In My Fuzzy Orange Slippers

In my fuzzy, orange slippers I sit here once again, on this loveseat with Luna lounging to my right. She looks tired and a bit homesick. I promised her we would go home soon and I would take her to see Ma-Ma. My grandmother loves Luna. When we go over there, I usually unlock the door and let Luna walk in first. She's my creative little intro, heh. Sweet puppy dog.

TODAY I went sledding in the snow for the first time in my life! It was silly fun. Carrie and I on two little plastic sleds... mine had a steering lever on each side. The slope wasn't that steep and the first time down was a little slow. Once we'd gotten the snow smoothed down a little, we were going GOOD! I told Carrie I love her and thought she was so cool because we can have little kid fun together and it's cool. Carrie rocks.

Remember this kid? The little brother on The Christmas story?



Yeah well that's how it felt in the layers and layers topped with a puffy ski jacket that I put on today! Carrie too... it was funny.



And so we went sledding. Here is Carrie:



...and here is me, heh!!



We had lots of fun and laughed almost the whole time. Carrie looked so cute. *grin*



And aw, gosh, we are so darn, freakin' cute together... hehe...



Anyway, we had a great time on the pool road behind the volunteer fire department building out here near Monroeville in Pittsburgh.

Here are some pictures of the footprints we see in the snow in the mornings in West Deer. I just got a couple of decent shots today; the variety is different every morning. This looks like some kind of cat or something, and a big deer or moose or... antelope... heh...





There is a really cool area out toward West Deer, near Blawnox, called Fox Chapel. It's a little nicer area with some cool shopping centers and stuff. Carrie and I found a Petco so we could get bird food.
While we were there, we visited the birds they have for sale and totally fell in love with a handful of conures. We've even been back to visit them when we were in the area. Our favorite two are named Mickey and Minnie and they are so friendly and sweet. If we had the $600 apiece to buy them both, we'd do it in a heartbeat.

This is what those two look like:





This little guy is named Joe Too. He's cute but pretty shy; wouldn't let me pet on him or anything and would back away as soon as I moved close to his cage. But her was a sweet little soul. Look at this cute little guy:



This was a sweet little bird. Don't remember this one's name, and it had a particularly sharp beak. Sweet though.



This other bird was my favorite besides Mickey and Minnie. This is a great picture, too. If you look, you can see white wrapped around some of the short feathers around his head. These are new feathers growing out that have not yet unfurled and are covered with wax. I really like the detail you can see in this shot.



And that is my lately. Tomorrow (well it's late now; probably now I should say, "today"...) is the superbowl, and the city of Pittsburgh is literally bug-eyed with excitement over their Steelers. Honestly - a lot of the stores I've been in have signs up saying they are closing early on Sunday for the game! Crazy. I'm looking forward to this too; I have a good feeling about the Steelers.

Sleepy... Carrie is asleep with a bunny on her shoulder. Carrie and Bugs. Too cute.

MERNIN'

A contemplative smile rests on my face as I consider, not for the first time, how the beginning and ending of a day are barely distinguishable from each other. In a comfortable, warm bed in this old mine home in West Deer Township, I was looking through the window's curtain gaps at the greys and blues of yet another Pittsburgh daybreak. I like it here.

We're supposed to get a break from snow over the weekend. Up here, in the winter, they call it "warming from severe cold to just a little chilly" when it gets up into the mid-30's. In Baton Rouge, this same temperature range is referred to by meteorologists as "dropping down into the 30's" and "cold, cold, cold - bring in your plants and pets tonight!" haha Of course, in Baton Rouge, I never spent a week in temperatures ranging from the teens to single-digits.

I'm thinking I like extremes. I like Dallas summers and Pittsburgh winters. Anything in-between seems like a waste of weather. Baton Rouge is totally a "middle" zone. It gets pretty hot in the summers (as well as humid...), and a little cold in the winter but maybe for a consolidated two weeks if you're lucky.

Dallas had summers that were much more dry and had patches of time where the temperature was above 100 degrees. However, the winters there were a bit lackluster... it would get cold as hell, a biting cold, but seldom produced a respectable amount of snow.

There is plenty of snow here. ha ha ha.................

And this is REAL snow... not the wet, soppy kind that plops to the ground every couple of years in Louisiana.

Maybe that's just an attitude problem for me... where I am is always better than where I've been. Or maybe that's a good thing; I am able to embrace and appreciate what is new and different instead of pining away in the mire of longing for what used to be.

Carrie is still asleep. She took a sleep aide last night and I'm letting her get as much out of it as she can. Her back has been hurting, she's had a lot of stress to weather, and her sleeps have been fitful at best. I'm glad she's resting.

We do have a lot to do today, though, once she is ready. Characteristically, I have a list in a notebook... that is so "me," heh...

I am very proud of my having cleaned out the refrigerator downstairs. The power was shut off here for a good bit of time and the inside of the fridge coated itself pretty well with a black mold. Mr. Clean and I dove in there and I handled it just like Rosie the Riveter would have. I still have a sink full of shelves and door-compartment-pieces in the sink, but the inside of that rig is CLEAN... "lickable," as I put it to Carrie. ha ha...

(Though she would not lick the refrigerator... but then, I wouldn't have, either...) *grin*

I have washed and replaced the bottom shelf and the two crisper drawers that hang beneath it. I do a little at a time. All toughness aside, it is pretty damn gross... hehe

Well, enough about refrigerators.

I'm sitting at the table in the upstairs kitchen. My computer battery was running out of juice and there was not an outlet (to my knowledge) near enough to the bed for me to type in there. I'm in here, cats traipsing in and out, and I'm looking at Rocco... and I'm thinking to myself, I better get out of here before he decides to start screaming. I know him well by now, heh... he's picking through his feathers now, much like a cat would lick all over to clean itself. Once he's done, his mouth will be free for noise-making... he would not understand that I'm trying to let Carrie sleep in. Little turd. hehe

Let me get going. Just needed to write for a few.

Signing off,
Your Newly-Declared Official Steeler Fan

ps.... here are a few more pics

Luna at Carrie's mom's house a few evenings ago:

One of Vladimir's favorite sleeping spots here at Baba's:

Nic & Rocco partying in the morning light (yesterday):

Vladimir in the bedroom window:

Rocco & Carrie kissing goodnight...

Vladimir, up-close and personal:


Little D watching Carrie in the upstairs kitchen...

Check out this groovy DJ station in the upstairs living room!!

Vladimir looking out the living room window:

And, finally, deer tracks in the snow that I saw this morning. Don't have those where I'm from!

Life in Layers

Hello. I am still in Pittsburgh, it is still freezing, and it is still snowing off and on. Were it not for the fact that I am just pretty damn happy these days, I would surely be miserable. I am, though; happy. Life is good. I miss some of my family, definitely... but I am making it. Overall there is far more to be happy about than there is to stress over. I like this new place I am, and love being here with Carrie.

So, more pictures... I love photography as a means of documenting life.

Last Thursday night, Carrie and I went to Moondog's to see the Sauce Boss! Awesome musician with a band called the Ingredients. He plays blues/rock and cooks a huge pot of gumbo as his show progresses. At the end, we all got to eat and it was GOOD, except for the shrimp and crawfish weren't peeled. But it was GOOD now, cher! Das right, yea!!



He's like a crazy twist of Justin Wilson, heh!!



Le cuisine:



Notice the unpeeled shrimp and crawfish on the napkin. Hadta let 'em cool. haha I had two bowls. The crowd was actually kind of small thandat night because it was extra icy out that night... and, because Carrie's friend Mary was working the bar that night, we got to take home a HUGE container of left over gumbo! I told Carrie we made off with the LOOT and she agreed! Yes indeed.

Ooh, but it was SOOOO cold....





Yeah they pronounce that "ying-ling." I'm actually working on one right now; they're good; kind of like Dos Equis a little.

After the show, Carrie and I went to her Baba's to stay the night and check on the kids. Here's Little D. Such a sweet girl...



Vladimir and Rocco have established a sort of understanding, I suppose. It still amazes me that Rocco just lets him chill on top there and never bites at him.



I think it's so funny the way that cats look like turkeys when they're all curled up and cleaning themselves.



And, that night, it SNOWED like crazy. Here are some pictures from out in West Deer the next day:





Here we have my amazing, boot-clad foot, nestled down in the accumulated snowflakes..



This was as far as Carrie could get her truck up the driveway the night before... and the tracks leading downhill are where I rolled two huge trash bags down to put them in the back of the truck. We had to take them to a dumpster because we had reached the legal maximum weight limit of pounds of cat shit contained in plastic bags in one household. heh...



Back at the ranch in Monroeville, Luna reclined in her 5-star accomodations as she enjoyed multiplicitous dog treats, frequently-displayed affection, and the beautiful convenience of a doggie door enabling her to shit at will. She is loving the hell out of it here and is going to be so bummed when we go back home...



And finally, here is my newly-acquired Steelers hat! Got it just in time and watched a great game Sunday... STEELERS GOIN' TO THE SUPERBOWL!!



( I miss my nephews... )

The Friend

My love invited me to go with her
to visit a friend.
I went.
Short visit, but,
we were ready to leave,
Now my fingers trip
over the keys and I'm hitting
backspace
most often.
My brain echoes
when I turn my head...
our friend was never so aggressive
his tense grip leaving a red mark
on my face.
Weird.
But, when I consider it all, I just
can't stop laughing.
I'm typing with only one finger and
the way the words roll out of the auctioneer's mouth
make me feel like I'm on a ferris wheel
going very fast.

Vladimir & Gonzo Sittin' in a Tree

So, I've been here in Pittsburgh for about a week and a half now. I must confess occasional twinges of homesickness, but I do love it here. Anyway I have a few pictures I wanted to post.

Since the night we got here, it has been snowing...

and snowing...

and snowing...

and... snowing....

(pretty house, huh...) I saw that house on a walk I took with Luna the other day.

Luna actually is digging it up here. She is even okay with the snow. She and Crystal, one of Carrie's family's two dogs, like to chase each other around in the snowy yard. When I took Luna for her walk the other day, she didn't seem to mind having her bare feet in the snow. She peed a lot... I congratulated her for claiming as her own more snow than any dog I'd ever seen trying. heh...

Luna is my big, sweet girl and I am grateful to have her up here with me. Here are some pictures from our walk.

(By the way, it was cold that day, but only in the 20's... today... it was... SEVEN. "FORGET ABOUT IT!!" hehe)



Remember I talked about trekking my way up and down hills and slopes? Here's one. Harsh walkin', man, but my legs feel awesome when I'm done!

I stopped into Starbucks. Luna waited for me like a good little soldier outside. I was in & out as fast a possible; I know that ground had to be cold to sit on. My sweet Miss Lu....

So they salt the streets and sidewalks, to melt the ice... and Luna kept stopping to lick the salt. I told her to stop or she'd get a heart condition, heh...


You should see the steep angle that is Carrie's grandmother Baba's driveway... the other night it was so frozen, we barely got up it in her truck. This is what the snow looked like after she struggled and maneuvered in attempt to park her Chevy. Craziness.
(Das ma GRRL, now!! Damn!!!) *GRIN*



Everyone here, of course, is born with Steelers football in their DNA makeup. The Steelers won their playoff game last week and look good for the one this weekend, which would put them in the Superbowl. We had a Steelers party last Sunday at Carrie's mom's house, to watch the game.


That's Carrie's brother with his "terrible towel." It's tradition. I don't know the history of it, but Steeler fans wave them in the stands. They all have terrible towels... Steeler fans are far more intense than LSU Tiger fans... and that's saying a LOT. hehe...

Luna wanted to wear a terrible towel herself, to be like her "uncle" Bobby.


Here, from left to right, are Stolley, Luna and Crystal. Luna and Crystal were sacked out from chasing each other around in the yard all day. Stolley is just... well she's about 14 years old. So she doesn't need an excuse to be sacked out. *grin*

And now, to address the title of this blog.

Months ago, I became the proud owner of a male, yellow tabby kitten which I named Vladimir. Vladimir has grown into a respectably-sized cat; he's like a teenager... a teenager in the throes of puberty, and has become quite the... humper....

Vladimir humps. We call him Humpamir, Hump Diddy, Sir Humpsalot, and a slew of other teasing nicknames, but he continues to hump anything he can get his little body on or around. Pillows, blankets, shoes, Carrie's and my legs... (gross)... anything. So, the other night, we found Vladimir a friend-with-benefits. heh...
He now drags Gonzo around with his teeth and humps at will. It's a shame, how funny this is to Carrie and me. But I will say we have had lots of laughter watching this... plush... love affair. hehehe.....



(yeah, sometimes they 69...)


And this is what poor Gonzo looks like after Vladimir is through with him. Carrie said it looks like he needs a cigarrette, heh...



Well, that's the news here in Lake Woebegone. Until next time, stay warm... or stay air-conditioned, whatever your situation may be.

With Pets in Pittsburgh

So, it has been snowing for a day or two and is supposed to snow for a day or two more. The total snow should be between 3 and 7 inches, depending on which news source you listen to. I like it here! I mean it's cold as ice, but I like it so far. So far so good.
So, so far, here is my photo documentary of my life in Steel City.

First, on the way here. I had a good co-pilot...



...helping me keep a sharp mindset of defensive driving. Sweet. Vladimir's my lil MAN!



Luna... was pretty much just bored out of her skull the whole time. Though I can't blame her. That's a long time to be squished up in a back seat... but she made it okay.



This is a shot of passing through Tennessee. I was following Carrie. That's her truck full of birdcage pieces, heh...



So we've been going here and there, getting this and that done... and doing a bit of R&R. I swear, I am so tired all the time! Carrie says it's the cold. Anyway, the past few days we've done a lot of pet transport and setup... met with an attorney... done a little laundry, paid a few bills, watched a few movies, and drank plenty of drinks. Things will pick up pace once a few legal matters are set in motion. Like opening an estate for Carrie's grandmother, etc. Until then, we're kind of in a holding pattern but there are a few things we can do in the meantime. Like cleaning... fun stuff like that, heh...

Fast-forwarding a little bit, I went out with Carrie and her brother the other night. We went to the Starlite Lounge in Blawnox. Drank a nice bit, and met some people Carrie's known for awhile... a few decent guys and one obnoxiously drunk MF asshole named Speed. *shiver* Yuck. Anyway, for the most part, we had a good time. That was Tuesday night so things were slow and we just talked a lot. Carrie, especially, needed to de-stress.

(It worked, ha ha...)



Back at Baba's house, it was Carrie and Rocco and Bobby and me, chillin and watching a movie.



We stayed up VERY late that night and slept most of the next day. Had to get Bobby to work for 3... he works at a restaurant as a cook, just like my brother. Then we went to Carrie's mom's house and went BACK to sleep, heh... uh... and then chilled with her 'rents that evening. They are huge into digital cable with every movie channel you could ever dream of having, so there's always a movie to be watched. It was relaxing.



That's Carrie stepdad... he's cool... and Luna, who is staying at that house full time while we're here. She is LOVING it, especially because there are two other dogs there and they pal around together. Sweet.



The fireplace... and the Christmas tree that was there until today, reflected in the skylight...



So, this brings us to today. Today, Carrie had some things to take care of in West Deer and I stayed here at her folks' place in Monroeville. (It's all technically Pittsburgh; they just have... villages and townships and stuff.) In the late afternoon, I took a walk. About 2 miles each way. Check it out; I bought a groovy hat at a nearby department store. I bought it specifically for the earflaps, hehe... it was a very necessary expenditure This is me in the hat when I felt like my nose was about to fall off...



The Anonymous Supertramp in a vast lot of ice and snow...



And finally, after pacing steadily up all the slopes I had paced down on the first half of my walk, I arrived back at home base. Here is a picture I call "Camaro Snowy Day Blues." She waited to greet me upon my return. Sweet car. That's what I drove up here.



Carrie got back a little while ago, after a long day tromping around in the weather taking care of business. She and Bob and I ate a nice hearty dinner... meat and potatoes out of a crock pot, of which, I myself peeled and cut up the "potatoes" portion of this meal and added it to the crock pot)... it was very good.

Now I am working on a lovely Bud Light and watching an Al Pacino/Robert DeNiro movie. Tomorrow should be more snowy than today and I will try and get a few pictures for my next update.

And Sunday... is the Steelers vs. the San Diego Chargers, which the Steelers will surely win, and there will be a Steeler party to watch the game! Anyone who can make it up here is invited! *grin*

Prime Pittsburgh

Hiya. I am here, it is cold and so far it is awesome. I think around 29 degrees today, wind chill about 27. Freezing rain tonight; supposed to snow Thursday. Apparently I am told I will grow to hate the cold but, being as it's my second full day up here, I'm still loving it.

Not so much desiring to drive... you know how they all make fun of us southerners; when it gets icy or we have a handful of snow, entire cities shut down... well that's because few of us have much experience DRIVING in those conditions. heh... Well Pittsburgh and surrounding areas... it's all mountain-ey... or hill-ey... hell I'm from Louisiana so this is mountainous to me. So every road you drive on has a guardrail to protect you from certain death or at least maximum embarrassment... and lots of rivers and bridges which of course ice over like it's something fun to do. So I will be passengering it until the wet cold at least becomes somewhat more of a dry cold. The COLD itself, however, is not a variable here; rather, just which KIND of cold you have that day.

Last night I walked Luna down this street in Monroeville where Carrie's mom and stepdad live. It was a long way downhill and, consequently, a LONG way back uphill. People here never need to pay for a stairmaster or even any gym membership. Ask my hamstring muscles, heh... nice. I might do a hill or two a day; come out of here looking all sculpted and impressive... though most likely whiter than I have been before.

I love this. Love being somewhere different and having time to just BE... be me; be helpful to Carrie; be an observer, a writer, a photographer, an artist. Watch out... I might fall in love with this. :o)

In a few minutes, Carrie and I will head over to her Baba's house (her grandmother's house; her family on that side is a mix of Russian and Croatian so that's what they say instead of Maw-Maw... hehe... it's prouounced like "bubba") to set up the pets; we'll be mostly staying over there, working in the house, coming around here some and, as I have been duly informed, drinking a LOT. Good times.

Gotta run for now. I will keep this blog as updated as I can with whatever time I have internet access. This is going to be a definite chapter or two in my life story. I love Carrie and love being here with her, where she grew up.

Jambalaya, Crawfish Pie, Me-o-My-o... Son of a Gun, gonna have some fun in the snow!

Now and Then Comes the Time Again for Flitterin... Again

Old Hayley Mills movie... my sister would probably know the name... in the movie, their mom told them they had to move and they were given a player piano with that song ("Flitterin'") loaded in it.

Nothing has me tied to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Why not flitter off awhile? This evening, Carrie will leave Pittsburgh and head south, to where I am now. We will load up our mini-zoo and, together, return to Pittsburgh. She has learned there are things she needs to handle, regarding her grandmother's estate, that will take at least a month or six weeks to finish. She asked if I would consider coming up there to be with her during that time, so we wouldn't have to be apart again for that long time.

HA! That decision took about three seconds to make... YES!! hehe Absolutely, without a question, yes! Anyone who's been keeping up with my blogs knows I've been itching to get out of Louisiana. And there is no one I would rather be out of Louisiana with than Carrie. Sweet, sweet times.

Plus, it was tough before, when she had to spend six weeks up there after her dad passed. I'm not tied to anything here; my temp assignment ended yesterday and I would rather be with her than without her. Definitely.

I will get to see a real winter, and live in my third state. Luna's third state too. How cool is that.

I don't necessarily want to STAY in Pittsburgh forever... and I feel pretty certain Carrie doesn't either, heh... but it will be a nice time away and I am glad for that.

Luna is trying to climb on top of me which I'm pretty sure means she needs to potty, so I will close for now.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!