Miho loves Benki

These two love each other, it's so sweet when they sleep all cuddled up together. This is them lying on my lap, one of their favourite evening perches. Miho is cleaning her sleeping brother. Awww. He is currently lying on my lap again. He wanders off for a few minutes and climbs back up. Miho comes up for a nap, but after a while she moves away. He's now chomping his tail. Actually, I'll upload his tail-chasing video. I thought only dogs did this but no, both Miho and Benki-boy chase and chew their tails :-)

Kung-Fu Fighting

Sheer coincidence that Kung Fu Fighting is on the telly in the background. This is how they spend their day, wrestling, then sleeping, then eating. Repeat.

Personal stereos

On a train back from Paisley, I had the pleasure of being in this guy's carriage. This was playing through his headphones. I can't imagine ever wanting to listen to this, there is nothing tuneful about it. Nothing. It bugs me that these "DJs" or "MCs", whatever they are, actually make money from producing this kind of crap. It also bugs me that the ticket guy came into the carriage, checked everyone's tickets and didn't ask him to turn it down. Bah.

SRSLY

Apparently I asked for it with more sauce. I can assure you, I didn't.

The Power of Advertising

Jason and I were in Hobbycraft on 28th December and these were on display. I have since seen them everywhere and have had at least 8. And we're not even out of January yet. These things used to appear in March for a couple of weeks. Sigh.

Cuddling up together

I told you this was how this blog was going to play out...... They love chasing each other and play fighting but they also love cuddling up together and sleeping all cooried in.

Alterations: doubling your wardrobe

Sylvia and I had an alterations session last week where we tried on clothes we had which needed altered and it was great fun. When I do these alterations. I will have 4 new dresses, a new skirt and a mended jumper. That is, if I can only tear myself away from these kittehs......

Moby Dick... on the DS Lite

I have this "game" for the DS which is called 100 Classic Book Collection. It is of course, not a game, but a digital library which contains, yes, 100 classic books on one cartridge, unabridged and with a choice of background music if that suits. It's an extremely useful thing to have and is currently how I am reading Moby Dick. Wonderful stuff, the future. Bring it on, more like this please. When can we all get microchipped and use our thumbs to pay for things and unlock our doors; and when can we all go wireless, truly wireless. Bring on the future.

Our two person book club

My new best friend Dave G and I have started a Book Club that so far has involved me reading God Bless You Mr Rosewater (the sorely missed Kurt Vonnegut) on his recommendation and him trying to get hold of The Magic Christian (Terry Southern) on mine. We are both currently reading Moby Dick, he is farther ahead than me. I am very near the start, it is already shaping up to be a good wheeze of a read. Talk about verbose; Herman Melville is hilarious with some of his descriptions. Watch this space for the review of Moby Dick and also the title of the next book for reading.

Becoming a mum

I was vey excited about getting kittehs, but I had no idea how much I would adore them. I have done relatively little this week for fear of disturbing the kids. If they get comfy on my lap or my chest, I stay still for them, stretching out for my coffee or the laptop, desperately trying not to wake or disturb them. I haven't sewn anything in a week, which is so completely unlike me. I stare at them as if they are telly. It's the same as when there is a baby in the room. There is something inate, something primal, in humans which make us look at young things as if they are a gift from a god. I suppose they are. I just know that we have two beautiful little sociable, friendly bundles of joy that cuddle together, wrestle together, share their food and love playing in their scratching barrel. I feel so lucky. It's a nice time at the Mansions.

The arrival of.....Benki & Miho

Let me tell you how this blog is going to play out in 2010. It's going to be full on, non-stop, Benki and Miho. Yip, that's right, St George's Mansions has kids. We got a call from the Cat Protection League because we had registered with them to get two kittehs and lo and behold, one of the cats known to them had an "accident" and two little kittehs were ours if we successfully passed the Home Visit. We got that on Tuesday and then the kids were delivered on Sunday. Oh. My. God. They are beautiful. Actually beautiful. Unconventionally so. I don't think they're winning any awards at Kitteh Crufts but to us, they are sooo gorgeous. As you can see, they are black and white with green eyes; they are brother and sister. They just love each other, us and their new home. As I type this, they are currently playing chasies and wrestling, which makes them look like lioncubs. I love it. Ten minutes ago they were snuggled up, Miho having her arm round her brother. As Michelle pointed out yesterday, every time they shift position, they make you want to take a picture. Everything they do is picture perfect. Miho is our adventurous girl, climbing everywhere and getting herself into the tiniest of holes. So far, she has been under the floorboards, BEHIND the wall and I caught her before she vanished up the chimney. Extremely curious, very mischievous and a proper tomboy. Benki has a splodgy nose and is named after a fiercesome Japanese warrior. He was, for the first two days, a ferocious climber. He loved scaling whatever he could, until....the third day when he limped into the kitchen. Aw it was heartbreaking. A quick visit to the vet informed us that we don't have a warrior, but a wimp. Poor Benki, the vet said it was a sprain and he was feeling sorry for himself but it was hard not to take pity on the wee chap. He had a small crisis in confidence which I am pleased to say he has now overcome and he is back to his adventurous wee self. One positive note is that he has started evaluating risks now rather than diving straight in. Watch. This. Space.

Nitid Nicola's Mum's 60th!

What a lovely night we had in Canasta for my mum's birthday last week. She is having a month of celebration; two nights out in Glasgow, a visit to London to see her boy and his new girl (this is the one she is most excited about), tickets to see The Lion King and dinner out with her London friends and family. Jason and I bought her a lamp, which doesn't sound the most exciting present, but let me tell you, she loves it. It was just what she wanted.

The weather in retrospect

What a time we had of it there, weather-wise, eh? From December 18th to mid-January-ish, the pavements were impossible and impassable. Slippy beyond belief, going outside was no trifling matter. Everyone fell at some point, it seemed. Not good. And paying so much attention to your movements made you sore from tensing up. Och, but enough was said about it at the time to read me droning on about it. It became the only news for days! Back to the rain.

Granny would be Proud January 2010

I thought the January Granny would have been deserted, especially after the run of bad weather, but it was surprisingly busy at our little fair on a cold January Sunday. We had a very pleasant day, as always, and I got to escape and have a wee cup of tea and a catch-up with the lovely Kitty http://www.reelingwrithing.com/. Another photographer and feature writer was present, this time from Les Garcons de Glasgow http://www.lesgarconsdeglasgow.blogspot.com/ who took lots of photos and gave Sylvia and Nicola a lovely menshy. All and all a successful day. Here's to February.

Sweeney Straddles the Sun Album Launch

A great night was had by all at the Sweeney Straddles the Sun Album Launch, "Erect" being surely the first album of the decade to be released. Nitidnicola was on the door. It was brilliant seeing a band play Jason's songs. My favourite on the night was Bunraku Hallucinations. Jason had fashioned a Bunraku puppet and made him perform, giving him some words to say.

The Fast Camels and Plimptons were also on the bill which was great. Brought a crowd in, always nice. Jason enjoyed himself but was a wee bit stressed, it must be said. He's delighted that he did it and was very grateful to all who helped him get there; Anthony, Robert, Alasdair and Paul. And of course The Fast Camels and the Plimptons. Thanks also go to Ira who changed the video camera battery or there would have been no footage!

Scooby Do gif

Awww, wee Scooby Do. A right wee domesticated lion. This is a video made from a series of photographs.