Disgruntled Saturday

It's the washing machine, that's disgruntling me. It just won't drain properly and that's driving me up the wall! I've had to do three loads today and having to struggle with every single load just to get it water free enough to hang up is really, really frustrating! First I had to do a cold wash - the towel got some blood from the cut on my index finger. Then the usual 30 degree delicate wash - and that's the one I always, always, always battle to get to not be dripping, soaking wet! I did a rinse and spin, and a just spin after the normal wash, rinse, spin cycle and it was finally good enough to hang - outside, though. No good inside. That, also is another problem, as it's unpleasant outside, so having to go out to hang up laundry and then keep checking on it until it's ready ... not fun! The last load is a 40 degree, so I decided to chance tumble drying. I could just not face having to deal with left over laundry tomorrow again! It's still in the drying cycle and I have no clue how it will come out - but at least I won't have to hang it all up and wait half a day for it to dry!

Rant over.

As a result of my frustrations, however, I haven't been very patient with my mippies. Schlecki (German for licky) needs lots of hugs and cuddles, after yesterday's ordeal and the reaction of the rest of the tribe - who still treat her like an enemy! Would you believe, Mewthos actually sneaks up to her food bowl, while she's eating, then starts helping himself ... and swats at her, chasing her away! I flicked his ears for him! That was really ugly of him, so I don't feel bad about flicking his ears! Poor mite needs extra food and she doesn't need to eat in fear!

Janey has been indoors most of the day as well. I pick her up, cuddle her and love her, same as I do to Mewthos - starting again from square one, reassuring my mips that I don't love them any less! Ziva, of course, I don't pick up - but I do spend time with her in her cuddle cave.

I'm in no mood for cooking, so today I simply fried the rump steak I had taken out for yesterday - I didn't eat anything last night. I can't decide what I should do for tomorrow - I think I'll steam some potatoes and the last gem squash. I can always boil some eggs and make a potato salad for later.

I paid my rent (a bit late, normally I pay by 25th) and now I'm shopping for cat food. Mippies are eating my out of house and home! My finances are not looking good - the little one is adding just that bit extra, pushing me over budget. No, I'll be okay - remember that I stocked up loads now?

Anyway, I'll take one more tray of mousse, but that'll be the last. She's no longer skinny, but a healthy weight, and as I said before, she doesn't really NEED mousse, since she's quite capable of eating my mippies pellets. I won't be giving her a tin a day anymore, though. She's doing well and eating lots!

I'm trying to come up with an alternative for the litter. Remember how much trouble I used to have finding the ultra fine sand they like, back in PE? How, when I looked around, every shop seemed to stock it, but when I ran out, everyone was out of stock? Well, the only reason I go to Pick n Pay out in Pretoria East is, because they stock it - but the last two times, they had only one or two bags in their shelf and I had to ask them to check their stock ... which means a ten minute wait! It takes them ten minutes to find where it's stored and bring it out. Both times! And they only keep 4 bags in their stock, so ... it's becoming the deciding factor WHEN I need to go shopping. I don't like that restriction. Also, Pick n Pay is exorbitantly expensive on that item. It's 40% more than I paid in PE at Spar!

Trouble is, you can't get this online.

Right, I've spent quite some time looking around and I think I've stumbled across something. I've read plenty of reviews and only one product has the key comment "my cat loves it". All the other product's reviews gush about how little work it is, how little odor, etc - all about human convenience. But this one comment gushed how this old and fussy cat loves it. Cats will adapt, I know - but that doesn't mean they like the new product. So, I've placed an order - together with the food - and I'll give it a try in the widdle box. I have two litter boxes and the smaller one - actually standard size - they use almost exclusively to widdle. I'll see if they keep using it - and hope they start over-using it :) That would be clear proof they prefer the new stuff. From what I've read, it should work out cheaper - even though, on a per kg basis, it's flippin' expensive. I'll let you know.

The ultra fine sand is ideal, if you can do what Rose does: let it dry out during the say, in the sun. It's the widdle clumps that use up so much sand so fast. But I can't put them outside here every day. Plus, of course, even on weekends, when they are outside, my cats all come inside to use the box, rather than use the garden! Oh, occasionally they use my flower bed - like Ziva did tonight - but mostly, they come inside. They ring the Mew-bell (i.e. mewl or mip at the door for me to open it) and dash through to their box.

I think that's about enough on that subject. I took Tynx outside on her leash again - and she still doesn't like it! She slinks around like she's being punished! My landlord came along and took her for a cuddle. He tells me that he thought I was up every morning around three or half past three, because he can hear the water pump going - I don't get up at that time! And if I do, I may use the toilet - but at that time of night, I don't normally flush. I just close the lid. That water running to re-fill the cistern keeps me from going back to sleep. So, unless I do that in my sleep - I really can't explain it. He wants to turn off the water at nine until five - which is fine with me. He's loosing water somewhere, and I'm definitely not using that much. I had a laugh though, when he said he heard water running in my kitchen and he thought I might be washing dishes ... I have trouble getting my rear into gear to wash them on the weekend, what would possess me to wash dishes at four or five in the morning? Well, whatever is causing the running water, it's not me!

I did enjoy a lovely bath tonight, though. Tynx joined me again, sitting on the rim. Today she was fascinated with the bubbles! She kept pawing at them, getting a pawful then licked it off her paw. So I put a scoop onto the rim for her to play with. She enjoyed herself! She enjoys herself so easily, playing with absolutely everything! She quite happily keeps herself busy and entertained! She plays with the pool noodle, she can play with one of those little tinkle balls for ages! She plays with the tennis ball, she plays with the ball in the track - she loves all the toys! I wish mine would be a little more self-sufficient - apart from Ziva, they seem to think that entertainment is my responsibility! I mean, they mip and mip and mip at me all day long, it sometimes feels like I don't get a moment to myself - even though that isn't true, it's just how it feels. Feelings aren't reality.

Oh, I still wanted to tell you a funny incident at work, a while back. I was given instruction on how to do my job through a third party, and when I went to the originator of those - frankly, useless - instructions, he started shouting at me. I asked him to lower his voice several times and he went off at me that 'you're always coming to me with things. It's always things. You keep coming with things.' At the time it wasn't funny - but afterwards, I thought that maybe I was in an episode of 'The Office' lol the UK version, I've never seen any other. This guy reminds me a lot of the manager in that series. Considering this is real life, that's quite sad, but there it is.

Tonight I have Ziva and Janey cuddling together on the bed, Tynx in the armchair and Mewthos on the sleeper couch. He'll come mewling, circling me, mewling, circling some more - same as last night! He waits until I'm just about asleep, then wakes me up, the little whatchamacallit!