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!