There are too many goddamn ones in today’s date, and it’s FREAKIN’ ME OUT, MAN.
So yes, we had ourselves a bit of snow Sunday night into Monday. We got about 7 inches here, and I understand other parts of the state got more snow than we did, bless their hearts.
I find this snow business utterly ridiculous, as if I wanted to deal with 7 inches of cold white snow, I’d still be living in the Northeast. You will please note that I am NOT. Of course, it apparently only does this about once every 17 years or so, so I don’t suppose I should complain too much, should I?
I had an appointment yesterday morning at 8 am, but of course I didn’t go, not least because the entire city of Huntsville shut down for the day (and for today, too, I suppose). I tried calling and leaving a message so they could call and reschedule me, but their mailbox was full, and y’know, it’s not like it was an emergency or anything.
I took the camera out to the back forty to snap some dogs-frolicking-in-snow pictures (which you’ll see on Thursday), and made Fred go with me. We were just out the door when I said “You should take some pictures of me in the snow!”, handed him the camera, and ran to the middle of the yard.
Unbeknownst to me, he was snapping pictures before I got to the middle of the yard and turned around, because he’s a fucker like that.
::runrunrunrun::
::runrunrunrun::
“What the fuck? You gonna take the picture?”
“Oh. You fucker.”
None of the cats were at all interested in going outside except for Joe Bob, who was just all kinds of unsure of what the holy hell was going on.
Even he eventually gave up and came inside and settled on the heated cat bed on the couch for the rest of the day.
So, remember how I was growing out my hair to its natural gray and dark brown color? That lasted just about six months – and it was about half grown out – before I decided to go back to coloring it.
Fred – who applies my hair color because I’m no damn good at it – put the color on last Sunday, and did a pretty good job of it. It was more red than I wanted, though, so I hemmed and hawed and asked him if it was too red (he didn’t think so – but honestly, he couldn’t give less of a shit about the color of my hair. Which is why I SHOULD come home with neon green hair one of these days.) and I finally snapped a picture of my hair to show y’all and ask your opinion.
Then I looked at the picture and I thought, first of all, “If I were holding that damn camera any higher, it’d be in fucking outer space”, then I thought “Jesus, don’t I look like a smug bitch who needs a good hard smack across the face”, THEN I thought “Huh. I kinda like the way it looks.”
I haz a smug.
I went to Sam’s last Thursday to stock up on stuff, and while I was there, I was DELIGHTED to find that they’re carrying edamame again in their frozen food section. I love the hell out of edamame, and when they stopped carrying it, I was sad and bereft and unsure whether I wanted to go on.
When I spotted the edamame on Thursday, I wanted to give all of Sam’s Club a great big hug. And I bought TWO bags, because I’m sure that once word gets back to the head honcho in charge of Purchasing, they’ll stop carrying edamame immediately.
At least I have my two bags!
After Sam’s, I stopped at Petsmart to look at their selection of litter. I’ve used Fresh Step for years and I like the way it clumps and I like the way it (mostly) prevents my house from smelling like cat poo all the time, but the dust is absolutely kicking my ass. Every time I scoop the litter boxes (and there are currently 8 of them in this house) a great wave of dust goes through the house, and Fred reels around and gags and coughs and acts like a great big drama queen. In the interest of not having to listen to the coughing and gagging, and also in interest of not dying from a condition so rare that it’ll likely be named after us (Anderson Litter Lung), I decided it was time to see if I couldn’t find something that clumps halfway decently without the overwhelming dust.
I bought a bag of Precious Cat Litter, a bucket of Fresh Aire Litter, and a bucket of ExquisiCat Scoopable. I wanted to try the Cat’s Pride litter, but they didn’t have it at Petsmart or at Target either.
Three days after I changed out the litter boxes and refilled them with the new litter, I can tell you that Fresh Aire is a nightmare – I didn’t think it was possible for litter to be dustier than Fresh Step – and doesn’t clump worth a shit. The ExquisiCat is less dusty than the Fresh Step, but still too dusty. The Precious Cat appears to be the winner – clumps well, and hardly any dust at all.
(I had considered crystals, but don’t feel it’s safe to use with kittens. I don’t like the smell of World’s Best Cat Litter, and I did try Swheat Scoop, but the kittens immediately started eating it, so that went right out the door. I don’t care if it’s safe for them to consume – every group of kittens that comes through here has coccidia, giardia, or both, and I don’t want them eating potentially infectious litter.)
I don’t like that the Precious Cat costs more than the Fresh Step, but when weighing the cost against the dust, I’m willing to make that sacrifice.
(But I’m sure Anderson Litter Lung will still get me in the end. I’ve been inhaling that shit for years now.)
The other thing I like about the Precious Cat litter – it’s unscented.
That said, if you have a litter you absolutely love, I’m all ears!
The Bradys seem to spend a lot of time with their little mouths wide open.
“I KEEL YOU!”
“I BITE YOU RIGHT ON YOUR NOSE!”
“YOU BITE ME ON MY NOSE, I POP YOU WITH MY SHARP LITTLE CLAWS!”
“I KEEL YOU!”
“NO, I KEEL YOU!”
“They’re skeery.”
“You come here, Lady, I bite you on your face.”
Two videos today. The first, the Bradys hanging out in the foster room (with a visit from Corbie), shot sometime in December.
The second, Alice caught in the act of, well – just go see yourself (try not to fall asleep during the fascinating conversation Fred and I have.)
One thing the snow did was bring out the birds, who emptied our bird feeders in no time flat. Fred resorted to tossing a scoop of bird seed onto the ground every couple of hours to appease the birds.
The cats spent all day long in front of the side doors, watching the birds. Those birds drove them CRAZY.
Elwood and Corbie.
L to R: Tommy, Sugarbutt, Jake, Elwood, Corbie, Rhyme.
Jake, Elwood, Corbie, Rhyme.
Previously
2010: Since then, I’ll occasionally asked him if he washed a dish with soap and water, or just his “magic hands.”
2009: No entry.
2008: No entry.
2007: If you could solidify body odor into a spice, it would taste exactly like cumin.
2006: Oh, how I love my books.
2005: I need a nap.
2004: Stuff I bought in Maine.
2003: No entry.
2002: Firsts.
2001: You rock, maaaaaaaan!
2000: I’m blue.
I love that hair color. Can I have the specs on it, please? I’m thinking I should dye this floof on my head soon!
It’s L’Oreal Paris 5CB Medium Chestnut Brown “Warmer”
Thanks Robyn!
The color looks great! I tried to dye my hair red once. My daughter said it was purple that was the last time I dyed my hair. I am now brown and silver.
Hahahahahhaha! “That’s Cindy! No, that’s Cindy! That’s Jan! No, it’s Marsha! No, it’s Jan! And that’s Cindy!”
We don’t have a cat but we do have a rat and I use the Yesterdays News litter in the bottom of his cage. The pet store recommended it and it sure absorbs his urine and no smell. I don’t scoop his litter but I assume because of the way it’s made there would be no dust. I use a layer of it under his bedding. Maybe a layer of it under the other litter would help? Or maybe not. It’s early and I am still on my first cup o’coffee!
Yes, the hair color is red but I really like it; you have the right coloring for red hair.
I have 2 cats and I really like the Tidy Cats Power Blend litter. It’s a combination of clay and crystals and the same price as the other Tidy Cats blends. It clumps really well and I don’t find it terribly dusty.
Love the hair color! LOVE the pics of the cats gazing longingly at the avian smorgasbord.
For litter for multiple cats, I like Arm&Hammer. A little dusty, yes, but it clumps well, holds odor, and is priced right — I get it at the commissary, which never carries much I like.
I’ve tried practically every litter. My number one concern is smell. The only litter that I’ve found that eliminates smell is Ever Clean. It’s expensive and you can only get it in pet stores. It’s dusty when I first pour it in but I don’t have any issues scooping.
Love your hair color, great photo.
HATE this snow already. Not only have the cats freaked out, my 2 small dogs are afraid to get out in it. I had to shovel a spot out near the back door so the dogs could do their business. I think it’s the “crunchy” sound the snow makes when you step on it, due to a coating of ice. Argh! We may not thaw out till Thursday.
I have been using Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Litter for years!! It clumps well and has way less dust than any other litter I have used in the past. I thought I mentioned it back when you were talking about air purifiers. But, honestly, it is not dust free…I even tried those corn based litters and I have gone back to Precious Cat…the cats like it, that is all that matters.
A friend of mine will only buy Arm & Hammer ESSENTIALS. Must be ESSENTIALS, and not every store carries it. I think I saw it at the new Kroger. I have not tried it yet since I have so many containers of Tidy Cat.
First of all….that row of cats watching their lunch fly around outside is hilarious!!
Second…I LOVE LOVE LOVE that hair color (and cut) on you. That’s the best color I’ve seen on you, in fact. It really goes well with your complexion and makes you look younger!!
……and that’s always a plus, right?
Love, love, love the hair color. You and Khloe Kardashian looking hot as red heads. LOL!
Current hair color is very becoming on you. It’s a keeper!
Brady Bunch kitties meows sound like chirping birds.
Stay warm. Mid 60s here in Phoenix area. Bwahahahahaha
Love the colour. I agree with Marye, it suits your skin tone. Dunno about cat litter, I used to make my own from newspapers soaked and shredded, but only in the summer so it could dry outside. I’m sure you’ve mentioned doing the same at some point? But then I only have 3 cats and they all prefer to toilet ‘au natural’.
Welcome to the snow! We’ve had 3 lots of the bloody stuff fall – 1st time on 28th November. Schools were shut for a week. We’re at 56 degrees north here – in Scotland – and even here it’s unusual. I thought Alabama was supposed to be damned hot?
Other random question, did you plant winter veg? Did I miss you saying how it was going or gone or what?
Your hair is really red – I think I like it. It definitely makes your eyes pop. You know, in a good way. I really like World’s Best even though it doesn’t smell nice – it sure clumps like nobodie’s business.
I love the hair color, it looks good on you.
I’m sick of the snow. I live in the midwest, so I guess I have to deal with it.
I’ve used Tidy Cat and Fresh Step litter and like them both. (Big help, eh?)
Robyn, that color looks totally natural with your coloring – you have great skin and glowing eyes. You look quite Celtic! What is your ethnic heritage, btw? Oh man, I’ll never get my PhD in Bitchypoo at this rate!
I’m kind of a mutt – Irish, Scottish, British (I think), a touch of American Indian. There are others in there, I think, but that’s the bulk of it.
I was gonna say, you sure have the coloring for the first three. I sooo want to see a “Bitchypoo does the UK and Ireland” series of blog posts!
You and me both!!
like the hair color a lot and also thanks for the snow pictures. Pretty incredible!
Robyn, I think your hair color is purrrrrrrrrrfect!
Love the snow pics!
Love the red hair on you! It really *does* look perfect with your coloring.
“Anderson Litter Lung”, hehehe.
“Anderson Litter Lung” made me LOL!
All I can see is how wide those cat asses are looking out the window. They don’t miss many meals do they??
LOL! Indeed, they do NOT miss a single meal or snack time!
Red looks fantastic on you w/your fair skin & green eyes!
(“I’ve Gotta Feeling” has not replaced “Macarena,” which has been running through my head since your Jan. 6th entry!)
Love your hair!
All your pictures today are great and your narratives always crack me up!
I can’t stand regular cat litter, the dust makes me feel like I’m going to die. I switched to Feline Pine and it’s GREAT. I smells good, there’s no dust, it doesn’t clump, but pee just breaks it down into sawdust and you can scoop the poop right into the toilet. You can get a free bag at http://www.felinepine.com/specialoffers/.
Your hair looks great.
Your description of Fred being a drama queen made me cackle out loud.
Maybe you should wear a mask when scooping the litter boxes?
The cats look so cute looking out the window and I also like how Joe Bob looks in the snow.
Don’t know how it compares, pricewise, but I’ve tried a bunch of other cat litters and I can’t ever stand any of them and always go back to my old standby: Tidy Cat Scoop Breathe Easy (though Instant Action works in a pinch). I got lucky last week and found big huge tubs of it at the local grocery outlet.
Now if I could just find a litter box that my cats couldn’t toss litter out of, I’d be happy.
I like that hair color on you too and concur that you have the coloring for red. I am a redhead by choice too but a deeper shade with some violet to go with my deeper biegey skin tone. I LOVE red hair and think it is a lot more interesting than my ever darkening brown with grey that would be my natural hair at this point. I have been dyeing my hair off and on since I was 16-35 years but it’s been dyed steadily the last 6 or 7 and I think it will be as long as I am coherant.
I too long to visit the UK more than any other place outside of the US.
You and Fred both have the most pleasant gentle voices. That conversation cracked me up too.
Anudder vote for World’s Best Cat Litter.
Might seem costly initially, but it lasts and lasts because it clumps so nicely, which makes it easy to keep a box of it clean.
Smells a bit corny, but that was never a big deal for me.