Monthly Archives: December 2018

Who is running this asylum anyway?

It’s Saturday afternoon and we are just back from our walk. Just in time before it gets dark since the days are so short! Technically it is 34F but the Real Feel is 22F. However, regardless of temperature, the walks must go on. Otherwise we all go a little crazy from the hijinks of Pickle and Olive. As I am typing this, they are running through the living room, practicing their ability to fly without wings and to tackle each other midair.

For those of us who are more mature (read: all the non kitten residents) , escaping for a walk is sometimes the only way to get a little peace and quiet to think. It’s been two weeks since they arrived and so far, peace and quiet is the only thing to have been impacted. 😉

For the most part, they are super cute and affectionate. But they both have a mighty streak of bad seed running through their DNA 😉 Last night, I was reading, the dogs were quietly snoring, Olive was napping and Pickle was bored. He had been lying up against Henry (his portable Dachshund heater) and rolled over and proceeded to smack Henry with his nails from both paws right in the face. Henry yelped and jumped. Pickle didn’t move at all, he had a very satisfied smirk on his face. Henry got comforted and Pickle got a big NO with two taps on his paws.

Things are really busy, with the end of the year coming up. Suddenly, it is not just the end of the year as a person but also for the company. Which means hoping that I have gotten all of the right forms turned in and have been collecting the right information. I think the next person I look for will be administratively strong – if you know what I mean!

Other than the administrative, there are some challenges that come with a startup. I am working through them. For me, the most difficult thing is finding the balance between doing it myself and explaining what I am looking for to give someone else the room to succeed! Everyone requires a different level of direction and I am trying to find the method that works best for each person.

We won’t have a Christmas tree this year. The city was kind enough to put one for us that is directly visible from our house and out of reach of the kittens! Thursday night was the treelighting ceremony, which we eagerly bundled up in our sweaters, dogs included and went out to the square to watch.

 

I think that Thursday will be my last day of heading up to Amsterdam for the year. We will have a two week break for our students which means I am not needed there either. After spending 2.5 hours in the car on Monday morning to make the journey of 45 miles, I have decided only to go with the train now. I was against it because during rush hour, it’s expensive and costs more than a tank of gas if I go three days. However, after Monday, I realized that time was more important than money in this case 😉

Tomorrow we are going up to Amsterdam, but that’s for a special surprise. GG doesn’t know what we are doing yet, I only told her not to plan anything for tomorrow about three months ago (her calendar is legendarily difficult). It’s going to be a challenge and hopefully fun!

Introducing Olive…

OliveMy brother, Pickle, tends to create the most ruckus. He’s a bit of a sourpuss, hence his name. He’s also the runt so he feels the need to call attention to himself, ALOT. Me? I’m a little more subtle. I prefer to let the masses come to me.

For example, I’ve already figured it out. The white and brown one, he’s great as a pillow. He doesn’t care if you climb all over him or hang on him. He just lets out a big chuff and what do you know, it’s a heated Cat Observation Post! The other one, that’s taller, he runs after me all the time. I keep telling him, “I am here for the free snacks, not to network”. Doesn’t stop him from trying through.

Oh, and as for those really big scary monsters, I have them totally under my spell. I didn’t even get in trouble for running around inside this cabinet that has alot of breakable stuff in it.

Stay tuned to see what my brother and I get up to next! 😉

Hi, I’m Pickle…

And this is from my first trip downstairs into the world of the dogs! My sister, Olive and I, were kidnapped yesterday and put in a small plastic box where we spent the next three hours sitting still and moving one kilometer every 45 minutes. Then we finally arrived in this place where nothing smells like home. However, on the plus side, we have this big space to run around in and all kinds of nooks and crannies to hide behind. We even have our own light so we can either see what we are running after or practice reading – my sister is a nerd.

There are these two other things that live here. They are really big. One of them follows us around all the time, trying to smell us. The big scary monsters call him “George”. Then there’s other one, he’s pretty brave. He dares to lie right next to Big Scary Monster #1 and just kind of watches us and then goes back to sleep. Olive says his name is “Henry”. I am not sure if they can be trusted. We haven’t told them our real names yet, let them think we are Pickle and Olive!

At least, that’s what they might be thinking. From the Big Scary Monster perspective, we are glad they are here. Hopefully we will get to a point where they get used to us. I think they will because Pickle just came to sit on my lap voluntarily for 15 seconds. It is hilarious to watch them fly from one place to the next. They have huge feet so when they run around in their room upstairs, it’s like baby elephants are above your head. It reminds me of Lientje.

Right now, they are playing a game of where Pickle runs after George, smacks him on the butt and then turns around and runs after Olive and smacks her on the head. Then Olive smacks him back and the process starts all over again. 🙂

Last week was great – but exhausting by the end of it. I had pretty much lost my voice. However, we talked to so many individuals and organizations on behalf of the women we have that are looking for new careers, it was well worth it. And while our stand decor was nothing exciting, it was the company name that drew them in and the vials that we had spent all that time making. We made 500 and gave away 350 by my estimate.

Tonight after the zoo has eaten dinner, GG and I are headed off to the sauna for a few hours for a well deserved few hours of peace and quiet!

And a special Happy Birthday wish to Meredith 🙂 Couldn’t ask for a better sister in law and roadtrip companion! We love you, Mere!