Heidi (in userpic) has never been much of a cuddly cat -- she'll let her human pet her, but doesn't like to be picked up and held. It took her a few years to accept starmalachite as one of her people (she was smart enough to figure out that the influx of strange cats into a formerly one-cat household was Her Fault).

However, she seems to be mellowing out in middle age....

Before I got home, she was soliciting attention from starmalachite (and not for the usual ONOZ I SEE THE BOTTOM OF MY FOOD DISH reason). Later, after we we got home from the dance group meeting and dinner, she let starmalachite hold her and even relaxed into it.

This made Vir (the tabby-point Siamese) jealous. He started complaining about the injustice of it all, and capped it off by ostentatiously jumping up onto Heidi's favorite perching spot on top of the rolltop desk and giving the humans his Tragic Neglected Face.

Oh, the injustice of not having the humans' undivided attention....

Our young tabby-point Siamese Vir got bored and decided to pester our middle-aged Maine Coon mix Heidi (in icon). She wasn't having any, and gave him a quick hiss and swat. He responded by puffing himself up, arched back and bottle-brush tail.

Heidi was thoroughly unimpressed, and just turned and marched off down the hall. Vir skulked away.

Maybe the problem is that Heidi's tail at rest is bigger than Vir's at full bottle-brush display.

I've got my clothes and basic supplies packed, printed out and packed a batch of Concertino flyers, and checked the schedule to see if there's anything Friday afternoon we really want to catch. I'm at the point of double-checking the essentials list -- grooming bag, cell phone charger, AA battery charger, etc.

Heidi and Vir have figured out that the humans are leaving, and gotten extra neurotic and clingy.

Also, I found us a good price on Southwest for flying in and out of Providence for Concertino; the hours are a little inconvenient but it's hard to argue with two round-trip tickets for under $300 (not counting $100 or so for the rental car).

This morning, I was awakened by Vir making a new sound, a sort of "MRRRRR-APPP!" trill. I think he was trying to imitate the Classic Trek red-alert klaxon I have programmed as my smartphone's standard alarm.

He's too smart for his our our own good, sometimes....

This one looks like Vir making his "Who, Me?" innocent face:

Last night, starmalachite and I met gorgeousgary, the_sheryl, jannyblue, and a friend of hers whose name I'm blanking on for a Paul & Storm / Jonathan Coulton concert at the Birchmere. (Unfortunately, partiallyclips was fighting off a case of con crud and couldn't make it.) The show was sold out, and even getting there at 6:00 we only got so-so seats, but other than that it was a very nice evening.

Heidi and Vir were both a bit clingy this morning; I think they were annoyed at being deserted again after last weekend. Vir did his "mimic Heidi's voice" trick again today; starmalachite thinks he's figured out that her voice gets more attention than his (Heidi hardly ever makes a sound; Vir yammers constantly in his Siamese way).

A little later, we're heading out to pick through anything interesting left at Circuit City, get dinner, and have a Saturday night gaming session to make up for the usual Friday one we missed. (Apologies to thelongshot; we should have made sure you knew we weren't going to be there this week.)

While I was packing for Boskone, I heard a chirp for attention that sounded just like Heidi (in userpic). I turned around, and it turned out to be Vir. He chirped again until I took a moment to give him a scritch.

I suppose it's better that the Siamese is learning to talk like a Maine Coon than vice versa....

When Heidi sees her shadow, it's time for her dish to be refilled.

Not specifically on February 2 -- in general.

When starmalachite and I came home from seeing friends at a New Year's gathering, I found our elderly white cat Satin lying on the laundry room floor, back arched and front paws repeatedly thrashing. She didn't respond to me or show any sign that she was even aware. Our best guess is that she had a stroke (she'd apparently had a less serious one a few weeks ago, and was recovering from that); the vet we talked to concurred. It took me a few minutes to fully accept it, but there was clearly nothing to be done but let her go, and so we brought her in to the emergency vet to put her to sleep.

I can't think of anything much to say beyond what Crystal said in her entry. We'll both miss the little furball.

We got back from spending a few days visiting the relatives (first starmalachite 's folks in the outskirts of the Harrisburg area, and then my folks in Schuylkill County). A few of the highlights:

One of my presents for starmalachite was a box with three DVDs, one classic from her wish list, another of the same, and one big hunk of cheese we both remember from a convention MiSTing session. The way she cracked up at the last one was even better than I'd hoped.

During post-Christmas shopping, I found that the local branch of Fye's was liquidating. The stock had been pretty seriously picked through, but I found the two-disk special edition of Iron Man for under $20.

Earlier today, we stopped by my brother Chris' house and got to visit his cats (including the big mellow amber tabby who lay on top of the printer acccepting attention and otherwise watching the humans). I managed to fulfil the family tech support duties that generally come up and get one of the laptops back on speaking terms with the house wireless network.

Now, we're back, reassuring the poor abandoned pussycats (and giving the old one her subcutaneous fluids, which she probably finds more annoying than reassuring).

Yesterday was the last day at the office for the year; today is going to preparation for getting on the road to visit both sets of relatives in Pennsylvania. I may or may not get online occasionally (both places we'll be staying are in the Dialup Hinterlands).

The cats have figured out that the humans are getting ready to leave, so at least one of them is always underfoot.

Happy Holidays to all (with wishes that Santa delivers "a life" to everybody who gets all exercised about the so-called "War On Christmas").

Vir had a rather exciting birthday. First, I put on a pot of tuna casserole, and had him (and Heidi) underfoot clamoring for their share. (I let them have the water from the tuna cans.)

Next, starmalachite printed the holiday card labels -- working from the laptop and sending the job over the wireless network to the printer in the bedroom. Naturally, this causes the printer to start up without apparent human intervention. Satin (the rather slow-witted elderly white cat) just ignores it, as one of many incomprehensible phenomena in her world. Heidi (the middle-aged tortie) just ignores it, because it is not relevant to her interests. Vir, on the other hand, was right there, watching in fascination as the labels were pulled in and then pushed out again.

Vir may look like a sweet innocent kitty, but he's a little devil to the humans and the other cats when he gets bored. The downside of being highly intelligent is that he gets bored easily.

The latest trick he's discovered is to tap Satin (the 19-year-old white cat) with his paw. Satin being cranky, this causes her to take a swipe at him. However, Vir has mastered the trick of taking an immediate side-step. Satin being an ancient cat who doesn't see or hear very well, this causes her to miss.

We try to discourage this when we catch him at it. He probably needs a cat closer to his own age to play with, but then they might both pester the older ones.

I think Vir and Heidi have already figured out that the humans are leaving again this weekend. Vir in particular has more or less attached himself to me during breakfast. (He doesn't try to get at people food since the Jalapeno Cheddar Bagel incident, but he does seem attracted to coffee. I don't think he needs any caffeine.)

Satin is 19 years old and apparently getting a bit senile (hard to tell; she started off from a low intellectual baselne), so she hasn't gotten the news yet.

Satin, our elderly white cat, in a Purr Sack:

starmalachite's new Wing arrived today. So far, so good; I'm recharging the battery in preparation for resynching and reinstalling software.

The cats are being clingy now that their humans have returned from the second long absence in two weeks. Heidi in particular is particularly affectionate. She used to have the stereotypical catitude of ignoring the Hairless Ape Servants unless she needed her dish filled or her litter box emptied; lately, she's been mellowing (either the onset of middle age or exposure to Vir the bouncy Siamese).

starmalachite and I are hoping to get on the road by about Thursday noon. The usual mad flurry of preparations is underway.

The cats (well, the two brighter ones) seem to have figured out that their humans are planning to leave again, even though the suitcases haven't actually been packed yet. Even Heidi (usually the stereotypically independent-minded creature) is acting clingy and needy, and Vir has gotten even more demanding than usual. Satin still seems oblivious.

Vir's occasional tendency to coughing fits flared up again, so starmalachite took him to the vet for a shot yesterday. He's been listless ever since (apparently a normal side effect) and threw up a couple times (though not since last night); I'm staying home to keep an eye on him while she joins the Three Left Feet gig at Maryland Faerie Fest.

I broke out the jars of treats from the holiday loot and offered them to the cats.

Vir turned his nose up at both varieties... and complained that he wasn't getting "the good stuff" like his sisters (who snarfed them up, and in Heidi's case pestered me for more).

Vir has been getting maintenance doses of steroids to ward off occasional asthma attacks. After taking the nasty pill without (much) fuss, he gets a kitty treat.

Heidi has learned to start hanging around and beg put on a subtle show of dignity and cuteness for these events in order to piggyback on the occasion. She looks terribly smug about her new trick, too.