I take time for myself - and it comes back to bite me in the ...

Since I had tired out the felines before going to bed, everybody was ready to nap when I came to bed. Ziva was a bit restless, following the disco lights for a while. But mostly it was quiet.

And hot! I really wish I could open the windows again! And I keep getting these funny turns, like a layer of perspiration settling on my whole body. It lasts a minute or two, then back to normal. Could be menopause – I wouldn’t mind getting rid of that part of women’s troubles!

I get up late, try to let Ziva out, but she’d rather get attention. Ok, so I fuss over her for a bit – but only after I’ve put the kettle on. Fair’s fair! I let the Mip Mips out for a bit, Ziva out for a bit, check on the bird, re-stock the kibble feeder (yes, it’s empty already!) then basically just wait till it’s time to leave.

Get to the Spar at quarter past ten – better safe than have to wait! HaHaHa! Still had to wait for them to finish the platters! Get to work, carry two large boxes past half a dozen of our guys – not one offers to help! Nearly at the stairs finally someone offers to help! Re-arrange the platters then take one to the client. Happy, happy, Christmas cheer. Nothing to do at work – when we want to share the “rest” platter with our guys, we find out they’ve all gone home. Well, all bar two. Without so much as a ‘by your leave’. When the cat’s away, eh? Site manager left yesterday.

I left at quarter to two – there was nothing for me to do, and just sitting around on the clock is just not my thing.

Back at home I let the Mip Mips out – but instead of tearing through the flat, they sort of dawdle around. It’s too hot to play. I’m tired, so I decide to take a nap. Mip Mips follow my lead. An hour later I’m up again. Mip Mips again follow my lead – but not much play going on. Too hot. They’re all laying around like doormats.

So after Rose’s visit, I lock them all into the bedroom and go out into the garden! What a lot of work there is! Just working my way along the path to the end of the flowers I filled a bag! I decide to take a peek at the wild cherry tomatoes – yikes! Talk about bumper crop! I’ll need a container for this lot! As I head back upstairs, I see Rose on her porch, so I call her to come get her share.

Upstairs, on a whim, I decide to take Mewthos along. Put on his collar, put on the leash and … well, it becomes more of a drag-along than walkies. But once we’re at the tomato plants, Rose takes the leash and he has a great time, while I prune all the brown and yellow leaves off and pick tomatoes. The container is full! We carry Mewthos back, as he’s not keen on walking where I lead. At the table, Rose and I divide out crop – I give most to Rose, as she’s more likely to actually eat them then I am. I’m not taking much time on ‘meals’ for myself, lately.

Having taken this time for myself feels really good! I think I must do that more often – put myself first, ahead of the Mip Mips. I’m also thinking I should get collars and leashes for the twins – as it seems they’ll be around for some time, after all. I took the leash off Mewthos, but I’m leaving the collar on. It’s one of those safety-collars, which open up if he should hang off it – which, indoors, is not very likely!

Well, it was absolutely lovely spending that hour or so outside – but it did take time off my evening. I left the door open for some time – the fresh air is really good inside! Until Ziva comes in with a Gecko! And rather than kill & eat, she starts playing with it. Uhm, NO. So I grab her and toss her in with the Mip Mips, get Gecko outside (poor thing has already lost its tail), close the door and let the horde loose.

And they go nuts! Ziva just won’t stop complaining, Mip Mips zooming around like pinballs – so I feed them. They fall on the food like a hungry mob! Give Ziva the rest of the lamb – that’s the ONLY flavor, where she doesn’t turn her nose up at the second or third day’s helping of it. But she does not stop complaining – non-stop meow, meow, meow, meow – I’m about to hit the roof! Add to that Mip Mips doing everything they should know by now they are not allowed to do: climb on the table, claw up the curtains, climb on my records, one after the other after the other. I’m jumping around like a jack-in-the-box smacking and shouting left, right and centre. One of them even manages to shut itself into the bathroom! Playing behind the door until it nearly shuts. Oh, and they unrolled the entire roll of toilet paper! I don’t think this time it was Lady Jane, as it’s just unrolled on the floor under the holder.

And so it’s nearly nine by the time I manage to finish eating. I still wanted to clean the litter box tonight – but that’s not going to happen. Scooping is not enough, it needs a complete change of litter plus cleaning that whole corner, again. So, instead, I’ll put it out front and put the little one into that corner. Bird is still fine and still has food and water.

It’s ten and the Mip Mips are finally settling down. Even Ziva has settled down – on the chest behind me, where she used to relax when she first came to stay with me. The stinky box is outside, a clean litter box in the bedroom – and Mewthos got his jaw stuck in the collar! Sigh, I guess he’s still too small to keep it on all the time. Even at its smallest setting it’s quite loose, so loose he can get his jaw stuck in it. And now the Mewthos and Lizzy are starting to zoom around again. Sigh, I can’t catch a break!