This busy (for me) week

On Wednesday, I had my 6 month teeth cleaning.  Not fun, but lots of clean teeth afterwards. 

Friday night I went to see Penn & Teller perform.  I'm not sure what I expected, but it was an interesting and fun show.

To start with, it was held at the Route 66 Casino.  I've only been there once before, a whole bunch of years ago.  Which meant I'd forgotten it's 17 miles (or so) west of Albuquerque.  It's not in the middle of nowhere, but you can see the middle from their parking lot.  Essentially it was set up to provide food & gambling for people who stop at their truck stop for gas.

I do have a bit of a gripe about their auditorium.  The seating needs to be 'raked' a bit more.  It's flatter than it could be & means it can be hard to find a clear sight line to the stage.  I managed, but it was an effort.  It helped they had a couple of large screens on either side of the stage.  But I didn't want to watch them on a screen, I wanted to watch them on the stage.

The show was part fun and part a discussion of Penn & Teller's philosophy regarding illusion, sleight of hand, putting on a 'magic' show and life.  The pace is leisurely.  I enjoyed it and am happy that I've been able to see them live.  They do include audience participation which was amusing (since the jokes were on other people).  Note:  they're not 'cruel' to the audience participants, but they do joke around.  It's fun to see them do a trick and then show you how they do it.  Teller did a sleight of hand involving a lit cigarette, a pencil and a fake lighter.  He did the trick, then did the trick showing you exactly how it's done, and then faked you out doing the trick again.

I was disappointed because they didn't do their usual meet-and-greet after the show.  The casino is a casino, after all and so they have slots almost up to the front door of the auditorium.  I have a couple of books written by Penn and was hoping to get them signed.  No luck there.  Rats!

Tomorrow is the biannual ABQ main library's clear-the-shelves book sale.  $5 per bag of books - you get to pick the books from the tables they've set up.  LOVE it!

I know.  For many folks, this would not be a busy week.  I'm not most folks.

Papillon

Balloon Out Back

When I first moved to Albuquerque I was frequently found tracking and photographing the balloons during the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.

That has tapered off in recent years.  I like sleeping in on the weekends and the balloons go up early.

This morning I heard a balloon around 7:30 AM.  I got up, looked around and didn't see anything.  About 15-20 minutes later, I heard the balloon again.  I walked outside and there, in the park behind the house, was a balloon setting up prior to flight.  My guess is, they decided to avoid the crowds and early hours of the ascension field.

Inflated and almost ready for takeoff.

And, up into the air.

They weren't the only ones looking for later hours and less of a crowd.

Early morning in the Albuquerque metro area during Balloon Fiesta.

Papillon

Getting my creativity groove back

For the longest time, I've done VERY LITTLE in the way of crafts.  I just had no creative energy at all.  I've been waiting for it to come back.  And waiting.

Finally I decided to take the advice of Jack London (American author), who said -- You can't wait for inspiration.  You have to go after it with a club.

I decided to start with a project from my quilt group.  We had a packet of batik fabric fat eighths.  We could use those fabrics plus a couple more non-packet fabrics.  We could make anything we wanted - in any size we want.  It also had to include a pieced star.

I have a book of paper-pieced blocks - 50 star blocks/1 for each of the US states.  I chose the block labeled Maine.  Here's my first one - done this afternoon while switching back and forth between football and NASCAR.

Since the packets and fat eighths aren't providing a TON of available fabrics.  If I can stretch things enough, I'm thinking I'll make 5 more blocks and put some sashing around each one and make myself either a small wallhanging or a runner for the dining room table.

Cesar 'helped' for a while.  Inspected my sewing machine.  Laid on fabric so it wouldn't float away.  That sort of thing.  After a while he decided he done more than enough and expended too much energy.

I'm off to see if I can see the lunar eclipse.  I looked earlier but I think my view was blocked by neighboring houses.

Papillon

"Up In The Clouds?"

For the longest time, I thought Cesar was a 'shrub' cat.  One who liked to be low down.  For example, he took a nap wedged under a chair on the floor.

So imagine my surprise to find his new favorite nap place is about 6.5 to 7 feet off the ground on top of a bookcase.

Of course, to get up and down, he has to use a shorter bookcase and knock a few books off onto the floor.

The things we do for our pets.  ;)

Papillon

Just Chillin'

OK, I'd say Cesar is settling in nicely.
Just getting his 'relax' on.

Papillon

Settling In

Cesar seems to be settling in quite well.  He can still be a tiny bit clingy, but not terribly so.

He really does love his catnip mice.  He especially likes stalking them underneath the dining table and in and out of the chair legs.  Here he is - taking a short break before 'killing' another (catnip) mouse.

He's not a good photo subject.  He'll strike a pose.  As I'm getting my camera set to take a picture, he'll move around.  Or, while I was taking a series of photos of him on the floor with the mouse, he got curious about the noise and got up on the arm of the chair.

So I decided to help him take some selfies.

Ever so slightly cross-eyed, but they do go nicely with his collar.

Looking a bit regal.

I'm so glad he's settling in.  He was so sad the first week and a half.

Papillon

Progress is being made

Cesar seems to be loosening up.  Example:  for the first week the only sounds I heard from him were a couple of sad-sounding meows on the way home.  After that, he was silent.  For a Siamese, this is not normal.

Almost exactly a week after I brought him home, he gave me two soft, small meows.  Since then, he's not a 'talker' but he does meow, especially in greeting me when I get home from work.

Also, for the past week and a half, he's showed NO interest in toys of any kind.  Catnip mice, whiffle balls, nothing seemed to interest him.  Imagine my surprise and pleasure tonight when I noticed he was actually playing with the scratching box.  I'd bought a flat cat-scratcher that has openings so cats can bat at the balls inside.  He used it as a scratching device until tonight, when he began poking his paws into the openings.

Then, he started batting around the catnip mice.  And having a great, good time doing so.  I was at the computer when he jumped up on my desk and dumped a mouse (catnip) in my lap.  I threw it.  He attacked it and then brought it to me.  I threw it.  He attacked it and brought it to me.  Lather, rinse, repeat.  Being a cat, this was only for a few reps, but my new cat fetches!

Quite a change from the traumatized, quiet cat I brought home a week and a half ago.

Progress!

Papillon