Dear Lazy Bum,

It's past 9:30 AM and i've been up since 6 AM. I've already indulged in a not-so-secret stash of chocolate i found in the kitchen and i'm functioning pretty well on this caffeine and sugar high. But i'm trying to avoid the bedroom so i don't get lured into taking a morning nap.

I'm starting to believe, naps are complete Time suckages. But oh, how i love them!

Anyway, our apartment is much bigger than our last and with more corners to hide, Luna often plays Marco Polo. With every whine, i respond by calling out her name, which she then uses to acoustically locate me. It can get annoying but the second she finds me, she comes running towards me with a quivering tail and i forgive her.

As for Yoshi, he's passed out in the corner. Probably exhausted because he spent part of the night bringing random toys to the bed again. I woke up with some cling wrap, two plastic strings and a rolled up plastic bag shoved under my pillow. I'm just glad that they're not complete outdoor cats because that would mean i would have to start worrying about them bringing me rodents.

Speaking of outdoors, it's getting quite warm.

Yesterday when i went to the supermarket i had on a thin hoodie, by the time i got back i had already sweat bullets. My winter blubber has been following me around and lately, i've become self conscious about my growing muffin top. J has opted to ride his bike to work instead of using his car, which apparently only takes 15 minutes door-to-door, and i'm starting to feel that eating less junk food may not be enough.

My regular workout consists of walking around our 86 square metre apartment with the exception of walking to the train station down the road twice a week for German classes. And i'm starting to notice living in my 30s, means carbohydrates and all things sweets have started to set up camp on my thighs and arse for much longer.

I'm not keen on paying for a gym or a yoga membership and the nearest public pool costs 14.50 Euro for a two-hour visit. I've reserved bike rides with J for the weekends, so my only solution to get the blood pumping is either walking or learning how to jog. I've heard and read that jogging/running is a great way to burn calories but can be a bitch for ones' joints and boobs if you don't have the correct support.


But i should really stop making excuses and just go out, even if it means just window shopping along the main street. It looks like it's going to be a gorgeous day/week, so go out and do something!

Love,
Chrissie.

Fressnapf delivers*

For the past few days i've been contemplating whether or not i should take the tram and find the nearest Fressnapf. It's the only pet store that stocks the brand of dry food and cat litter that both our kitties are used to. Unfortunately, the nearest store is several stops away and is a few blocks away from the actual tram stop. Which wouldn't be so much of an issue if i had a car but when one is forced to go by foot, there is that fear that carrying that much weight could eventually cause an involuntary hernia.

So i checked the pet store's website and it turns out they deliver!

And the best part is, every order that's over 19 Euro has no delivery charge. So that means my days of carrying a 12 kg bag of clumping litter up the stairs are finally over.

Thank you fressnapf.de for making my life just that little bit easier.

And as a new customer i got 10% off my first purchase, which i thought was quite nice.

As for the delivery, if i wanted my stuff the next day, there was a 2 Euro surcharge. But since i've been stretching out the kitties dry food, i figured i'd go with the normal delivery which says it takes 2-3 working days.

They then sent me a link so i could track my parcel...

And here i am still waiting.

UPDATE : It's 1 PM and my order just arrived... Yay!

Thank you Mr. Delivery Man.

* My apologies for this super uninteresting post. But it sure beats telling you that i need to bust out a needle and thread so i can do some alterations to my Karneval costume. And that i must attend to another load of laundry and a sink full of dirty dishes.

Congrats! A special blend just for YOU.

Today i celebrate my third year living in Germany and what better way to mark the occasion than to find out that SOMEBODY had peed in our bed.

Obviously, it wasn't me or J but there's high suspicions that it was Yoshi since there were tufts of light coloured cat hair around the crime scene.

So last night just as i was about to tuck myself into bed, i smelt a distinct L'Eau de Pee Pee in the air. If you've ever dealt with cat pee, you'll know that exact stench the second you get close. So i pulled back the covers and zoomed in on the wet patch that had soaked in on J's side of the bed.

Yup!

Clearly, SOMEBODY wasn't very happy with J and made an effort to show their feelings.


So i spent part of last night and a huge chunk of the morning washing the bed linen, duvets and pillows with a concoction of washing powder, vinegar and an oxi-stain remover. I'm really hoping that works.

SIDE NOTE : If any of my readers have won the battle against The Accidental Cat Pee, please feel free to comment and share your wisdom.

But what i really need is an Enzyme-breaker. One that is said to work wonders in removing the smell and breaking down the properties.

However, currently it's minus 4˚C, grey and depressing and i'm in no mood to gallivant around the city looking for a pet store that stocks it.

And so my mission to remove the P to the double E continues.

***

The last time something like this happened was when the kitties were coming of age. I remember J telling me, as soon as one of them started marking their territories, we would have to intervene. And first step was to close the bedroom door on them. Which, i have to add, they did not approve of and tried every means possible to get into our bedroom for no other reason but because they knew they weren't allowed in there anymore.

Their most famous tag team tactic was when one would scratch the door and the second i'd open the door to shoo them away, the other would come racing in at full speed slipping past my feet and straight under the bed. At which point, i'd turn around and not guard the door and the other one would run in and hide in the corner.

But most of the time it was just a whole lot of scratching at the door. And the more it continued, the more irritating it got since it was usually me that had to get up and squirt them with the water bottle or chase them away.

So when we moved to this new apartment seven weeks ago, we invited the kitties to sleep in the room with us thinking they might be scared sleeping alone. We figured they'd be old enough by now not to have any "accidents".

Everything seemed to work out just fine.

Luna would find her spot by the window sill and Yoshi would snuggle up around my ankles. And only sometimes i'd wake up in the middle of the night to find Yoshi standing beside me dangling a random toy or shoelace above me hoping i'd wake up and play with him. But for the majority of the time, everyone was well behaved.

That was until yesterday happened and comfort got the better of them.

Needless to say, the kitties are now banned from our bedroom... again.

And so, i think, it's time i invest in a pair of earplugs.

Living Together and "Playing House".

It's Saturday and it's been snowing all morning. I really hope for J's sake the snow stops because he's in his car driving 180 km north. Yup, in the direction where apparently more snow has fallen and turned to ice.

His grandmother is showing early signs of Alzheimer's disease, so as the caring grandson that J is, he's gone up to go see how she is doing. Perhaps even discuss with her the option of moving into an old peoples' home which has 24/7 care or to hire someone to come by her place to help out with daily errands.

Oma M is a very independent lady and at 83 she still drives around in her car.

As for me, my weekend will most likely involve being trapped indoors. I have work to finish off and an apartment to sort though but as usual, distractions keep me busy.

But as of next week, i'll be busy as a bee.

On Monday we're planning on taking the train to Köln.

There's a train station just around the corner from our new place. If everything runs smoothly, it will take us approximately two hours to get there from here. Considering how iced over some of the roads are, choosing to go by train may end up being a wise choice. I just hope they're able to clear the snow off of the tracks by then.

But i bought the two-way tickets online the other day and it only cost us 48 Euros for the both of us. Tickets bought on the day would be about three times the price. So planning in advance does help.

So anyway, we've arranged with the young family who is currently living in the apartment that we would like to come by the place and measure out the space for the kitchen.

Apparently, they're only moving out on the 31st of December. Which means we have to make another trip down to collect the keys and possibly even paint some areas.

Ya, i know, on New Year's Eve.


But once my client finally pays me for several outstanding bills, our plan is to go to IKEA and begin the gruelling task of designing and picking out items for our very own kitchen.

My fingers are crossed that the bank processes the payments by this coming Tuesday or Wednesday.

The other week we so happened to be in IKEA and saw one kitchen layout that seemed to be within our budget. We're going to try and stick to a 1,500 Euro budget. I'm talking a full functional kitchen including a kitchen island. Minus an oven though because we already have one in storage.

But this move means investing a lot of hard earned money. In turn also means, i'm not moving for at least a few years!

It'll be the first time that J or i have bought a full-fledged kitchen unit.

Seriously, i feel so grown up.

And unlike most countries where kitchens are part of the rent, in Germany it is common that apartments come empty. Knowing our nomad lifestyles, we've been limited to finding places that come with a built-in kitchen and have been lucky so far to have moved into places that already have floors installed and wallpaper intact.

However, that said, we're moving into an apartment that has no kitchen simply because we fell in love with the overall place.

But it's no wonder people choose not to move apartments/cities or move out of their own parents' home. It's just plain expensive!

Living on this side of Europe is damn expensive full-stop.

***

But in a moment of procrastination, i was browsing through IKEA Hackers and came across one piece in particular that i'm liking. Siebrenna calls it the Bookcase with scratching post and hammock.

I need another bookcase in my work/guest room anyway. And considering our kitties spend most of their time in which ever room i'm in, i thought this would be perfect. Plus it looks rather simple to put together.

It only requires an Expedit Bookcase, a LACK Wall shelf, Shelves Carriers and Material from an old scratching post.

[source]

Luna and Yoshi are not huge fans of hammocks. But i may just install one anyway since my sister had bought one for them and they don't seem to know that they can lounge on it. I can hang it up and store all their toys in it.

Currently when their toys are not scattered everywhere, i put them all in an old cardboard box. The very same box that used to house both of them at the same time. Yoshi's now outgrown it but once in a while he tries to squeeze his butt in there.

Anyway once we get all the pieces, i'll be sure to post up the finished results.

***

But the best deal so far has to be the package deal that J was able to organise with the guy that plans on moving our things.

Not only will him and his team move the contents of our current home into our new place 164 km away but he's also going to pick up all the contents of our kitchen from IKEA, deliver it to our new place AND assemble it. All for a low price of 1,200 Euros.

Sounds expensive but with all that's included, it's a pretty damn good deal.

I guess that's one of the benefits of living in a smaller town, they tend to charge smaller rates.

***

12:30

7 days from now it will be Christmas. In 14 days it will be 2011 and in 16 days we will be in a new apartment unpacking boxes and starting a new chapter in yet another city.

So what are your plans for Christmas and New Year?

A Balcony Excursion

Yesterday was an exceptionally beautiful day. The clouds were out of sight, the sun was shining and the sky was the most perfect shade of baby blue. A rare sighting since grey is often the colour that best describes German skies. The fresh layer of snow that had fallen during the night glistened under the sun making it look like diamonds were scattered everywhere.


Unfortunately, the photo wasn't able to capture it. But still, isn't it just so pretty? Although at minus 6˚C, it's much nicer to appreciate such beauty behind shut windows. Don't cha think?

So anyway, i decided to let the kitties out on the balcony.

Their daily unsupervised excursions have been put on hold because the weather has been so crap lately. And with our new addition to our balcony, i've been concerned that they might try and attack it, or worse, digest some fallen needles.

As i stood shivering in the doorway watching Yoshi ever so cautiously investigate the corners, i could hear the snow and the layer of ice beneath him make a crunching sound with each step.


Luna, however, was not so adventurous. She opted to stand on the edge where the snow had not fallen and observe her brother from a distance. Licking the snow off her paw every so often and getting distracted each time a random bird flew off into the distance.

But their excursion ended the second i screamed, "NEIN YOSHI!"

Yoshi had tried to impale his nose on the end of a branch just so he could get a better whiff. He, of course, knew he got caught and ran inside. Luna then followed close behind.

Scaredy cats.

Happy birthday Luna and Yoshi!

Yesterday was Luna and Yoshi's 1st birthday. Converted into human years that would mean they are about 15 or 16. I can't actually be sure if the 28th of November was their day but i remember their foster parents saying when we first met them they were about 9 weeks, so i basically counted back and chose yesterday.

A visit to Fressnapf on Saturday to stock up on their food, treats and kitty litter. As well as to look for presents for them.


And a second transport carrier box since the wicker basket we originally bought for them can easily house Yoshi but with Luna there, it can be a bit of a tight squeeze.

But i think we may have underestimated Luna's size. Although she fits in the carrier, she can't really properly stand without stooping her head slightly down. We may need to go back and exchange it for a bigger one.


Anyway presents wise, we ended up buying a Shakin' Billy worm and a KONG Wubba for cats.

If you pull on the tail end of the furry worm it's supposed to wiggle. But in reality, it sort of just vibrates for about 3 seconds. I don't think they were as impressed as we were. Oh well.

But what was a real surprise was seeing them go crazy over the KONG Wubba. The nylon-polyster extra-long crinkle tails and rattle are said to encourage active play and the added catnip is to lure them in.

Previously, i've bought them other catnip scented toys and both of them tended to ignore them. I guess it's the combination of the material and the smell they like.

*shrugs*


They are typical teenagers with mood swings and the ability to tune out when they're being told repeatedly not to do something. However, there are times that Luna can be such a little lady and Yoshi such a gentleman.

Days leading to their day, i realised how much their characters have developed over the last few months. And whilst observing them eat, Luna tends to eat first and then leaves about half of what was in the wet food bowl so Yoshi can have his share of dinner. And whilst Luna eats quietly, Yoshi tends to take the contents of the food bowl out and leaving a complete mess beside it.

Character wise they're totally different, as all siblings often are.

Luna is the more active one although far more introvert. Over the months she has become slightly more calmer, meaning she won't try and scratch you if you try and carry her. But she does scare VERY easily. If you don't warn her that you're going to pet her, she'll make a yelp/squeek the second that you do. Just as humans would if you tried to sneak up on them and scare them.

And no toilet visit is complete without Luna wanting to jump on your lap for a rub down. Even if she's fast a sleep and i don't hear from her all day, the second she hears me walk towards the bathroom, she's immediately awake and comes running.

"Mister Yoshi", as i like to call him, is definitely more chilled out and a complete Mama's Boy. He has a tendency to follow me around the apartment and likes to play fetch with the rolled up plastic bag. He also insists that he lies in the gap between the keyboard and myself when i'm doing work. His coat has become rather thick, making him soft as a teddy. It's no wonder J calls me "cat woman" because i'm forever covered with his hair.


I'm happy they get along and i can't imagine having one without the other. Their characters are somewhat opposite but what one lacks, the other one has. Simply put, they complement one another very nicely.

I love both of my fur babies very much. And yes, J too!

Fallen Snowflakes.

I'm not sure what it is that makes me so happy when i see snow. Catching myself being mesmerized by the falling snowflakes could be one and second, it sort of covers all the dirty stuff making the area look pure and pristine. OK, not so much pristine but seeing fresh, untouched snow puts me in a slightly better mood.

And ever since my weatherman widget informed me of a light snow fall this week, i've been waiting patiently and making sure to be close to a window.

But finally yesterday it snowed!

It was the first time that Luna and Yoshi had properly seen snow, so i let them out on the balcony so they could have a closer look. Last Christmas they were too young to appreciate it. Plus Luna was too weak to even get off the sofa on her own, let alone venture out onto the balcony. She was very little and extremely shy, although i'm not sure what happened to the shy part, she seems to like ganging up on Yoshi.

I think she may have developed some kind of 'Little Man' Syndrome.


But here she is playing and trying to pounce on the melting fallen snowflakes. Unaware that she was being covered in snow.


She eventually figured out she wasn't going to catch any and stood in the doorway whilst i stood there freezing my butt off taking photos of them. And no, it didn't occur to me that i could get my jacket and gloves.


Yoshi wasn't as excited though. In fact, he was more interested in my camera. I think i may have shoved him off my lap as he was taking one of his naps and may have accidently yelled in his ear that it was snowing.

It only lasted for 20 minutes. The snowfall i mean, not the yelling *wink*

Unfortunately, it didn't turn everything white. I guess the ground wasn't cold enough to prevent the snow from melting.


But this is the frosty 5-day forecast. Looks like there's gonna be more snow later. And don't be fooled by those glowing yellow dots also known as the sun. See how it says -5˚C, well that's just the temperature, it hasn't calculated the wind chill factor.

FROZEN NIPPLES, ANYONE?

It's only a week to go till December but technically it's still Autumn.

For me Autumn is about dark grey, wet skies and runny noses. As for Winter it's all about snow, the smell of burnt wood in the air and hot glühwein also known as mulled wine.

Speaking of glüwein, that's what J and i plan on having later on this afternoon with a shot of Amaretto! Yummmm.

The small Christmas market officially opens in the town we live in. And at a high of 2˚ Celsius, there's nothing like a bit of alcohol to warm the tummy. Plus it makes riding on ones' bike a little more challenging exciting especially if it's snowing.

Wheeeee!!!

Yoshi's Territory + Cable Scarf + Cinnamon Rolls

I've spent the last two nights alone. No, we didn't have another fallout, J's in Salzbergen [near the border of Germany to Holland] until Friday for work. He's staying with his older brother who so happens to work at the place that J's helping out at.

And so i'm at home caring for the kitties and catching up on work.

It's so quiet not having him around. No clicking of that damn mouse. No laughter, nothing. All i can hear in the distance is that beeping sound the garbage truck makes when it reverses.

I miss J already.

And so i've taken on to talking to Yoshi, just so i can get some kind of response.

Speaking of talking to Yoshi. On Friday night when J's younger brother came to stay the night, i think Yoshi was a little upset that he wasn't formerly introduced. Often he'd lay across the table in between the keyboard and myself to rest his head on my arm as i'd type. But i think him seeing somebody else in the chair that i would normally sit in made him very insecure.

And what better way is there to show an intruder who's boss, but to pee on the bed that i had just made for the guest.

Good thing i had a cover over the blanket.

Although he did warn me prior to marking his territory, i gotta give him credit for that. His continuous meowing and me responding with, "Yessss Yoshi" may have given him the wrong idea.

Note to self, when Yoshi meows in a repetitive manner, don't ignore him. He may be telling you something very important.

***

Yesterday it pretty much hovered around 5 degrees Celsius. It was grey and not at all pleasant. And according to the Weatherman it's going to rain for the remaining of the week. I see a slither of hope in the form of a patch of light. Maybe, i'll see the sun today. Through the window from the work room that is.

Well it's not like i really have to go anywhere.

The fridge has been stocked up and i've bought ample food for Luna and Yoshi. Nobody is going to starve in this household that's for sure. Although it's no fun having to cook for one. That said, tonight i'm planning on making Roti Canai. I think i've nearly perfected it and last night even started preparing the dough.

But i've got my projects to work on and possible apartments to bookmark, so really, i've got my week pretty much sorted.

So let's rewind a bit...

Last Saturday, we took J's younger brother for a wardrobe makeover. Not like i'm much of a fashionista, i'm far from it. I just know what i like when i see it. But the younger brother was lacking any direction and needed some guidance, so we were more than happy to assist.

The last time he went clothes shopping was two Christmases ago when he came to visit us when we were still living in Duesseldorf. Back when we had convinced him that there was more to just t-shirts and shorts for day/night time attire and that getting a hair cut was part of growing up.

Two hours and 250 Euros later, he left the store a reasonably happy customer.

So after playing Stylist for the afternoon, i rewarded myself by buying a fancy thick cable scarf from Tom Tailor. It's long enough to wrap around my neck twice. It's not itchy and it's made out of poly acrylic. In real life, the scarf is much lighter in colour than what the model has on.

Oh and i'm totally liking that blue top she's wearing too... damn it. I need some self control. I need to save my pennies for our move.

[source]

I haven't actually been outside yet since i bought it. But i may just purposely walk to the recycling bins or around the block, just so i can wear it.

I know, i'm so sad.

But what i'm really liking is the cable pattern and long tassels.

I should really learn how to knit. I'm sure it would save me so much money if i actually got into it.

The question is, do i really have the patience?

***

But what i do have patience for lately is, baking. Well not the complicated kind, just the straight forward recipes.

And seeing how much i love the taste of cinnamon, i tried out a Cinnamon Rolls recipe by Meg Kat. Generally, i LOVE cinnamon rolls but only if they have no raisins - yuck!

One would have never guessed that they were vegan.

I guess if you're not a soy fan, you could always replace it with milk. But then it would defeat the purpose of it being vegan.

But i have to say, i was surprised how easy they were to make! And even though i didn't use all the flour that the recipe had asked for, i'd say it still turned out quite good.

Maybe i messed up in the measurements somewhere along the way because if i had put all the flour in, the dough would have ended up too crumbly and not fuse together. And instead of sprinkling the cinnamon + margarine onto the flattened dough, i decided to spread it on in an even layer.

It's all good.

USEFUL TIP:
I will share something with you all that i learnt ages ago on a cooking show [that is if you don't know already]. If you plan on cutting a dough log such as the one above, try using dental floss. Wrap it around so the bottom piece crosses over the top and the top piece crosses the bottom. As you pull the ends in opposite directions, it should give you a clean cut.

Et voilà!

No more squished slices made by blunt knives. Cool, huh?

I left it to rest for about an hour and a half as the recipe had said. Be sure to leave enough room around each piece as it tends to get slightly bigger. And remember not to underestimate how big they will expand when they're baking.

I forgot to lay the crushed walnuts before i rolled the dough, so i just sprinkled some on top and they tasted just as good. For the glaze i used a concoction of milk [because J is allergic to soy when it's not properly cooked], powdered sugar and caramel syrup.

Great for a snack and/or paired with a freshly brewed coffee.

Before I Travel Solo.

So i've packed my bag, bought my train ticket and i'm heading South for the weekend [minus Yoshi of course]. I reckon he knows something is up because he keeps rubbing himself up on me and wanting to jump in my handbag every chance he gets.

He's usually needy but rarely this affectionate. However that said, his favorite place to sleep is on my arm. The one that uses the mouse to click.

Anyway, i'm temporarily detaching the invisible umbilical cord that i've managed to grow over the last twenty-five months and traveling solo for a few days. J and i are supposed to use this time apart to reflect on the situation that we're in. Figure out what we want not only with ourselves but with the relationship.

The next two months may be a bumpy one and depending on how stressed we are, it could even be rocky.


For those of you who don't follow me on Twitter, it ended up not snowing yesterday.

There i was waiting with my camera in hand ready to capture the first few snow flakes of the season.

And then... there was NOTHING.

Just rain, wind and a boring grey sky. How disappointing.

But then again, after thinking about it maybe it was good that it didn't snow because i needed to head out and run some errands. And so by the time it was mid-afternoon the weather changed. The sky was blue and it was the right temperature to be out and about.

J then met up with me after work.

Our plan was to eat at that yummy Asian restaurant before my trip. At the place where that very unfriendly, non-smiling Asian chick works and demanded that i delete the photographs of my food the last time. I swear, she needs to get laid or something because her facial expression just screams, Starved of Sex.


But before we over ate, J suggested we go for a glass of wine. He knew of a small wine place just around the corner called Vinus and said he had something important to tell me.

At first i thought, Shit he's fired!

But it turns out he has another job offer and it's in Hamburg and that he simply wanted to celebrate and make a toast to 'us'.

Geographically speaking, Hamburg is close to the North Sea and Denmark. I've never been there before and so our plan is to take a train up there one of these weekends and check it out.

I'm sure i'll keep you posted.


So anyway, back to the wine.

I ordered the most yummiest rosé i've ever tasted. I'm not usually a wine drinker but this one was a smooth fusion of strawberries and rhubarb. I can't remember the name but all the reason why we have to go back just to have another. J had a white wine which was not as delicious as mine but still very good. And J also ordered a mini plate of antipasti with thin slices of cheese that seemed to just melt in my mouth... yum!


But our bicycle ride through the city centre was a very cold one.

7:20PM and the sun was about to set which probably meant the temperature dipped down to about 5˚C. The sky was pretty clear but the wind was icy cold. All the shops had closed for the day and all who were left roaming the streets were the people trying to make their way home to call it a night.

So on that note, i wish all my silent readers and regulars a safe weekend.

I have to meet a deadline and send my work to my client. Plus i gotta start getting ready because the bus that's bringing me to the train station is supposed to arrive at 10:30 AM. Fingers crossed it's on time because i have a train to catch at 10:52 AM. Which gives me a window of approximately five minutes between arrival and departure.

Cutting it close, i know.

But hell, what's an adventure without a little adrenalin to keep the heart pumping.

Take care and i'll be back soon-ish with photos of my weekend adventure sans the boyfriend.

Adjusting Habits + Switching Brands

Day Two since our confrontation and i have to say there has been some minor improvements. And even though it was 5˚C this morning, J opted to ride his bike to work this morning instead of drive. Ordinarily it would take him about 10 minutes to drive but in attempt to get fit and healthier, he's trying out the cycling-to-work/home approach.

Plus i think i even heard him say he's trying to cut down on his smoking.

Yay me and yay for Js lungs!

On a personal front, we haven't yelled at each other either. We've even spoken to each other nicely - which has been a nice change. No rude comments or being impolite in the morning makes all the difference when starting a new day.

J even organised his things and took out what he needed to wear for work before he went to bed - a chore i previously had done.

And this morning, we actually took time out to give each other a proper long hug. A moment that often is taken for granted and when one is angry at one another, the last thing one wants is to be touched.

There was no feeling of, "do i really have to?"

It was just comforting to know that it wasn't done out of duty but because it felt like the right moment.

You know what i mean?

Day One, which was yesterday, J had the day off and so i took it upon myself to join him and didn't do any work either. My deadline is Friday, so i can afford one more day to slack off. Js boss allowed him a day off since in the last month he clocked in 280 working hours, of which none of the over hours are being paid for.

I needed to get food for the kitties and stock up our own fridge, so J suggested we go together by bike as it wasn't raining and we felt the fresh air would do us good. It was the first time we had gone grocery shopping without the car but figured we'd try our best to eliminate the need for unnecessary items.

But first we stopped by at Café Bohne. A small café we often passed by car but never got around to going in since each time we drove by it was full.


I'm glad he suggested it and that we both went. Service was good and the mini chandelier above our table made the place just that little bit more special even though the place was pretty laid back.

Normally i would order a coffee but since it was late in the afternoon, i didn't want to be up all night because of a caffeine rush. Which now that i think about, wouldn't have mattered cause i spent all night coughing anyway. My voice has gone missing and has turned really raspy, so i wasn't sure if caffeine would have made it worse.

I wanted to order something that i don't usually have or can make at home. I mean for a cup of tea, i could easily buy two boxes of 25 tea bags for the same price. And so i wanted it to be worth the price.


So i ordered a Heiße "Weiße" Schokolade mit Milch [Hot "white" chocolate with milk].

At first i thought i was being cheated and was served a cup of hot milk but it was the real deal... creamy white hot chocolate accompanied by a Palmiers puff pastry cookie [elephant ear cookies or as the Germans would say, Schweine Ohren [Pigs' Ear Cookie]], whatever you call them, it was absolutely delicious! I totally recommend it.



J ordered the soup of the day but because it had meat in it, i couldn't eat it. So i chose the tomato, mozzarella, pesto & balsamic vinegar to keep the hunger at bay. And as soon as the food arrived, i saw in the corner of our my eye something appear from the table next to ours. The cutest dog with the pinkest nose was eyeing Js soup.

The restaurant is dog friendly, so owners are allowed to bring their dogs inside.

I was waiting for the moment that he/she would jump out at us or bark. But he/she was well behaved and just kept wiggling his/her nose. At one point he/she couldn't stop staring at me. It was actually kind of freaky.

We eventually made it to the supermarket and just in time before the pet store would close.

Both Luna and Yoshi will turning a year old next month, so now is the time to start weaning them off their kitten food. We started with Royal Canin and now a 4 kg bag lasts only a month and it costs us 32 Euros.

But seeing that we'll be moving at the end of the year, any money we can save will benefit us all.


So we've decided to see if they are willing to accept another brand and chose Select Gold.

With so many brands out there, it's so hard to know what is actually good. There are also various other flavors but Chicken seems to be the popular one and one that most cats favor, so we went with that.

Select Gold is slightly cheaper yet still has the right ingredients to keep them healthy [so says the lady at the pet store who claims to feed her indoor cats the same brand]. We end up saving about 5 Euros for a 2 kg bag but i'm sure much more if we end up buying 4 kgs.

But Luna and Yoshi are rather fussy when it comes to their wet food and at times choose to turn their noses at the food that they once loved, so i wanted to make sure they at least eat something even if it's only dry food.

So far so good, they're both eating.

Nobody seems to have an upset tummy and everyone seems to be getting along.

FOUND: My lil' Christmas Bling.

This deserves a whole post for itself
.
.
.

OHMYFUCKINGGAWD
YOSHI
JUST FOUND MY DIAMOND RING!!!!

♥♥♥

Look B4 U Leap

It's just about 2:15 PM and i'm totally unmotivated to work. Lucky for me my deadline isn't until next week. But i know the days will start catching up and i'll find myself wishing i wouldn't get so sidetracked. I blame the rain and the icky weather for making me want to crawl back into bed.

But after watching this video, that an college friend on Facebook had found on YouTube, it totally woke me up. And thought i had to share this with you all!

Each time i watch it, i can't help but laugh. It cracks me up because i can SO imagine Luna doing something like this and pretending like nothing happened.

In case you have your computer on mute, go and turn the sound on - it's much funnier.

Don't get me wrong, i'm not the kind of person who laughs when animals are in misery or in pain.

That's just cruel, OK?

But i doubt this kitty got hurt at all, maybe just a little shook up.



Silly kitty.

It's almost as if the kitty is flying in slow motion... and then... LOL.

*Goes and clicks REPLAY*

Home Alone with Two Kitties.

I can't believe it's Friday already, it feels like it was just the weekend. It's been so hot lately that i've had to keep the shutters down for most of the day. Leaving them up and letting the sun heat up the apartment like a sauna, makes concentrating very hard. The air is thick and humid.

But since J and Little L left on Wednesday afternoon, life with the kitties have been relatively back to normal. Luna isn't freaked out as much since there isn't someone trying to grab her every other minute.


And Yoshi has become my shadow again and has spent a lot of time using my forearm as a pillow when i'm at the computer. To the extent of meowing with disapproval if i move too much or even dare to start typing when he's found the perfect sleeping position.

Luna has a tendency to now whine first thing in the morning. She sits outside the bedroom door and does this Nobody-loves-me-please-pay-attention-to-me whine anywhere between 5 - 7 am. And even though i've been told i should ignore her to prevent her from making it a habit. But when the scratching begins and she starts slamming her mini body against the door, i can't help but intervene.


The last thing we need are gashes in the door. We've already had to drill into the wall a vertical scratching post on one of the corners to prevent them from doing more damage.

But i've figured it's as simple as opening the door and acknowledging that Luna exists and perhaps petting her a few times. And as if that's her recipe for contentment, she then runs off like a happy camper and i won't hear from her for another few hours.

Workwise, i've been quite productive and managed to get a huge chunk done yesterday. Hence, the reason why the dirty dishes are piling up and J's work shirts are huddled together waiting to be ironed. My deadline is today and i've got another 7 more pages to complete.

Must. Stay. Focused.

Other than that, life is pretty quiet when there's no boyfriend or an 8 year old at home. The only constant noise i hear is from the standing fan - which i kinda like.

There are no early wake up calls. No cartoons. No hungry grumblings. No activities. No Fewer disturbances. I think that's what they call Peace in some households.

Alone with my thoughts and missing J already.

Yoshi and Luna Imposters.

Spring/Summer 2010 FRESSNAPF - Page 86

So there i was browsing the local petstore's free catalog and admiring all the overpriced cat items that i can't afford and look what i found... Yoshi and Luna imposters!

Turns out Little Luna's not the only one with a white patch on the front of her neck.

Although i still think my fur babies are cuter.

Oh and these...

Courtesy of yesbutnobutyes

;) and 0_0 have to be my favorite. Although i reckon ^^ has been photoshopped. Nevertheless, the ginger coloured kitty is cute too.

Balcony Adventures.

Thursday, the 3rd of June was a public holiday for the people living in NRW. And since J worked over-time the week before, his boss said it was OK for him to take yesterday off. Great for him but not so good for me, as i can be easily distracted. My next deadline is next Friday and although it feels so far away from now, i can already predict that i'll be swearing and wishing i had more time.

I need to stay focused.

Black & Tan (Guinness + Kilkenny) = YUMMY!

And it doesn't help that the weather has been awfully kind to us. So much so that the past few days we've had nothing but blue skies and sunshine. Mister Weatherman says it's been in its' mid-20s and every day the temperature has been scaling up. Tomorrow we're planning to drive to Hannover to visit friends and go for a BBQ and it's supposed to be 28˙C!

Yup, Sweat Ville to the maximus!

If i had no conscious and didn't give a rat's arse, i'd run around outside wearing next to nothing. But my lack in cleavage, trim stomach and mile-long-legs discourages me from strutting my stuff.

Seriously, it's days like these that i wish we had air-conditioning or at least a fan.

But i have to say, the house is pretty well insulated, so it stays relatively cool especially with the shutters down. But when sunshine is a rarity in Germany, it only makes sense to want to be outside.

Anyway, until just a few days ago we've cooped up Yoshi and Luna indoors. Worried that they'd make a run for it and leap off the balcony, we've been hesitant to let them explore our pretty big balcony.

But their restlessness and natural behavior to scratch has become more evident, as i've found sections of the wall in the hallway with serious gashes. Not good. Since that just means more to repair when we eventually move out.


So far, the kitties are loving it out on the balcony and their favorite shaded areas. J put a few things outside to make it a little bit more interesting.


We haven't gotten around to buying balcony furniture just yet but i know our dead potted plants are needing a serious replacement.


Even though the balcony door is open, J placed a small table just underneath my work room window, so that Yoshi and Luna can run in and out as they please when i'm trying to do work. At least it keeps them entertained.

Then yesterday we ended up buying them collars.

Not only because i was paranoid that one day they'll be brave enough to jump off the balcony but what if a stranger found them and thought they were wild and kept them for themselves just because they didn't have collars? Or worse, got run over and i spent sleepless nights wander around looking for them.

I guess that's why they're microchipped and are wearing metal registration tags.


Don't you think Luna is totally rocking the pink collar with little skull & bones? It's a bit too big for her but she'll grow into it. And Yoshi's one has little skulls on it and is alternated with what looks like lilies because we all know he's a Mama's boy.


Both collars have an annoying bell on them and coupled with the metal registration tag, they make a distinct sound that i'm sure can be heard all the way down into the cellar.

It's like Christmas jingle bells but in Summer.