Utah

St. George is so cold you walk outside and get brain freeze. The low tonight is 8 degrees! After two hours on the road and a stop in Mesquite for Starbucks we arrived (although it was actually three hours later because of the time difference).
Our room is nice and big with a kitchen, a fireplace, a barbeque, one room for mom and dad, a murphy bed for Grandma and a couch for me.
Grandma brought steaks and Dad braved the cold and wind to barbeque them.
The scenery is beautiful with the red rocks in front and the snow covered mountains behind... You can see Zion from here.
We sat in the hottub to warm up and bundled up afterwards to go down and check out the game room. They have pool and ping-pong.
I've taken some pictures but forgot my camera cord... Oh, well.
Happy Weekend!

【Trans-Siberian Orchestra】Christmas Eve Sarejevo

I'm adding this again 'cause I like it! :)

Cleaning the Cat

It may be a bit early for spring cleaning but I started this morning by butchering my cat. It happened with a brush, a pair of scissors and some shampoo... A deadly combination.

Now, my cat has not had an easy life. She came to us when we lived on our property in Washington. She was about 2 months old and was dropped off by some uncaring, unfeeling human being onto the side of the road and was subsequently treed by a Jack Russell terror. I say "terror" and not "terrier" because when you are a two month old kitten that's exactly what a Jack Russell is to you. (Nowadays Snickers could take down a Jack Russell like a pest control could take down a fly with 5 gallons of bug spray and a swatter.... If only she had the energy...)

The neighbor who owned the Jack Russell approached my parents one morning with this kitten and stated that, "Because you guys have so many animals already, I thought of you first. What's one more?" My parents were not happy to say the least. We already owned one dog, one cat, one turtle, two birds, nine rabbits and an assortment of fish. (Thanks to me.)

So we left the little kitten to spend the night up our willow tree.

I felt desperately sorry for her and the next morning I sat in the driveway, ate a Snickers ice cream bar, and sang "Do Your Ears Hang Low" (when my mouth wasn't full). I was at "like a Continental Soldier", when something crashed into my lap. At first I thought I'd been hit by a motor boat but it was just her. I named her Snickers (because of the ice cream bar).

Once you feed AND name a cat, it tends to stay. We never locked her up but she stayed, even when Dad ran over her tail with the car and she hid down a wild-rabbit hole for 2 days. She even stayed when we moved to an apartment and she had to live at my aunt and uncle's with 9 other cats. (Well, we thought for awhile that she didn't stay; she disappeared for 2 weeks. But as soon as I went to the edge of the woods and sang she came running, skin and bones.) She stayed when we sneaked her into the apartment and took her out on walks with a leash. She even pretended to enjoy it.

Then she endured riding in a moving van for 22 hours, with her on my lap and my bird on my shoulder.

However, since we moved to Nevada, Snickers has become Mrs. Howard Hughes. She may be a genius but she's a top-order recluse. During the summer we get her shaved to keep her cool and comfortable but in the winter time....

Weeell this morning she looked something like this:

Yes, that is dandruff and matted fur, no we are not cat abusers and yes, it IS gross.
After much yowling, screaming, scratching, hissing, and bleeding (on my part), she looks something like this:

There's still work to do but it IS an improvement. Despite her wet fur and a very annoyed expression, who knew a butchered animal could look so pretty?

Elf

Okay Jessica had this idea but it was so hilarious I had to try it! Click the link and see!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1552896803

Roads and Planes

So you know when you come to a fork in the road and you go one way but you still sometimes wonder where the other fork would have led you?

My other fork would have me sitting on a Virgin Atlantic flight an hour and a half on my way to London at the moment.

Needless to say that is not happening.

Oddly enough I'm happy to be at home. :)

New forks lead to new opportunities.

Talking about forks is making me hungry.

I can not wait until new years eve day and road trips!

Football

Bad news for football today.... Seahawks lost to the Panthers AND the dolphins won a game.

Cousin Conspiracy I: it's a big world outside

Cousin Conspiracy II coming soon!

Hey, Carter, come check out this dog!Uh, oh... don't look now but I think Auntie Kari's got a camera!Where? Maybe she'll help us open the door!Look, Carter! There's a whole big world out that door.Well, I'm gonna go play!I wonder what's out there...Auntie Kari, will you help me?Finally!On second thought, that's a pretty big dog... I'm getting out of here!He just wanted to give you kisses, Carter!I'd rather eat!