Still stuck at home

Awww, after I posted the blog last night, Mewthos came to lie on my feet! I think he can’t get comfortable on a soft surface with that splint, so he prefers to nap on the floor – but he wants to be close to me. It’s such gestures that keep me patient when he’s being difficult. He always was a mommy’s boy – always happy to see me, running towards me with that happy puppy waddle of his! Even the vet calls him a mommy’s boy! And then he goes and climbs on the kitchen counter again – I have no idea how he gets up there with this leg in a splint! But up he gets and clonk, clonks on my bread board! Why? There is nothing up there for him! Oh, yeah – he doesn’t know that, until he’s checked everything out himself. Sigh!

Now, if only I could get Ziva to stop attacking the Mips! She doesn’t hurt them, or attack them seriously – just swats, hisses and snaps at them. Especially Mewthos! And then, at night, she goes over to where they are curled up and starts washing them! Indiscriminately – sometimes Lady Jane, some times Mewthos, sometimes both! Sometimes I sit up and huddle close to them, just for the sheer pleasure of watching this loving scene.

Mewthos had me running to the kitchen twice before he would settle down to sleep. I keep catching him on the kitchen counter – with that “Who? Me? What did I do?” look on his face. But Lady Jane also comes scooting out the kitchen – so I suspect she is not as innocent as she’d like me to believe!

I got up around half eight this morning, leisurely coffee, Mips exploring outside. Then our gardener arrived – next door, though. But still the Mips come scuttling inside as if a monster is chasing them! Snowball was here for his daily nap, but found the place too noisy, when Mewthos tried jumping on the table and I whined at him to stop. Mewly is being … mewly. Crying, crying, walking around, looking at me, crying some more. I sat down with him – but when I stroke him, he cries. Sigh.

Our gardener is working on the hedge today – from my neighbour’s side. Not Rose’s, but the one where Shadow goes to eat. Shadow is doing much better, by the way. Her nose is still a bit swollen, but otherwise looking good.

Back to our gardener, he’s borrowed my loppers to cut all the top branches off that hedge and he’s now putting them in the drum – per my suggestion. I’m not going to fill that drum anyway, so might as well use it for the hedge. It’s looking much better already, now that it’s level with the wall – my neighbour’s front wall, that is. There’s no wall between us, just a rusted old mesh fence.

When I first started clearing out that jungle of weeds, thorns and Tecoma, he was not very happy. He feels that the thorn ‘hedge’ keeps him safe, because anyone can get into my property (and I know people do at night, at times) and if the hedge is gone, they could just jump over the fence. He’s got high walls all around his house – and unfortunately, that gives criminals privacy. They did jump over his back wall and held up his wife and maid at gunpoint about a year ago. Nobody saw or noticed anything, because no one can see through walls – and on my side, the hedge was still too high and thick. Well, once I’m gone, he’ll soon have his thorny jungle back! Those thorns are growing like … well, like weeds, which is what they are. And the fungi thriving in that jungle? Urgh! Half the Tecoma is dead already, rotting in the centre of that wide jungle, turning to mildew and fungus. Opening it up has released a lot of that mildew into my garden, I’m afraid. It killed every vegetable I tried to grow. Until it is all cleared out and aired, it’s no use trying to grow anything here. That is why I keep at it, even though I’ll never reap the benefit.

I called the workshop and they told me they are on their way to get the bearing, then she’ll call to arrange collecting me. I told her about the kitten situation, so she’ll give me enough lead time to arrange that I can get out of the flat.

Well, both Mips are here for their Siesta. Lady Jane is so cute when she stretches and holds on to her stretched leg like it’s her teddy bear! Mewthos is stretched out on the floor by my feet. He’s sweet when he isn’t mewling! I get up to make myself another cup of coffee, and come back to find Mewthos curled up on my chair! I carefully pick him up and transfer him to my lap – but that’s not comfy enough, so he settles on the chair with Lady Jane. She starts washing him lovingly! Which turns into a wrestle, and Lady Jane leaves in disgust.

I’ve just checked the Scoreboard and I’ve entered the Top 100 on one of those exceptionally rare Souvenir collections! Now to get the other one onto the list as well, and hopefully level up a bit to ensure I stay on both lists! Yay!

The workshop called around half two. They have tried everywhere and cannot find the needed wheel bearing – their last resort is the agent. Pricey! But it will need to be replaced sooner or later – and if it fails completely, it could lock up and prevent the car from moving. So it’s not an optional luxury – it’s essential. Oh, and if they order it today, they’ll get it tomorrow afternoon and can replace it Friday morning! Good thing I didn’t try to have the car repaired while I was still working!

There’s nothing I urgently need, except some bread rolls. I asked Rose to get me half a dozen next time she goes out – which will be tomorrow morning. Shame, she offered to go right away – needing bread implies starving, but I assured her I’ve got plenty of everything, except bread. I could always bake some scones, so no fear of starvation!

And anyway, even IF I was starving, it would take a long while before it showed! Last time I stepped on the scale it went over 100kg! I’m blaming my chocolate habit – so I’m cutting back on chocolate … drastically. So drastically, in fact, that I’ve been getting headaches from lack of sugar – which will go away in time. Oh, I’m not going cold turkey! Just cutting down to more ‘normal’ quantities. And when I crave something sweet, I have some fruit. I just stepped on the scale again, and it’s no longer passing the 100kg mark. Yay!

Shame, I’ve just sorely disappointed poor Lady Jane! She proudly brought in a grasshopper she had caught! I praised her hunting skills and let her know how proud I am – but asked her to take it outside, please. Which she did, with an excited Mewthos in tow! Only, she brought it back inside – and you know how they hop onto curtains! I asked her to take it out again, she did, again, and brought it back inside again. So I let it out the window! Lady Jane nearly jumped after it, in her excitement, but remembered just in time how she got stuck there last time. She came in and I closed the window … to two very disappointed looking – and acting – little Mips!

Well, I’ll be … moggadoored! Romeo just came in for a snack, and on his way out he put his paw on my desk, getting my attention. I thought that strange, he’s never done that before? So I go to look, and sure enough: the food bowl is empty! That was his way of letting me know! Anyone trying to tell me cats are dumb? Ha! Just because they haven’t watched any Lassie movies, and don’t use the Lassie-move to get us to follow, doesn’t mean they don’t communicate their needs – it’s not their fault if we listen in ‘dog’.

Rose’s neighbour came to talk to Rose, she’s concerned for her cat, The Terror. She just saw her being chased by Snowball all the way down the road – in the middle of the road! And she says both of them definitely belong to the house next to hers. She also says with both, Romeo and Snowball, spraying in her yard, her geriatric tomcat has also started spraying! Something needs to be done about this, they need to be neutered! Maybe Cat Care have some advice. But I can NOT afford to pay for even a single procedure – I believe I’ve done my duty to felines.

Ziva came in around six and I gave them a special treat: I shared my chicken dinner with them. Well, not that they got a fair share – just a share. They quite loved it! Of course, Ziva sat by the door growling at me to let her out again, so I gave them all some nippies and she went off to the bedroom grumbling! There’s no other way to describe it, she sort of grrr-meows as she goes!

Poor little Mew-Mew! Apart from this morning, he has been really a good boy. No further mewling, no clunking on counters or tables. He spent most of today napping, some outdoor exploring, but he was no nuisance today. He followed Ziva into the bedroom and has been napping there these past two hours. When Lady Jane went into cuddle mode, I eventually carried her through to the bedroom. Attending to Ziva as well as Mewthos. Poor Mewly! He tried to cuddle up to Ziva – and she hissed at him! I do hope that will come to an end some day. At least Lady Jane doesn’t reject him – she loves her Ouboet!