* * *
Jesus Christ, the Weeds theme song keeps bouncing around my head. MAKE IT STOP! I’ve adapted it to my particular circumstances, of course:
Little kitties on my desk top, little kitties made of fur and hate, little kitties on the gatetop, little kitties, not the same. There’s a gray one and a black one and an orange one and a calico, and they’re all made out of fur and hate and they look not the same.
* * *
Kid Nation spoilers in this section.
Are y’all watching
Kid Nation? Because I was a little leery of the show, but the first two episodes have convinced me that it’s a show worth watching. At the end of last week’s show when little Jimmy wanted to leave and people were all “Don’t go, Jimmy!”, I was yelling “Don’t pressure him! Let him leave if he wants to!”, and I’m glad he stood up to them and just went ahead and left. Spending that much time away from your home and family when you’re eight years old is a BIT much, I think.
That girl Taylor, though, god help me. That child needs a good, hard smack upside her princessy little head. I’m sorry, but beauty queens don’t do dishes? Are you fucking kidding me? Though of course, PRINCESS didn’t come up with that attitude all on her own, so I think we all know we can blame the PARENTS for that bullshit.
I really like Laurel and Sophia the most – they seem like pretty smart kids.
What I like the most about the show is that no one gets voted off at the end. I don’t like that who’s-gonna-get-voted-off? stress on Survivor, and if they were voting kids off, I don’t think I could handle it.
Fred declared last night that if a 15 year-old kid could kill a chicken, by god, HE could too! I’m not sure I believe that.
* * *
We also watched
Journeyman last night, and holy shit. That’s a good damn show! I hope it stays that good.
We haven’t watched The Bionic Woman yet, but I suspect we’ll be doing that tonight before Survivor. I hope it’s good.
* * *
This is stunningly accurate:
The Quick & Painless ENNEAGRAM Test
Your Score: 9 – the Peacemaker
you chose BX – your Enneagram type is NINE (aka “The Mediator”)
“I am at peace”
Peacemakers are receptive, good-natured, and supportive. They seek union with others and the world around them.
How to Get Along with Me
* If you want me to do something, how you ask is important. I especially don’t like expectations or pressure.
* I like to listen and to be of service, but don’t take advantage of this.
* Listen until I finish speaking, even though I meander a bit.
* Give me time to finish things and make decisions. It’s OK to nudge me gently and nonjudgmentally.
* Ask me questions to help me get clear.
* Tell me when you like how I look. I’m not averse to flattery.
* Hug me, show physical affection. It opens me up to my feelings.
* I like a good discussion but not a confrontation.
* Let me know you like what I’ve done or said.
* Laugh with me and share in my enjoyment of life.
What I Like About Being a NINE
* being nonjudgmental and accepting
* caring for and being concerned about others
* being able to relax and have a good time
* knowing that most people enjoy my company; I’m easy to be around
* my ability to see many different sides of an issue and to be a good mediator and facilitator
* my heightened awareness of sensations, aesthetics, and the here and now
* being able to go with the flow and feel one with the universe
What’s Hard About Being a NINE
* being judged and misunderstood for being placid and/or indecisive
* being critical of myself for lacking initiative and discipline
* being too sensitive to criticism; taking every raised eyebrow and twitch of the mouth personally
* being confused about what I really want
* caring too much about what others will think of me
* not being listened to or taken seriously
NINEs as Children Often
* feel ignored and that their wants, opinions, and feelings are unimportant
* tune out a lot, especially when others argue
* are “good” children: deny anger or keep it to themselves
NINEs as Parents
* are supportive, kind, and warm
* are sometimes overly permissive or nondirective
(
Take the test here)
If you want me to do something, how you ask is important. I especially don’t like expectations or pressure. is so, so true. It can be easy to bulldoze me if you do it with a little finesse, but if I’m being pushed or bullied, you’re never ever going to get what you want from me. It surprises people sometimes, I think, that I can’t be pushed or bullied – I think I give the impression that I’m a total pushover.
* * *
That second planting of corn? What a mistake. Someone told Fred that corn that comes ripe later in the summer tends to be buggy, and they were SO right. Fred picked corn yesterday and brought it in and left it on the kitchen counter. When I came downstairs and saw it there, I picked up an ear of corn, started husking it, and looked down to see a black widow charging across the counter at me. I slammed my hand down on it so fast that my mind was still saying “Is that a -?”; in fact, I slammed my hand down so hard that today it aches.
God, I hate black widows. And how weird is it to have one on the corn? I was under the impression they liked to hide under things.
I picked up all the corn, went out into the back yard, threw it all down on the ground in a very adult temper tantrum, then went to yell at Fred for almost killing me AND getting corn silk all over my goddamn floor. Once he was put in his place, I went over and picked up all the corn, and carried it to the table on the cement pad, and began shucking it. It was motherfucking Christmas time for those chickens. I spent the next half hour either picking bugs off the corn and feeding them to the chickens, or finding an ear of corn (I almost said “cob of corn” right there.) with too many bugs in it to save, so I’d toss it to the chickens. They were running around eating grubs and corn ’til they fell over in an uggggggh-I-ate-too-much heap.
I ended up with a dozen or so ears of corn that were salvageable, but I don’t think we’re going to do a second planting next year.
* * *
Over the past few months, I don’t think I’ve slept past 6:00 during the week more than a handful of times. For someone who has always adored her sleep, this is a little distressing. Lately, Fred wakes me up a few minutes before 6:00 so we can medicate the kittens before he leaves, then I usually clean out their litter boxes, then since I’m upstairs already, I clean out the litter box in the bathroom, THEN since I’m cleaning litter boxes anyway, I clean out the litter boxes in the laundry room, then run all the bags o’ poo out to the garage (there’s a garbage can in there). Sometimes I try to go back to sleep, but I can’t remember the last time I was actually able to. After a few minutes I give up and either read or find something else to do.
On the weekends I sometimes sleep past 7, but oftentimes I don’t.
God help me, I better not be turning into a morning person. I’m a night owl, damnit!
Of course, I’m probably reeling around in a total daze these days, too, since the majority of the time I stay up ’til close to midnight. You’d think I’d be getting a ton of reading done, but you’d be wrong – I’m still not reading as much as I did before we bought this house, and I’m not sure why that is. I’m busy with canning and stuff like that, but that’s no excuse. I’ve got tons of books to read – I need to get reading!
* * *
The kittens are doing well, still racing around like they’re on crack. Last night I took the kitchen scale and a bowl upstairs to weigh them and make sure I’m giving them the right dose of metronidazole, and I left the bowl in the room. At bedtime, when Fred and I went upstairs to hang out with them for a little while, he turned the bowl over on top of Susannah, and said she looked like a hermit crab, and then one single paw stretched out from under the bowl to grab at one of her brothers, and I laughed until I cried because she absolutely did look like a hermit crab. I’ll see if I can’t get some hermit kitten pictures later.
“All right, all right, all RIGHT! I give up! You take the feather toy, it’s yours! Geez. You don’t gotta be so mean about it!”
I love the stripes on this kitten.
Sleepy girl.
“This water tastes funny.”
Brudderly love.
***********************************
I am the meanest Momma in all the world. Twice today Sugarbutt was sitting in one of the cat beds on my desk (the one on the left, if you must know), and he sat up and started scratching his neck with his back paw, and so I reached over and pushed on him just a little to get his attention, and as I pushed, I said “STOP IT”, and both times I did it, I startled him, and he fell off the side of the desk and then ran off to lick the embarrassment off his tail.
Stinkerbelle likes to sit and watch the hummingbirds flit back and forth to the feeder. Sometimes she loses it a little and stands on her back legs and smacks at the glass, and the hummingbird flies off and it drives her NUTS.
“Ice cream meks me happy.”
* * *
Previously
2006: Hey, we’ll only be living here for another six months or so. Let’s BURN THOSE BRIDGES!
2005: Did I bring “a book” with me? HELL NO I didn’t bring “a book” with me – I brought FIVE books with me.
2004: No offense to you stoners out there, but the Warrens totally look stereotypical stoners.
2003: No entry.
2002: I think I’m going to start calling him The Todd.
2001: Does that kid’s face just scream “dilemmanated”, or what?
2000: No entry. ]]>
It gives me the willies to think about how I carried that black widow-y corn across the yard all clutched up against my chest, no gloves, nothing but a t-shirt.
But the thought of someone smashing one with their bare hand freaks me right out.
Yes, I am watching “Kid Nation”. I was afraid too but it is a pretty good show.
The little boy who went home on Episode 1 . . I felt SO sorry for him when he was sitting off by himself so upset he was shaking. It is probably just as well that he left.
I agree with Fred. I could not believe it when the boy manned up and showed them how to prepare the chickens. If you’ll notice he has done several things that “he was taught”.
So I am glad that some of that is still going on 🙂
Really Robyn, just smashing that spider with your hands!!!! You are either brave or crazy, you are lucky it wasn’t a brown recluse cause thats how they bite you, you have to push your hand or whatever into them to get bit, they just can’t bite you.
Now I’ve got the spider willies! Robyn, you are a W O M A N – smashing that with your hand. Stinkerbelle is so pretty, such beautiful markings.
Gah – just thinking about you smashing a black widow with your bare hand makes me throw up a little in the back of my throat. You have balls of solid brass Robyn. 🙂
OMG, you touched a black widow! I would have to amputate my hand just so I could live with myself and I’d have to move because once a black widow had been in my house, I could never go back. I have some serious arachnophobia. Just normal small spiders are enough to freak me out.
I have a question for your next round … my cat recently got out of the house without anyone knowing (she goes out on the screened porch but I’m afraid to let her outside completely because we live in the country and I don’t want her getting hurt by some wild animal). Anyway, she must have been outside about an hour before we realized it. She came right back in but every since she has been constantly crying wanting to go back outside. I guess my question is will this eventually stop? I feel bad like I’m letting her miss out on something fun but I really want her to remain an indoor kitty. Thanks.
What kind of person though would sign their child up for that show?! They paid them good money, obviously, but I’m not so sure that’s a wise parenting move. I hope they all get some good therapy after it’s done.
Fred runs around in just a T-shirt? Wow- life at Crooked Acres sure has changed him!
I have a question… have you ever been offered to take your journal “public” (ie, making money off of it in any way; writing for a for-profit site, etc?) I feel as if I have a good sense of why you wouldn’t want to (and I’m glad; I like reading about real people and not products themselves) but I’m just curious if you’ve ever received any offers.
I, too, am absolutely freaked out that you smashed a black widow with your bare hand. Dayum, woman!
I have never seen a black widow up close until y’all started finding them (and photographing them–thanks so much for the nightmares lol). Are they common in Alabama?
Have you guys ever thought about setting up a web cam in the kitty room so we can tune in and watch them run around and play????
If we were planning a trip to Maine/New England, say in a year or so … do you think September is a good time to go? Where would you suggest as the most “authentic” New England experience. This is probably the dumbest question, but is there a lobster season?
I, too, loved Journeyman! Then again, the fact that it stars Kevin McKidd biased me toward liking it from the get-go. And — I’m a 9 too. Woo!
I should point out here that there was no thought in smashing the black widow with my hand – I saw it, it was coming at me, I smashed it. If I’d stopped to think about it, I would have used a flyswatter or something!
Niki P: No kidding! No wonder the lady next door likes to sit out on her deck and watch him work. 😀
Bozoette Mary: Kevin McKidd is certainly easy on the eyes. Hubba hubba! 🙂
If you like Kevin McKidd, you should take the time to watch Rome. It was a series on HBO. Kevin with muscles showing and in a skirt!!!!!
Oh Hells no you didn’t! We were moving the metric ton of concrete block yesterday to start redoing the foundation for our house and found two under the blocks. Joe, my babeeee started to stick his hand inside the hole on the concrete block to pick it up and noticed the spider before he got bit. It right freaked me out(Didn’t do much for him either.. he has a healthy respect and fear for those bitches)! There are a ton of Black Widows out there this year. Careeepy!
Kid Nation: I felt the same way. I wanted to give the little boy a hug. I have this weeks DVR’d, haven’t watched it yet.
Journeyman: Thank you.. I have it DVR’d but wasn’t in a rush to watch it cause I didn’t know if it would be any good or not.
Bionic Woman: Dish DVR’d the pilot a few days ago under that extra ‘entertainment’ section. I watched it and it is GREAT. It will be one of the better shows this year I think.. unless it gets soggy later.
Chuck: This show was funny… it premiered either yesterday or day before and was great.
Murder: if you like CSI.. you’ll love it. It premiered a month or so ago but if you haven’t caught it.. try it. Reaper is ok, it has funny moments and doesn’t outright suck.
Let’s see…..
Life is DVR’d, KVille, and Cane so I haven’t watched those yet.. have you? And.. Oh, we are looking forward to Ghost Hunters premier and a the normal stuff… CSI tonight, Wooot!
Christ on a Crutch I watch a lot of TV! Thank Heaven’s for Dish’s DVR LOL (Thanks Robyn!! You and the SIL convinced me of the wonders that DVR can bring to your world)
I really liked Journeyman also, but did you notice that the sound was weird? During the scenes when he was in the past, the background music was louder than the voices of the actors and it was VERY annoying. At first I thought maybe my TV was messed up, but it happened continuously throughout the entire program! The scenes set in current time sounded fine, then the “journey” scenes were distorted. I even made my husband watch some of it just to make sure I wasn’t imagining it! Did anyone else notice that or am I some kinda freak?
Are any of your cats declawed? My two older cats are and my kitten scratches everything up like crazy. I don’t really want to get her declawed, but I don’t know what to do to stop the scratching. The other cats seem fine and are happy and excellent hunters, but it seems kinda cruel.
Glad to hear Journeyman was good. It’s in our Tivo to be watched but I was kind of wishy washy on it so we watched Bionic Woman instead. That was good and seeing two of the stars of Battlestar Galactica (the new show on sci fi, not the old one) on there was great to see. I’m intrigued so we’ll be sticking it out. Hopefully it stays good too.
That test is so accurate it gave me the willies. I sent my results to my husband with a little note that said, “Here. This! Don’t ever say you don’t understand me again!” 🙂
I’m a 9 too! Peacemaker, same same as you. I’m tempted to email mine to hubby as well to help him get me. Especially the “* Listen until I finish speaking, even though I meander a bit” part. WOW, that is so me! Also the “* If you want me to do something, how you ask is important. I especially don’t like expectations or pressure.” part. Yeah. Me.
Awwwwwwww the test page errors out for me….dunno if it’s a work filter or if the Bitchypooians crashed em.
Mary:
Robyn uses SoftPaws for her cats instead of decawing. We had a set of kittens that were scratchers and we ordered the softpaws on Robyn’s referral. Awsome product. They are little rubber sleeves that fit over the claw and adhere with super glue.. they don’t hurt the cat and they cannot scratch you or the furniture. They stay on very well and are easy to put on.. just get the cat in a wrestling hold position and it does go easier if you have help while you are putting them on for someone to fill the tip with the glue (it comes with a thing that fits down inside the tip so the glue is a piece of cake to put in it. Not to mention they are safer, easier and more humane to use than declawing… and a whole lot less expensive if you ask me.
They can be found here http://www.softpaws.com
(sorry to jump in here robyn, I just knew this is what you would say LOL)
Ummm, Robyn – just FYI, nobody says “Hubba Hubba” anymore.
Damnit! I MISSED Kid Nation last night! Totally forgot to watch it. Thanks for reminding me.
Question: Do you and Fred still enjoy regular time on the front porch each evening as you did not long after the two of you moved in? OR has “farming” the crooked acres and canning it’s rewards taken up that time?
I hope you don’t mind, I am using that adorable smiling orange kitty for me desktop at work. What a photo!
I have one of those ice cream makers, but have been disappointed with the results… Do you have a favorite recipe?
You smashed a black widow with your bare hand????
You are BEYOND superhero in my book. *bows down in reverence*
I really liked Journeyman.. kind of reminded me of Quantum Leap, which I adored. They need to give us some explanation of why he’s traveling in time, though. He just woke up one day and now has the power to time travel? What the heck is up with that? I thought it was awesome, but I need to know WHY it is happening. I didn’t miss something, did I?
-Nancy
I’m a 9 too! And yes, how you ask is definitely important. I’m incredibly easy to get along with as long as I know people are being honest with me, but if I even think you’re trying to manipulate me into doing something, I will dig in my heels and it’ll be over before you can finish asking.
Have you ever taken a Myers-Briggs type test (it’s the one with the four letters I/E N/S T/F J/P)? If so, what are you?
Here is kind of a morbid question but hey I was wondering. Now that you and Fred are at your “forever” home will you set up an area to serve as a Pet Cemetery when your cats pass on? There is a commercial pet cemetery near the people one where my dad is buried. There was a man who wanted his dog buried with him in the people cemetery (I think he had saved the ashes in an urn when the dog died) and they would not allow it so he is buried with his dog in the pet cemetery. He is probably in better company there.
So, my wife and I had to cancel camping plans because of her foot and the fact that, well, she can’t do much while camping. We were thinking of heading south west, and perhaps picking up a kitten…who may be named after a character on a show with a ship that’s not the Love Boat (which turned 30 this year!).
So whatchu think?
I love that first picture. what a great shot of those tiny little teeth. I just love little cat teeth. hehe.