Goodbye 2012!!

Happy New year to you all my little friends.  Mum did manage to capture me this morning, by pretending to open some fancy feast to entice me inside.  She then wisked me off to the vet.  I am a good girl at the vet, cos I am so scared,  I let them do anything.  I make it look easy to put things in my eye, and give me pills.  I have them fooled !!!   Mum has to continue with the eye ointment, but the vet said I am looking good.  Except she used the F word again (fat she called me).

So- in 2012:

1. One is the total amount of antibiotics that mum got down my gob.  She was meant to give me 12.  Her head is hung down in shame.
2. The amount of emergency vet visits I have had this year - for opposite ends.  There was my bad eye, and my pooh explosion of March - which resulted in an emergency Brazilian butt shave .
3. The amount of jabs I have had to have because I wouldn't take my pills
4. Mum has tried me on four lots of diet biscuits.  Not going to eat them, no way.
5. 5.30am wake up is a new treat for mum.  She should swap those early shifts, as I can train my early wake up call for breakfast for that time everyday.
6. Six kilos I weighed today.  Good work on the diet this year mum.  I have gained instead of lost.
7. 7am is when mum would prefer I woke her up.  Luckily on the day she forgot to set her alarm clock, this was precisely the time I came and jumped on her on her bed.
8. 8pm is usually the latest time I stay up to.  I often eat my fancy feast then make my way to bed soon after.
9. 9pm is probably the latest mum will stay up til tonight.  She had a bit of insomnia last night and so is tired today.  She's getting old too, and is over New Years.  A nice dinner with friends will be enough for her.
10. 10% of my body weight is what I have to lose to make the vet happy.  Better add that to my New Years resolution list.
11. Mum has eleventy million things to add to her New Years Resolution list too.  She might have to just pick three or four to concentrate on.
12. 2012 - the year the world was meant to end.  Glad it is still ticking and we get to come back for more in 2013!  Ha

Happy New Years Everybuddy!!!

Classic

Mum does have some access to old blog photos that she can upload.  She laughed when she saw these ones, as we can't remember when they were taken.

 They reminds her of last week at the vets.  The vets gave me the once over and said that he was sure I must have been in a cat fight and been scratched on my belly, as when he touched it I sucked it in and arched my back.  Classic signs he said.

 Mum said that she didn't think I had been scratched there, as I just wasn't used to strange men fondling my belly.  She would do the same thing if some doctor went to poke around her tummy too.  Mum had given me the once over and she was pretty sure the only thing hurty on me was my eye.

Anyways wish my mum luck.  She thinks she has to catch me tomorrow morning for cat check up.  She thinks she has a plan for capture.

Caturday

It is Caturday here in Chez Q.  Lots of relaxing going on here.  Mum went out with one of her besties and went to see The Hobbit, at Peter Jacksons local movie theatre, The Roxy just down the road from Weta Workshop the Miramar studio where much of it was made.  She saw the 3D version and quite enjoyed it.  It took a while to get used to the way it was filmed and the glasses.  There were too many orcs and battles, but it was better than mum had expected, especially as she felt a bit meh about it.

So the pill popping - a couple of issues:

• Greenies pill pockets aren't sold in NZ and noone on Ebay will send them to this far flung corner of the world.
• I don't like the people food, so mum can't smuggle it into a piece of salmon or mince. 
• Mum crushed some and sprinkled it into my feast last night.  I didn't eat it, but apparently the neighbours cat is now cured of all it's infections.
• Tonight, mum tried to mix my pill in with some butter.  I have figured that out and turned my nose up at dinner.  Good luck neighbour cat.

My eye is looking much better, and mum will make sure the vet is happy with me.  She might see if the vet can jab me with some antibiotics in a big dose.  Thanks for all the useful advice - you guys are awesome.  Enjoy your Caturday!!

Pill Popping

This is me with my last scratcher pad.  I used to sleep with it - I loved it that much.

So day two of the pill popping and mum is ready to give up.  Two lots of pills and ointment a day is too much for a reluctant pussy cat.  Mum says I can still run fast - so must be feeling better.

I have to go back to the vet on Monday morning for a check up - lucky lucky me.

Eye Eye

My left eye is still a bit hurty.  When mum gotted up late this morning, she was glad to see that I could open my eye and it wasn't too crusty.  She did the first eye ointment, and got it more around my eye than in it - she must study the youtube instructions again.  Antiobiotics started tonight.  One down - 11 to go - wish her luck.

Mums own vets rung this morning to check I was ok.  Mum is going to decide on Saturday if I need a check up and if I am not feeling better, she will rebook for either Saturday or Monday, before the next stat holiday.

Thank you so much friends for all of your well wishes.  Mum told me all the nice things you said.

She is still trying to fix the photo problem with the blog - so scuse the old photos.  You have all been helpful, but nothing she tries seems to get her away from google plus.  Now she has some days off, she is going to try and figure it out.

Boxing Day Emergency Vet Visit

Well today wasn't as relaxing as mum had hoped for.  When she got up, she checked on me, and I was asleep in the spare room, and my left eye was almost closed over, and I was very quiet and subdued.  She knew that it would mean I should see the vet, as she didn't want my eye to fall out, and for me to become Poppy the eyepatch Pirate for real.

So she rung the vet, and couldn't get a visit til 2.45pm.   She did let  me sleep until just before 2pm when I got trapped in the PTU and taken to the emergency vets on the other side of town.  They were busy busy, all the cats in Wellington (and 2 sick dogs) were lined up, mostly quiet and one crazy loud cat.  We didn't even get into the vet til 4pm, and he was a bit stressed out, but very nice.

He put some drops in and shined lots of lights in my eyes and said it had an ulcer probably from a cat scratch, and that I had a temperature as well.  So I got some a thermometer up the number 13 spot,  pain meds, some eye drops and antibiotics.  I offloaded a whole lot of fur on my mum, and she had to offload $257 to pay for my adventure.

I have come home with pills and drops.  Mum let me have some biscuits and water, a little play and now she is trying to chase me to the bedroom so I can get some sleep.

We hope you all had a lovely day, with a little less adventure than mine.

Merry Christmas Everybuddy

Merry Christmas everybuddy!!!

 We awoke to a most fabulous sunny and warm day.  I gotted a new scratching pad - for hours of kitty fun.  Mum didn't realise til lunchtime that I had hurt my left eye.  It is a bit weepy, and I am a bit quiet, but the eye is opened fully and I don't appear to be in pain.  Mum rung the one after hours vet, and they said if  she got more worried to bring me in.  It would be a pit of a pain, as it is on the other side of the city, but mum would take me there if I needed it.

So me and mum are taking it easy, relaxing inside out of the sun.  We hope you are having some time with your loved ones and enjoying lots of tasty noms.

One More Sleep Til Santa

Only one more sleep til Santa arrives here in  NZ.  Mum has finished work - yippee!!!  She is so glad to finally having a break.   Mum even braved the supermarket at 5.30pm this evening and said it wasn't too bad.

Here I am snuggling with last years Christmas present.  Wasn't I lucky - I gotted these fluffy catnip mousies and I loved them - til I lost them.

We hope you are all having a lovely Christmas eve/evening.

Snoozy Sunday

Today we had a spot of sunshine in the middle of the day and then a big old sea fog rolled in, so it was the perfect day for sleeping.  We know we talk about the weather a lot, but most Kiwis do.  We are getting the tail end of a cyclone, that devestated Samoa , and now it is tracking down NZ, bringing rain in time for Christmas.  Luckily mum has lots of books and movies at the ready, and might even head to the cinema.

Today, she grabbed lots of old leaves from the garden, which made her happy to get some of that done.  She is on-call tonight, then works tomorrow, then that is work all done for 2012.  Our Gdad was going to come to visit with us for Christmas, but he is not feeling well, and thinks it best if he stays at home.

Salmon steak and coleslaw for the mums dinner tonight, and fancy old feast for me.

Apocalypse Survival

So now the end of the world drama is over, we can get onto organising Christmas.  Mum got to go and have a visit to the new supermarket early this evening, and stock up with Christmas goodies.  She bought some ham, salmon, a chicken, chocolates, plum pudding, custard, salad, grapes and lots of other tasty bits.  There is plenty of feast in the cupboard for me - don't worry I haven't been forgotten.

Mum is on call for the weekend, just two more nights to go, and to work Monday then holidays begin.  Today was a day spent at home taking it easy, and trying to avoid the crazy Christmas crowds in town.

We hope all of your plans are going well for the festive season.

End of the World Countdown

Mum has got home and is spending the end of the world night hopefully with me.  She is on call, so she could well be at work if it happens.  She does not actually believe anything will be happening and hopes everybody will be safe.

She is on holiday coutdown - Just Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday night and Monday day work to go then she will be on holiday.  She is going to avoid the city over the weekend, and just go to the fruit and veg market and the supermarket.  She thinks that town will be crazy, and mum has got most of the things she needs.  She also has some books, DVDs and magazines from the library to keep her busy, as well as lots of sewing and art projects.

Hope you are all safe and if the world does end - see you in the line upstairs.

Half Way to Holidays

Mum says today is half way to holidays.  She has to work shift tonight, then four more days, then she is on holiday with me.  She didn't get to post last night, as she worked late.  The weather here has turned to summer, and we have been having some glorious days and warm days and nights.

Mum had visitors this morning, got some housework done, baked some banana muffins and wrapped up some santa presents.  Me - I camped out in the garden under my favorite garden chair.

Panic Over

Mum says the panic is over - she finished reading The Passage, so if the world does end on Friday she knows what happened at the end.  She did laugh at the end of the book, when the author was describing his daughter reading everywhere and anytime, she sounds a lot like mum.  Mum read the book before she went to bed, in the morning drying her hair, while eating her breakfast, at morning tea, at lunchtime and got it finished at afternoon tea.  Phew!!

She doesn't truly believe that the world will end at the end of the week.  She has too much to do over the weekend, as well as being on call again.  Never mind - come Christmas Eve, mums break will begin.

End of the World Reading Challenge

There is a part of mum that scoffs at the idea of the world ending on Friday the 21st.  Then another part of her is worried that the world will end, and she won't have finished reading The Passage, the book she has on the go on her Kindle.  She is at 85% read, and as it is a huge book, she knows she will have to read 5% every day so that she knows how it finishes.  She also knows that it is part one of three books, so no doubt it will be some sort of cliffhanger.

Just in case the world doesn't end she bought me lots of  fancy feast cans at the supermarket tonight.  She also came home and made butter chicken and rice for herself for dinner, swept up some leaves in the garden, weeded and watered some plants, did some washing, a whole load of dishes and swept the floors.  Tonight she is going to sit down and watch some tele before heading to bed with her Kindle.

Countdown - 8 days to go

We are on the countdown til Christmas, and mum gets some time off with me.  Today she did lots of tugging and pulling in the garden and filled up the wheelie bin, ready for some more weeds tomorrow.  It was nice to be out in the sun and breezes, and mum opened up every door and window to let the fresh air flow.

She finished off  a couple of DVDs.  What to Expect When Your Expecting - a bit of cheesy celebrity spotting flick about a group of couples, all expecting bubs at the same time.  2/5  Then mum  finished of watching the last series of Spooks - Series 10.  She wanted Harry and Ruth to end up happy together, but sadly it was not to be.  It did feel like it was just a lot of running around to get to the end game, and mum thinks that they shoud have finished the series a few years earlier.  Still she has to give it a 3/5.

Mum is going to try and keep her zen face on all week, especially when she has to venture to the supermarket.  People go crazy over the holidays, even though the shops will only close for one day.

Caturday

Mum and I had a great Caturday.  I sent her off to the fruit and veg market - she said it was humming!!  This weeks haul was pineapple, strawberries, bell peppers, onions, asparagus, cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, lemons and sweetcorn.

I then sent her off to get her hair cut and coloured, which she says went ok - she likes her hairdresser and they always have a laugh.  She then bought herself a christmas present and something for me.  Oh boy I wonder what she gotted me?

The day was lovely and sunny, and as she walked out the front she discovered my new hiding place, a wee nest I have made for myself in the front garden, where I can hide from strangers and keep warm in the sun.

Wishing you all a lovely Caturday.

Fridays Fun Festival

Friday Fun Festival has begun!!  Woop Woop the washing is on, the dried clothes are folded and put away,  the dishwasher has been emptied, the leaves picked up in the backyard.  Dinner was nice - made me some chicken tomato and lettuce sandwiches for her and a fancy feast for me.  The candles are lit and a  cocktail was made - L&P ( a Kiwi drink a bit like a mix of lemonade and ginger ale) with pineapple juice and a touch of vodka (mum's bottle has lasted her three years so she only uses a tiny bit in a drink).  Then it will be a bit of white chocolate and raspberry ice cream in front of a DVD - what to expect when you are expecting.

Hope you all have a lovely Friday night - treat yourselves!!

More Thriftiness

Scuse the old photo.  We did not need the heater on today - it was finally very warm and felt like summer.  Mum is busy cooking some chicken for dinner, and our suburb is kind of safe, so the front door and back door and windows are wide open, letting the little breeze in the house.  Yes - we know that living in NZ is like living in the 1950s.

Mum tossed up what she should do after work - come home and sit in the sun and read her book, or go and look at some local shops.  She has been a bit poor before Christmas, but was glad that she went to the shops, as two local clothes shops had 50% off ladies clothes.  Now clothes in NZ are generally very expensive, and mum shops usually at the cheaper end of shops and buys second hand as well.  She was lucky to pick up three pairs of pants for $20 each (about $15 US) and a couple of cheap tshirts.  She was glad to get the pants, as she only had a couple of pairs left to wear, and one is beginning to get holes and are ready for the bin.

We guess that it has been a tough time for retailers lately and they are having lots of pre Christmas sales.  Mum has to get her hair done on Saturday and will get a couple of things on Saturday morning, but will try and avoid the shops til after the crazy season is over.

Lunchiliscious

Mums lunch today was lunchiliscious - she had made some fresh carrot and corriander soup at the beginning of the week, and took it to work to eat for the rest of the week.  Some nice grainy bread, and an orange was all she needed to make her tummy full.  Dinner for her was some Thai green curry and rice, and for me - a fancy feast.

Mum is trying to make her own lunches every day for work, as eating at one of the two cafes are two expensive for her.  She finds that the easiest thing is to plan for a weeks lunches by having the same thing each day of the week.  So this week is soup, last week was bagels, pate and capsicum.  Her soup used $3 worth of ingredients and another $3 for the bread, so it feels kind of thrifty.

Tooesday

Mr Sneaky stayed out of the house last night.  I did wake mum up at early bird o'clock to have a morning snack though, she is worried that she has created a morning monster.  We're off to bed early as mum has an early start at work in the morning, and then she is off to her favourite supermarket for a bit of grocery retail shopping.

Mr Sneaky the Midnight Biscuit Thief

Remember Mr Skinny the visitor cat?  Well last night mum heard a crunching of cat biscuits in our room.  But she knew I was asleep between her knees.  She had to wake me up, so I could chase Mr Sneaky off.  That is why mum had put the biscuit bowl in my room, cos she thought somebuddy was sneaking in for a nibble.

The plan tonight will be that once I have had my evening snack, the biscuits will be put away up high.  So no more midnight feasts for me or for Mr Sneaky.

Sleepy Sunday

Today I got a bit of snoozing done.  Tonight is mums third and last night on call, so she is ready for a decents night sleep on Monday.  It has made me very tired.

We can't believe how close it is getting to Christmas.  Mum has put out our decorations and the lounge looks cosy and festive with the lights up.  We only have a small fake tree, which I am not interested in at all.  Mum is most looking forward to having a break from work and being able to relax at home with me.

Caturday

Hello Caturday.  Mum had to work til early o'clock this morning, so we missed posting on Friday.  She managed three hours sleep overnight, and had to have a two hour nap when she got home.   A visit to the market, some housework and gardening and lots of washing filled in her day.  She is on call again overnight in another fifteen minutes, and can feel that she is fading fast.  Oh well - each call in will give her some money to help us enjoy christmas, and mum knows she is lucky to have a job.

Hope you are all having a nice day and getting some sleeps in.  Enjoy your Caturday.

In Love

Mum is in love - with her new supermarket.  She got an early morning call in was able to go there about 8.30am.  She says it is all new and swanky, with lots more space than the usual one she goes to.  So she stocked up with lots of yummies, and is going to have some steak and salad for her dinner.  Some feast for me, and milk temptations (I think I am in love now too!!).

We have just watched our news tonight - there was a crazy tornado up north in Auckland.  It has tragically killed three and injured many more.

Moan

So yesterday we moaned about the weather, and today we woke up and it was worse.  Dark, cold and rained all day.  Hello first week of summer - could you come back to us?  We heard we might get some sunshines on Sunday - four days away.

So mum didn't make it to the new supermarket after work, but will try later in the week.

Smooches

Snuggle Time

Cold here in the city, we'll need the electric blanket on again to keep us warm and toasty.  Summer is a bit chilly so far. 

 Big excitement - our new supermarket around the corner opens tomorrow!!  Mum says AWESOME, as they are her fave, and now will be a ten minute walk away from the house.  Is it sad that mum is excited?

Summer Evenings

Mum spoke with her brother and his family tonight.  They are all sitting in their separate rooms texting, playing computer games or watching tv on a beautiful summer evening.  Mum suggested that they have a couple of technology free evenings, and go and take their dog for  a walk on the beach instead.

Mum is trying to listen to her own advice and come home and potter around outside and enjoy the lovely evenings while they last.  So she is going to try and turn  the computer on at seven pm, and leave it on  for another twenty minutes, then shut it down at 9.30pm, and get some jobs done before bedtime.  She usually has the laptop on beside her all evening, but she thinks two and  a half hours is enough in the evening time.

Me - I've been in bed already since 7pm.

Do you have a computer limit?

Sleepy Sunday

We tried to go to bed early on Saturday night = hello thunder storm that woke us up all night with crazy thunder booms and big winds.  It sounded like our whole house was ready to take off into space.

Even though it was really dark at 7am, mum got up and went with her besties to a craft fair.  It is usually held on the first weekend of December every year, which is the first weekend of summer.  No one ever tells the weather gods though, mum thinks it has been at least seven years since it has been warm or sunny on Thorndon fair day.  Mum did manage to buy some stuff though.

The weather has calmed down now, so mum has made chicken wraps for dinner, and picked up some of the leaves that fell down in the wind last night.  Hopefully tonight we can catch up on our snoozes.

Hello December

Today mum woke up early, but went back to bed to read her book as it was a bit wild and windy here today.  She is still enjoying her banana muffins for breakfast, and then she popped off to the local market to stock up. leaving the washing machine and dishwasher humming.

 Today she bought dill, courgettes, cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, cucumber, lemons, green beans, kiwifruit, pineapple and strawberries.  She visited the fishmonger and bought fresh Teraki and Salmon to have for her dinner - and no I'm not interested in any fish.

I helped mum with some more weeding, after that we needed a wee nap before she popped out again.  So after a big dinner with five servings of fruit and veg & fish for tea, mum is going to watch the Antiques roadshow on the tv.  She needs an early night, as it will be an early start on Sunday.

We welcome December, and hope it brings us some more warmth and sunshines.