I may be biased, but these two are pretty cute.
I get such a kick out of how Mojo treats lil’ Miss Wylie. He is a true gentleman, and I’m pretty sure it’s because he’s a (neutered) male and she’s a female (due to be spayed on December 2nd). (Will being spayed make Mojo act differently toward her? Hmm.) Often when Mojo bolts inside through the pet door, Wylie is right behind him. I wonder if they pal around together out there? Neither of them have hauled in a critter since Wylie has been in the picture, but that could be weather-related. I still think a couple of forehead-mounted cat cams would be fascinating! (Like there’s such a thing. And a collar cam would end up being deposited somewhere…)
No actual “cuddling,” but they are often within close proximity of each other. I sense that Wylie looks up to Mojo. She respects him and doesn’t antagonize him (much). I think she likes having him around, kind of like a big brother.
It’s interesting to me because I had never once (since Helen delivered him in a cage with two of his baby siblings) seen Mojo around another cat and he’s going on 7 years old. No cats come near our place, either at home or at Harstine, and I’ve never heard a cat fight, either. John said he did once at Harstine not too long ago (in the middle of the night while I was sawing logs). There is another big orange neighbor cat at Harstine who belongs to snowbirds so we only see him (Skipper) in the summer. He likes to walk the beach and visit some of the neighbors, but he’s never been to our place since we’ve had Mojo. Perhaps it was the two of them who tangled when John heard that cat fight? At any rate, I had absolutely no idea what to expect with introducing another cat to the pet family. I wouldn’t have done it by choice, but sometimes you just don’t have a choice! And it’s worked out remarkably well.
We have a huge quandary, though. Since we brought Wylie home from Harstine, neither cat has been back. The idea of rounding up TWO cats when it’s time to leave on Sunday nights is something we just don’t want to contend with. And yet, taking Mojo along (because he LOVES it there) and leaving Wylie home alone for the weekend breaks my heart! She would be so lonely and confused. And yet…she could handle it, I’m sure. Hmm.
Lots of “hmms.”
I was dreading the drive last night to an unfamiliar area in Seattle for a wedding (alone and in the dark!) But my iPhone Google Maps app is STELLAR for voice navigation! Wow, it’s the best I’ve ever experienced and the woman’s voice actually sounds human, complete with inflection. She totally knew where I was going and got me there ONE-AND-A-HALF-HOURS EARLY. (Partly because I read the time on the invitation wrong, which read “half-past 6 o’clock p.m.” and my eyes focused on the “6 o’clock.” Yeah, I’m a dork).
The wedding was for a coworker that I like a whole lot (our HR recruiter). She is also a singer/songwriter and performs locally, plus is very involved with Seattle’s Folklife Festival and Bumbershoot. (I also have her CD!) Last spring she was featured in a very well-produced television commercial for Boeing Employees Credit Union. (She’s the one counting at the beginning, strums her guitar throughout, and is shown singing a line at the end):
She posted this actual filming photo (in Ballard, WA) on her website:
The wedding and reception were held at a funky place on Eastlake called “The Lake Union Café,” (it’s a 360° thingy so use your mouse sideways!) which is actually not a public place (anymore), but a venue for weddings and parties and things. It was perfect, and I love the idea of having the ceremony and the reception in the same location. Jerin is 5’11” and slender (which I reckon is much easier when you’re tall), and she looked absolutely drop-dead gorgeous in her strapless, form-fitting, light-champagne-colored, and classily adorned wedding dress. She was the combination of an elegant queen and a mermaid, although the bottom of the dress flared out beautifully, allowing easy maneuverability. I sat/hung out with a handful of other coworkers who were invited that I thankfully enjoy their company (aside from the CEO, but I did like his wife who is a South African native, also with a British accent). I felt honored to have been invited!
We weren’t allowed to take any pictures. The officiator guy put it nicely: “Picture this in your hearts, not on your digital device.” There were professional photographers taking care of everything so I’m sure that not having to deal with constant flashes everywhere made their job a lot more do-able.
The groom cried during the ceremony! (No, he didn’t outright sob, but his eyes were full of tears and he struggled with emotion in saying his vows, which then made Jerin tear up. He then gently reached over [he is also tall] and wiped away a tear on her face, which made me cry!) (I have a hunch there wasn’t a dry eye anywhere!) It definitely helped when the two young ring-bearers dropped both of the rings that reverberated on the hardwood floor! We all really needed that laugh!
I thought this was cute. These two are obviously into puns. Instead of the typical candy “kiss” wrapped in taffeta and a ribbon, every place setting had one of these containers full of green jelly beans:
And the jelly beans are “pear” flavored. (Pair! Get it?)
The place was pretty packed and after astounding hors d'oeuvres and an excellent dinner, I left before the dancing/party began. I know. I’ve become a fuddy duddy.
BUT, John was due home shortly after I’d left for the wedding and I just wanted to be back to normalcy!
Poor guy. He’s whupped. Still is, after a good night’s sleep and a long hot shower. He completed ALL the painting (HIGH ceilings and TALL walls) in the mudroom, pantry, and the glass studio. You’d be surprised how much square footage of surface that is. Gallons upon gallons of paint. (Well, pretty much!) PLUS the installation of the flooring in those rooms, AND light switch/outlet covers. It’s one of those things that had to be done before a myriad of other things could be done. Like, getting the hot water heater installed in the mudroom (flooring and painting needed to happen first). And preparing the pantry for cabinetry and countertop/sink (flooring and painting needed to happen beforehand). The studio will also have cabinetry and a utility sink/countertop that couldn’t be installed until paint and flooring. I think I’ve mentioned that the focus is to get those rooms done, and then focus on a bathroom (at least a toilet!) so that we can start “camping out” in the house and therefore have the camping trailer demolished and removed.
He said, “You’re not going to believe your eyes when you’re down there next time.” Lots of progress. The siders have also completed the underside of the house (it’ll need to be painted, though), as well as the soffits—soon to begin the Hardie siding.
Onward ho!
