only, thankfully! They both loll about the house, sprawled with their paws out, but only Xena lies on her back. Beano still insists on sleeping right up against me, despite the heat, while Xena prefers to sleep a foot or so away. I think they miss me because I’ve been gone so much recently.

Late last night I put in a load of laundry because I was down to the Last Resort clothes… you know, the items of clothing best worn only around the house and not in public? I was nearly out of work clothes, too. When I was downstairs I noticed the door to the basement was unlocked and it was in the midst of renovation. I ignored it and should have picked up the clothes when they were done, but was too tired and left them for this morning.

This morning I went to fetch the clothes and got LOCKED OUT — the lock to the basement had been changed while I was out of town and I didn’t notice because it was dark. Alas, I was one door away from clean clothes! I contacted the property management company, got the handyman’s mobile number and left a message. As of 10:30pm, I am still waiting!

23 Jun 2010 Scaredy-Cats

Xena The Old Bean

They look pretty calm now, but I heard they went berserk when the earthquake hit at about a quarter to two this afternoon. Xena was tearing around the house and Beano probably went into deep hiding.

I didn’t even feel it at all.

I was making myself a fruit salad in the kitchen at The Firm, slicing strawberries and minding my own business when one of the IT guys walked by and asked, “Didn’t you feel the earthquake a couple of minutes ago?”

I work in a company full of pranksters so I let that one go by. Earthquake? In Ontario? Last time I felt an earthquake I really FELT it — stuff was falling off the shelves. If I’d felt the building move, the first thought would be a bomb. I was certain all sirens would start blaring and the police state that we’re currently working in would escalate into a full-on emergency situation, complete with alleged links to terrorism. But nothing happened. Oh no, untrue: someone in the office claimed to have farted.

I was in Vancouver during two earthquakes, the first one was at night while I was fast asleep and it moved the bed across the floor! It was so forceful I thought a small airplane had crashed into my apartment building on Beach Avenue. The second one wasn’t much later, maybe only a year or two, and it was during the day when I was working from home. I remember thinking to myself, ‘Eh, earthquake”, and holding on to the shelf so it wouldn’t tip over but that was only because the second time I was wide awake and could comprehend the situation. Being woken by an earthquake is enough to give a person a heart attack.

Fancy wrote about it, she was much closer to the epicentre.

Oh, and there was also a tornado nearby tonight.

What’s next? Maybe the G20 fake lake will flood?

22 May 2010 Cat In Camouflage

camouflaged

you woke me up!

13 May 2010 While The Cat Was Away, The Mice Were Fighting

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See the scratch on Beano’s nose? The catsitter emailed me to tell me about it. Beano probably deserved it — he’s constantly bugging Xena. One too many provocations and she walloped him.

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Sleep, glorious sleep… for someone who loves sleeping as much as I do, I sure deprive myself of it. I can’t blame the photography work backlog, even though it exists. I just like doing too many things, and there’s that small detail of needing to be awake to do them that gets in the way of a full night’s sleep, which happens all too often, I suppose.

I had a superb week in Vancouver, but now it’s back to work. I’ll have to save the stories for in-person.

30 Apr 2010 Birthday Beano
 |  Category: Critters + Creatures, Xena & Beano  | 4 Comments

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I was at the vet the other day to pick up food and injection supplies, and while I was there I inquired about Beano’s age. According to the vet records, Beano turned 16 years old yesterday! I don’t know how they arrive at the birth dates, if they just guess or if my friend Arliin actually knew, but either way that would make Beano the equivalent of a very, very old man. According to this chart, Beano would be 80! Thankfully he’s still frisky and showing no signs of slowing down, he just has a lot of gray hair now, like Yours Truly.

22 Apr 2010 Pick. Pick. Pick.
 |  Category: Critters + Creatures, Xena & Beano  | One Comment

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This is why I have holes in my clothes. There are actually two hole-makers here, but for some reason Xena picks at me like I’m a guitar. ALL THE TIME.

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17 Apr 2010 Caturday

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I know, I know — what’s with two cat posts in a row? What can I say, I’d love to process and edit any one of the thousands of other personal photos I have laying around the hard drives, but I’m working on a client deadline right now. Besides, Beano would be deeply offended if you viewed Xena’s post yesterday and didn’t view his today. I shot these this morning.

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Can you sense the righteous indignation?

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16 Apr 2010 Kitty Soap Opera

kitty soap opera

That’s Beano’s ears in the foreground, Xena’s in the background. This photo looked so dramatic that I invited a caption (in Flickr). This was what Paula came up with:

As treats were not forthcoming, Xena plotted her next move. Would she tear out the stuffing of the sofa, or leave dead mice in the bathroom? Luckily, with all day to ponder, she decided to sleep, instead.

Too funny!

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10 Apr 2010 Timeout

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Naughty cat. See her ears? She’s listening to me. I shot this because it totally reminded me of Siobhan’s photo:

www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/4500666391/

29 Mar 2010 Xena On Her Perch

it is so tough making Xena stay still that I can only photograph her on my shoulder

It’s funny how Xena always perches on the same shoulder. Such creatures of habit. It’s a rare occasion that Xena stays still long enough for a photo; she’s a captive subject this time, if I stand up. But it takes some co-ordination to hold the phone and use the mirror reflection at the same time while getting Xena to look in the right direction.

it is so tough making Xena stay still that I can only photograph her on my shoulder shoulder warmer
my black fur stole

In other news, I’m transitioning back to the Land of the Living: I went to work today. (Insert terrible zombie pun here.) I’m sure my desk neighbours could’ve done without the hacking, but at least I do the bulk of the nose-blowing away from my desk.