Fluffenella... she's everywhere, she's everywhere

It is VERY early in the morning. Rushing around trying to get ready for work, I absent-mindedly close doors and drawers to keep kittens out of them while I am away. As I put the final touches to my make-up, I realize that the cupboard under the sink is mewing. I open the door. Fluffenella tumbles out.

I rush into my closet to find shoes that will fit on my going-barefoot-all-summer widened feet. I find a semi-decent pair that doesn't require that I wear hose, put them on, and shut the door behind me. I grab my purse and head out the door. Columbo-like, I come right back in again, as I have left my keys on the bed. While I am back in my bedroom, I realize the closet is mewing. I open the door. Fluffenella scampers out.

I suddenly remember that I haven't taken my insulin, so I pull it out of the fridge and shoot myself with it. I return it to the fridge, and then grab my purse once again, feeling a tad frantic now because I have a 50 minute drive ahead of me, and I should have left 5 minutes ago. That's when I realize the fridge is mewing. I open the door. Fluffenella is in the lowest door compartment, attacking a yogurt. She is very cold, so I take a moment to hold her until she is warm, and thank God that I didn't drive off and leave her in there.

I teach my class, and come home to rest up a bit before the night class I am also teaching. I slip out of my clothes and don a light nightie to cool off. I stretch out on the couch and take a little nap. Later, I rise and go to put my clothes back on. I realize my pant leg is mewing. I extract Fluffenella from my pants, and continue getting ready. As I head out the door, I grab my purse and my tote bag. Off to work again...except my tote bag is mewing. Yeah.

Just now, as I was heading for bed, I realized the drier was mewing. Fluffenella had climbed in and gotten entangled in the towels which will now need to be re-washed. I freed her, closed the drier door... then opened it again to make sure none of the other remaining three kits had also climbed in. Nope. It seems Fluffenella is the only kit who lives dangerously.

Fluffenella is ear-marked to go and live with my brother Bill in Texas. I hope he doesn't read this- he may re-think the whole kitten adoption thing.

Travel/no travel...WHAT WAS I THINKING???!!!

I was so looking forward to coming out to San Diego, if only for the cool weather. It's been too damn hot for too damn long in Tennessee, so I was thrilled to be heading to San Diego, where it is always 72. Except that it is 95. You heard me. You can't say the weather followed me, either, since it was waiting for me when I got here. 95. Thank goodness it is five degrees cooler here, or there would have been no point in coming.


I am only here for a week because... wait for it... I am teaching this semester. I know, I know, how stupid it THAT?- but I find I can be guilted/flattered into doing almost anything. I was supposed to teach a genetics class, and was praying it wouldn't make. And it didn't! So, in a moment of weakness brought on by the joy of NOT teaching genetics, I agreed to teach two other things. These things can't keep happening to me without having something to do with me!


One general biology, one anatomy and physiology, two campuses, three days a week... ah, well, it will pay for the carpeting I will have to replace once the kittens have all been claimed by their new owners. All the kitties are staying with Jake and Becca while I am here. I hope all is going well. Tiger and Pusskins will be remaining in their new home when I return, and I will miss them, but the remaining three babies, Scamper, Hiro, and Fluffanella, and their Mama Binx will be back to destroying my bedroom carpet on Saturday.


The carpet is not the only thing that has been destroyed this summer. 100 degree heat for weeks and weeks on end- and in the midst of the heat wave, our freezer in the garage flipped its breaker without our noticing. Odd smells started permeating the house. I, of course, blamed the cats. Carpets were cleaned, refrigerators were moved, floors were scoured, kitty litter was dumped and refilled, windows were opened to let fresh, 100 degree air into the house, all to not avail. It took us awhile to realize that a freezer full of meat and veg had begun to rot malodorously. I hate the smell of decomp in the morning. Just a little taste of the smells forensic scientists must deal with. At least we didn't have to autopsy the stuff. Still, Dave couldn't shake the smell off his skin and hands until he remembered something from a "CSI" episode, and bathed with lemon juice. Store that away for future use: if you ever stink from exposure to decomposing flesh, lemon juice will save the day. Don't say I never give you good advice.

So, even though it is hot here, San Diego has this going for it right now- there is no rotting meat, there are no fighting cats, and there is a complete absence of Febreze. Life is semi-good!

Lions and tigers, no bears, OH MY!

Question: Can I go to the mall by entering my bedroom?

Answer: Yes, as long as mall is spelled m-a-u-l.

I am being mauled daily. There are five wild, mobile, aggressive beasts in my bedroom. Ankle biters. Clawing their way to the top - of my legs, of my bed- with their needle-like claws. They are chewing on my toes with their razor teeth. They are wearing my clothes. They are eating my socks. They wrestle with each other, annoy their mother, and attempt to escape the room every time the door opens.

There is no respite even in the bathroom. Whenever pants are lowered to use the facility, the pants are instantly filled with demented babies. I kid you not. I thought I had shaken them all out. I was mistaken. I have been clawed where no cat has gone before.

Kittens are so soft, so sweet, so ruthlessly spiky. Pleasure is always accompanied by pain, as with roses. Kittens are like mink coats with thorns. Like cockleburs, they attach themselves to laundry baskets, to clothing, to rugs, to shower curtains.

They sleep in David's shoes.

Miss Binx's litter is now almost 5 weeks old. They are out the their box, litter-trained, and starting to eat solid food. Binx is still terrorizing Hobbes and Patches but I hope that will settle down once she has completely weaned the catkins. Then THEY can terrorize Hobbes and Patches.

Here are a few recent shots of my lions and tigers in miniature. They crack me up- and are destroying my bedroom!

Notice how they are going in different directions- divide and conquer mode.

Sometimes a guy just needs some privacy; sadly for this little fella, that's out of the question. All four of his siblings are under there with him, out of camera range.

Looking right at you is Tiger. Tiger is the runt of the litter which means, of course, he is the ringleader. His sister Pusskins (black kitty) and he are going to live with my son and his family. The dark charcoal baby snubbing me is going to my god-daughter Kat. The "escape artist" is one of the twins, who look so much alike it's like... well, it's like they are twins.

Here are the "twins" looking at you. As near as we can determine, there are three males and two females in this litter. Apparently Pusskins is the only kit that looks like the Daddy.

I am so in love.

In Memoriam

Adiren M. Neal

Beloved child and mother

August 3, 1977 - July 28, 2007

May light perpetual shine upon her.