Feline, Fit, & Fabulous

Sammy has control of my iPad.

Two years ago I took Sammy in for his annual vet visit and learned that he weighed more than 20 pounds. This was not good. He was already on a diet regimen at that point, but obviously it wasn't working. I've really worked hard over the last two years to limit his food intake and keep him physically active (even if it drives both of us crazy sometimes).

So you can image my delight when I brought Sammy in for his annual check-up yesterday and learned that he is now a sleek 16.75 pounds. I think this is the smallest he's been since we lived in my first apartment in Boston.

Well done, Sammy!

What's wrong with this photo?

Hint: Look on top of the cabinets.

30 Things to Be Thankful For - Day 4

I love Sammy — I really do.

But as I was working on this entry, he was playing with the blinds, scratching the dining room chair, and jumping on and off the kitchen counter. I had to use my trusty water bottle to get him to calm down.

He's exasperating, tiresome, and sometimes such a darn nuisance that I wish I could give him away. He's given me some of the worst scratches ever and nearly destroyed my computer.

Yet when he snuggles up next to me, looks at me with his big green eyes, and purrs, I melt.

Yes, I love this cat. And I don't know what I would do without him.

Big Boy

I took Sammy to the vet on Friday. He was as charming as ever, but I was a little embarrassed to learn that he now weighs more than 20 pounds.

I'm already drawing up plans for a cat-sized treadmill. Now the only question is — how do I make him use it?

My sweet, sweet kitty

It's hard to be too sad when you have this guy around.

Photography Class, Assignment #2

My photography class focused on flash and exposure compensation last week. We had to take pictures of the same subject using the different flash settings in our cameras. I learned that my camera has several different flash settings, which was really surprising to me since I thought I had only two: on and off. Sammy was the subject of my project this week.

Sammy with no flash


Sammy with flash

His natural color, of course, is more like the second picture than the first. I still like the first one because he looks softer, and his eyes aren't quite as scary.

Only one more assignment and class left! This class has gone by quickly.

25 Things About Me

(Borrowed from Facebook . . . my blog looked neglected)

1. I’m named after a character in a book my mom read (Calico Palace). My mom was also named after a fictional character (Richardson’s Pamela). I continued the tradition by naming my cat Parker after the tiger in The Life of Pi.

2. I lived in Henderson, Texas, for the first 18 years of my life. Since then, I’ve lived in 3 other states (Mississippi, Florida, and Massachusetts) and 6 cities (Jackson, Austin, Orlando, Nacogdoches, Boston, and Natick).

3. Long underwear is a now a permanent part of my winter wardrobe.

4. My first memory was telling my mom that I wanted a little sister like a girl in my class at preschool. I got Paul instead (and wouldn’t trade him for a million sisters).

5. I am a huge Michelle Kwan fan and am excited that she has hinted at a return to the ice.

6. I love to watch Dancing with the Stars.

7. My favorite book as a child was Anne of Green Gables (I still love it).

8. I don’t like peanut butter.

9. I would really like to visit Australia.

10. I’m a proud Texas Longhorn, but I appreciate the Aggie band more (military-style marching is so difficult to do well).

11. I was a majorette my senior year of high school.

12. My favorite vacations growing up were our trips to the national parks.

13. I have almost mastered the art of shoveling my car out of the snow.

14. I have Cheerios every morning for breakfast.

15. I love Mexican food (what Texas girl doesn’t?). I just wish good Mexican food was easier to find up here in Massachusetts.

16. My brother and I both broke our arms within a week of each other when we were little. I broke my left, and he broke his right. (Just in case you were wondering, these were two distinct incidents. Mine happened at home, and my brother’s happened at school.)

17. I like a lot of my mom’s music (Simon and Garfunkel, Elvis, Carole King, John Denver).

18. I have a fear of knives and apples.

19. I’ve been told I look like both my mom and my dad.

20. I really like ducks.

21. Burt and Ernie were my favorite characters on Sesame Street when I was younger. We still have Christmas tree ornaments that hang on our tree each year.

22. I’ve actually been to Wasilla, Alaska.

23. My cat Sammy is a great mouse killer (he begged me to put this one in).

24. I love that my brother and I have inside jokes (“Section C!”).

25. I’m so ready for summer already, but since I live in Massachusetts, I’ll probably have to wait until June.

Save the Earth!

Sammy encourages everyone to use reusable shopping bags. You can fit a lot in them — even cats!