Dinner Alone

Momoko was going to hang out with her peeps this afternoon. So I was instructed to get my own dinner. When I came home, I first cut the grass in the front yard. My goal was to then water the lawn. But I was too tired. Instead I came in and had a mini pizza.

After reading the paper I decided this little pizza was not sufficient. Therefore I went through my collection of coupons. I contemplated getting a cheese steak at Jerry's subs. However I could not find a coupon. Instead I spied a coupon for Arby's toasted subs. I confess I have never had one of these.

I drove down to the nearest Arby's. Now I don't go there much because they have no drive through. I placed an order for one Italian sub, and also one bacon turkey sub. My coupon gave me 2 subs for $4. This was a steal since the normal price for one of those subs is over $4. I packed up a lot of sauces, but didn't need any. The subs tasted pretty good. Not as good as Jerry
s Subs. But a much better value overall.

Before I left Arby's, I spied on the restaurant where Kit Kat's friend has a summer job. I wondered whether she was working there tonight.

Days Swirl By

I started out this summer with a plan. I wanted to complete certain things by the time the kittens return but I find myself getting off track.

I have been enjoying the fact that I can sleep in with no commitments but this causes me to stay up until the wee hours of the morning. I have to focus so that I can stick to my summer plan.

I want to start going back to physical therapy and or start going to the pool. I want to organize each room and plan for class. I have a summer class July 12-23 so I really do not have a lot of time to work on my to list if the kittens are coming home mid August.

I really miss the kittens and it kills me that they never call or text. I know they are busy but I would really just like a five minute check. I am sure my mom feels the same way and I am lucky if I talk to her once a week. I guess there is something about what comes around goes around. I will keep you posted on my list of things and how well I get them completed!

The View From Black Cat

It is the night before the cats leave to see their dad. I need to talk with Kit Kat. However it is getting late. So I wrap up any discussion and go to bed. Momoko wakes me up and tells me we forgot to load the car. She and Kit Kat have to take care of it. I get up before 5:00am. Little Kat tells me he is so excited about the trip that he gets up before his alarm goes off.

I drove the family to the airport. When we get there, Kit Kat realizes that she forgot her wallet. Oh well. No driving for you until Momoko mails it to you. We see a huge line for security. When we try to check in, the automated screen does not recognize Momoko's boarding passes for the kids. An employee helps us out. The long security line goes by quick. I am happy I was not required to go through the full body scanner. Little Kat remarks that the airport screeners took a long hard look at Kit Kat's laptop with the scanner. We go to our gate and wait.

Momoko asks if there is time for her to get breakfast for the kids. I tell her I guess so. She leaves me with everybody's carry on bags. The kids go with her to the McDonald's in the airport. Then the kids' plane starts boarding. I would call Momoko, but she left her cell in the car. Luckily the kids come back and scramble to grab their things. They get in line according to their boarding pass number, with uneaten McDonald's in tow. Momoko and I watch as the plane tries to back out of the terminal. Another plane whizzes by behind the kids' plane. Whew. Close call. Did the kids know what just happened? The plane does a 270 degree turns. Is this a rookie pilot or what? Then Momoko and I leave the airport. I get milked at the parking lot exit for 8 bucks. We were only there for an hour and a half. But at least we parked close to the terminal.

The Ladder

Even though we encountered a lot of people at the airport, the kittens made it to their destination.

After dropping off the kittens, Black and I came home. We talked for a bit before he had to go to work. I made myself a yummy breakfast (scrambled eggs with cheese and thin bagels).

After breakfast, I sat down to do a little reading. I heard a lot of commotion outside. I peeked out the window and to my surprise there was an unknown man outside placing a ladder on the house. I was a little taken back because Black always lets me know when workers are coming to house. I thought about going outside and talking to the man but then decided I needed to talk to Black.

I called him at work and he was not expecting anyone. He made a phone call and it seemed it was the person Black hired to paint the shutters but there had been some miscommunication about calling before coming. I was just happy to hear that the strange man was suppose to be here and I did not have to do anything but stay out of the way. I am sure the shutters will look grand!

Wrapping Up the Weekend

The Kittens leave bright and early on Monday. We have to leave the house around 5:00 am! We made sure the car was packed before bedtime so we really just have to roll out of bed and go.

I was looking back and realized it was a pretty nice but hectic weekend. Saturday we were able to spend time at our favorite eating place. Kit spent time with her friends (pool party/mini golf/sleep over) and I had a nice evening with Little which included Red Lobster and ice cream.

On Sunday, Little and Black went out to eat and I took Kit and her friends to the movie to see "Killers". We really enjoyed the movie. After the movie, Kit and I headed to the grocery store. The kittens finished up their chores and we ended the night talking. I am really going to miss the kittens and it is hard to let them go but I know they are really excited about going and I want them to have a good time.

They are not always going to be kittens. One day they are going to be living their own lives and be their own cats. You can only do the best that you can and get them to the airport on time!

Robbed

Momoko went on a shopping spree this week. Mostly she had to pick up some essentials. But there were some extra items purchased. One of them was a Glee CD. Momoko said she "bought it for me". That seemed strange. I did not express any interest in this CD. Sounded more like somebody else wanted the CD, but they "bought it for me".

The CD got put in a bag with all the other stuff they bought. I went to work the next day. When I got home, it seems the whole family had a party ripping a bunch of CDs to their computers. That sounded smart since that's how you get the songs onto your iPod (everyone in the family has an iPod, Momoko has 2). Then I saw the treachery. Somebody had opened up my CD and ripped it to computer. Then it got passed along.

Let's get this straight. Someone bought me a CD. Then they opened up the packaging and ripped the songs for themselves. I should have asked for a refund. Instead I just accepted my fate and ripped the thing to my computer as well. I hurried up and put the CD in my car's CD player before it got ripped off again.

BIG NEWS

LITTIE KATS HAS A NEW BLOG

Last Days

The Kittens leave on Monday for a summer with their dad. I am lucky to have some time off before they leave so we can spend some time together. So far, we have been staying up late and sleeping in until almost noon. We have shared a few meals together and gone to the movies to see The Karate Kid and Shrek 4. I wish Black would not have work so he can join us. I am hoping the weekend will allow us to share a few more activities. Kit is going to stay the night with friends and Little has a play date with his best bud.

All Shook Up

This afternoon I got back to work from lunch and started reading a document for review. The guy in my room left to see another coworker. Then I felt myself shaking back and forth. I thought it might be my chair gone bad. So I stood up. No it was not the chair. The whole building was shaking.

Then it happened again. The building started shaking. That's all I needed. I grabbed my computer and briefcase. Then I ran down the steps. I peeked into a room with a bunch of coworkers and told them they should bolt as well. Outside I saw a lady that works with me. She did not even stop to gather her computer or personal things. She just ran down the stairs and was waiting outside.

I saw some unwise people using the elevator. Come on folks. Do you really want to get trapped in there? I had to leave my Pepsi open on my desk. With my hands full walking down 5 flights of stairs, there was no way to hold on to my soda. Better a flat soda tomorrow than a flat cat if the building falls down. I am not sure if this was a small earthquake or some building integrity issues. All I know is that I was not sticking around to find out. Tomorrow I will test the waters and see if the building is stable. If I feel even one tremor, I am moving out of the building for good.

Summer Begins

Today is the first day of summer. I was able to crawl out of bed at a decent hour (9 ish). I had to run by school to sign a few papers. When I got home, the kittens were barely stirring. We had a few chores to complete. Kit had to clean the fish tanks and Little had to scrub the bathroom. After we finished, Kit drove to the library and then to Lowe's for some mold resistant paint. I want to paint all the window sills upstairs this week. We then went grocery shopping. Black got home late and I took a nap on the couch while Kit cooked and Little finished up his laundry. I pick up my RX after dinner. WOW! It was a very busy day. I am hoping to squeeze in a little fun tomorrow.

Beach and Pool

I was the first to wake up yesterday. We ate a light breakfast to save room for an all-you-can eat restaurant later. The first item on the agenda was to hit the beach. It was kind of empty the day before. But I guess the weekend brings in the people.

Momoko and I set up our umbrellas as close to the ocean as possible. However there were people in the way. Kit Kat and Little Kat went to play in the waves. Little Kat brought his boogie board. Kit Kat tired after a while, and lay in front of Momoko and myself. I got my latest book half way read.

Later Momoko had me call every buffet in town. They were all expensive. I recommended we head to Golden Corral. The entire family vetoed that idea. They wanted seafood. We ended up going to a place that Little Kat looked fancy.

After dinner I fell asleep. Momoko took the kids down to the heated indoor poor. By the time they got back to the room, Little Kat was in bad shape. The chlorine got in his eyes and puffed them up. He also allegedly snuck up behind Kit Kat and ticked her in the pool. She jumped and instinctively turned around and gave him a chop. Her finger nail must have been involved because he had a gash in his chest.

Today we drove home. Again we had a light breakfast, because Sonic was a stop on the road home. As usual the vacation was too short. I go back to work tomorrow.

Shopping on the Beach

Last night I slept on the side of the bed with the air conditioning blasting on my head. I was frozen. It was not until noon that I woke up. Little Kat was starving, so we went to Denny's for "breakfast". I got a skillet there because it was a good deal.

Kit Kat wanted to buy an anklet here at the beach. So we drove all the way down the strip to get to the boardwalk. This was over 100 streets of driving. Little Kat was happy that we sped down the streets, and got a lot of green lights.

Little Kat immediately found a bunch of things to buy. I found a picture to buy, but it was broken so I left it in the shop. Kit Kat and Little Kat got customer air brushed tee shirts. Kit Kat found her anklet, but it did not fit. Momoko got the vendor to extend the anklet and make it fit (for free).

Before we made that 100 street voyage back to the hotel, Momoko talked us into playing one of those carnival games. The attendant said that there was a winner every time. And indeed Kit Kat one the game. She choose a big blue stuffed penguin. After driving back to the hotel, we hit the beach for a late afternoon stay. The beach adventure continues.

Beach Duty

Momoko woke up early today. She ran errands like getting Kit Kat's prescription and buying sun tan lotion. Then I had to wake up. Kit Kat is done with school, but she needed to drop a form off at school. So I drove her.

Then I took Kit Kat out to practice driving. She did some parking and backing up of the car. We had Little Kat pack Momoko's car. Then we were off to drive to the beach.

Our plan was to eat lunch at Sonic. However we got such a late start that I decided to stop by Burger King first. The ads say that they have Cherry and Coke Icee. However all they ever have at the local one is Cherry. Good enough.

We had some heavy traffic to start. Then it got a bit better until we were trying to cross a huge bridge. Traffic got tough again. We took a small detour to visit Sonic en route to the beach.

Once we got to the beach, we found our room to be very nice. The kids each had their own queen size bed in this huge room. Momoko and I had our own room with a king size bed. The air conditioning is blowing on my head. And Momoko is a bit troubled that the painting over the bed looks like it is about to fall. But I think we can manage. We are at the beach after all.

Cleaning the Classroom

This Monday I picked Kit Kat up from school. We went straight to Momoko's classroom. Little Kat held some gallon plastic bags open. Kit Kat scooped up Momoko's fish to transport them home. She had trouble catching the small fast ones. I lugged the big fish tank to my car after Kit Kat emptied the water. We did not even see Momoko because she got called into an emergency meeting.

Today I got Kit Kat from her last day of school before summer. We dropped by McDonald's to get the family a snack. Then we went to Momoko's classroom to get it ready for summer. I had to take a lot of staples out of the wall. So did Kit Kat. Little Kat was eager to take the big trash bin out to the dumpster. He later called me up on my cell to tell me he got locked out of school.

I was busy using newspaper and construction paper to close off Momoko's bookshelves. There will be other people in her room during the summer. Have to keep her books safe. Then I ran out of tape. I only brought what was in the tape gun. Little Kat and I made a run to the store to stock up on more packing tape. Then we got a bit of Mexican food to keep up working through the evening. We finally got it all done. Momoko's classroom looks great now. Everything is all packed up and clean.

Next stop is Sonic on the road and then the beach.

Kia Soul Win

I bet you have seen that Kia Soul commercial. You know the one. They have some hamsters driving a red Kia Soul. Well that commercial is weak compared to this one I just saw.

The new commercial has hamsters driving in toasters and washing machines. Other hamsters driving a cardboard box get into a wreck. One hamster dunks a basketball.

This commercial is so hot, now I want a Kia Soul. The car is being marketed as a new way to roll. It is smaller than my little box of a car. Must get better gas mileage. To tell the truth, I never saw thing commercial on TV. Only caught it on YouTube.

A Kit Kat Weekend

Kit Kat's friends invited her to walk in the Relay for Life. This was an all night walkathon. Kit Kat joined her friends' team. One person from the team was supposed to be walking around the track all night. I thought Kit Kat was part of a big team. So you would think this would be all right.

The following morning Kit Kat returned home. She forgot her key. Momoko and I stayed up late the night before. So we did not hear the phone or doorbell ringing. It was 6:45am on a weekend. Luckily Little Kat heard Kit Kat somehow. But he is not authorized to open the front door at 6:45am. So Little Kat bangs on our bedroom door until we woke up.

Little Kat informed us that Kit Kat had come home. I told him that was nice and that he should get to bed. Then he came back saying that Kit Kat was locked outside. I ran downstairs to let Kit Kat in. She was very tired. She also had a lot of foot problems.

Apparently the people on Kit Kat's team were slackers. So she ended up doing most of the walking. She said she must have walked 10 miles during the night. I don't think she went quite that far. However she had the blisters and swollen feet to prove she walked a lot. What kind of sorry team just sits around all night and let's their guest do all the walking? Probably your regular slacker teen team. Kit Kat says she will form her own team next year. Momoko and I are debating whether to let her go to such a bad scene next year.

Helping Momoko

As the school year comes to a close, Momoko has a lot of work to do. Got to wrap up the classroom. Normally Momoko just uses the kids as helpers. But now Kit Kat goes to a different school.

Luckily I am on vacation this week. So after school I pick up Kit Kat. We drive to Mokoko and Little Kat's school. We usually pick up a snack for the family. Snacks are good because they keep you going, are quick to eat, and don't make you sleepy. Today I brought a full dinner since we might be working late.

Kit Kat is busy cataloging all the textbooks, numbering them, and finding out which ones are missing. Little Kat was in charge of taking down things on the walls and doors. Momoko has the opportunity to get things laminated. Little Kat and I went in search of the "laminating drawer". You put stuff in, and the teacher in charge does the laminating.

The plan is to be done with Momoko's room by the middle of next week so we can go on vacation. I can hear the beach calling to us.

Airplanes in the Night Sky

My new favorite song playing on the radio is Airplanes by B.o.B. featuring Haley Williams. The real strength of the song comes from the Haley Williams vocals. She is lead singer of the group Paramore.

B.o.B. is an up and coming rapper. He is not that bad. However I don't think he has a broad following. Before the Airplanes single, I had never heard of him.

So without further ado, let me leave you with some lyrics from the single "Airplanes":

Can we pretend that airplanes

In the night sky

Are like shooting stars

I could really use a wish right now

Delivery Cat

In the past year or so, Momoko had me bring our old freezer and fridge up to her school. The plan was to put them in her classroom. Then a school edict came out staying no teachers could have either in their classroom. Momoko had me come to school, and move the fridge and freezer in the back of the cafeteria.

Recently the rule got overturned by the principal. Momoko could have a fridge and freezer in her classroom. I scheduled to swing by after school to help her move the two back into her classroom. Easier said than done.

When I got to the back of the cafeteria, I found that a lot of new stuff had been stored back there. The freezer and fridge were buried in the back. When I dug them out, Momoko showed me a short cut that took me down a ramp. Whew. Even with the dolly, the big fridge is very hard to move down the stairs.

However after I moved the fridge to Momoko's classroom, she found she could not reach her phone. We had to move around some heavy furniture to get Momoko's fridge and freezer where she wanted them. I cut my hand in the process. Later I found that I cut my other hand even worse.

At least Momoko will have ice cubes for her science experiments at school. And if Momoko has to do an experiment to see how cold her cokes need to be for optimal refreshment, then I say more power to her.

On Vacation

Today was my last day at work before my vacation. I get off a week before Momoko and the kids. I don't think there will be a lot of lounging around. There are too many things to do around the house.

I first plan to work on the fence that is falling apart. Got to cut and nail some new pickets on there. Then I must deal with the wall paper peeling off the bathroom wall.

By the time I wrap up my work on the house, it will be time to take a small trip to the beach with the family. Momoko is taking off the last day of school so we can spend it at the beach.

Sleep Over Weekend

This weekend we decided to let Kit Kat invite her friends to our house for a sleep over. Now sleep over is a relative term. These teens like to stay up most of the night. This will probably be the last big bash before Kit Kat goes to see her dad this summer.

One of Kit Kat's friends brought his Rock Band game for the Wii. He also brought all the hardware. This included a drum set, microphone, and guitar. I thought I heard Amy Lee from Evanescence singing in our basement. Turns out it was another of Kit Kat's friends with a good voice.

Momoko went on an all day 5 location field trip. When she got home she was broken. So we put her to bed. She had promised Kit Kat that she would take them to get ice cream. I had to take them instead. We went to this shack on the side of the road. The owner was very nice. He let us try some raspberry snow cone and ice cream combo for free.

Little Kat spent the night over his friend's house. Apparently he got no sleep last night. He came home and napped for a few hours. Momoko tried to wake him up. However he just wandered around until Momoko took a nap. Then Little Kat had to lay down on the couch for a rest. They are both sleeping right now. Heheh.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

I bought my dresser a long time ago. We are talking 7 or 8 years ago. Along with the dresser I purchased a mirror. Funny thing is that the mirror has been in its box all these years. I never set it up.

Now that Momoko has this huge wardrobe in our bedroom, she needed more room on her side of the bed. So I moved the armoire out of the bedroom. Before moving the bed, I pulled out the old mirror. Behind it was a lot of dust and mold on the baseboards of the wall.

So today I scrubbed down the wall and tried to assemble the mirror on my dresser. It was tough. The thing had a lot of part but no directions. Of course the steel rods holding up the mirror did not have the right holes to secure it to the dresser. The drill took care of that. Momoko helped hold the mirror in place as I secured it. Our bedroom is looking better and better every day.

Working From Home

I got up early this morning. Went to McDonald's for breakfast. Got some sandwiches off the dollar menu. When I drove back home, I saw Kit Kat waiting at her bus stop.

My contractors came real early this morning. That helped them quickly install Little Kat's new air conditioning unit. When Little Kat got home, he used the remote control to set the temperature to 60 degrees in his room. Guess he was tired of being hot for so long.

The contractors also got rid of the nasty yellow toilet in our basement. They replaced it with a fresh new white one. One contractor tried to secure our gate with some screws. However the hornets attacked him and he refused to work on it any more. Now I got to get that Raid to get the work done.

The Contractor Cometh

Today I worked from home. Had the contractor boys come over. They were not very productive. Luckily I put them on the highest priority task first - installing Kit Kat's window air conditioning unit.

The first dude arrived at 8:30am. The next one came an hour later. They finished the air conditioning install at 3:00pm. After that they were tired, and pretty much went home.

Since Kit Kat comes home from school before 4:00pm, I pumped her fan on high and put the temperature at 68 degrees. Kit Kat said she spied on the new A/C unit protruding from her room out the front of the house. She knew she was set.

Looks like I have to work from home tomorrow as the contractor boys return to install Little Kat's air conditioning. And if tomorrow is Thursday, it is only 2 days until the new iCarly movie iPsycho.

A Little Surprise

I got up early this morning. Went downstairs and cooked myself some breakfast (microwave pizza). I got the newspaper from outside. Then I saw Kit Kat running down trying to get a printout from the laser printer. Looked like some last minute homework to me. Then she raced out the door. I was hoping she would make her bus. Otherwise I would have to drive her to school.

After breakfast I decided to go upstairs and clean out my armoire. Momoko has made room in the closet for my clothes. She wants me to move the armoire out of the room to give her more room for her wardrobe. When I got to the top of the stairs, I saw Little Kat in his bed. That was strange since Momoko had left an hour earlier. She normally drives him to school, or tells me he is staying home. Perhaps she told me while I was asleep. Kit Kat was surprised as well when she got home. She had no idea Little Kat stayed home today.