Tonight my cat was lying on the couch looking EXTRA cute so I started taking pictures of her, and then texting them to friends and family.  Oh yeah. 

This was actually from earlier.  What you should know, and why this KILLS me, is that the bottom of her stomach is quite possibly the softest, most furriest thing I have ever touched.  I almost start crying just looking at this. 

 

Yeah, it’s some kind of fancy elegant pillow.

Okay, yeah, I’m fully aware of my ridiculousness.  Don’t judge.

In other news, I finally broke down and bought a pair of Toms.  They are awesome and super comfortable.  Hmm.

Evidently my ankles were swollen that day. 

Last but not least:  my mother in law sent me these:

As excited as I am about getting ready for Leslie’s wedding…I do have a small trip to Paris first.  (And Boston too!)

This happened while I was on the phone with Leslie the other day.  It’s her cat Albergo.

I presume that Leslie has not allowed the cat to remove itself from the bag.  Hilarity and destruction would likely ensue in that scenario.

Things Leslie and I discussed via text message yesterday included what Chris should wear for her rehearsal dinner in October and what shoes I will be wearing for her wedding.  I’m not sure if we are getting ahead of ourselves, but the one thing I appreciate about my sister is that she likes to be ready for things ahead of time as well.

Chris got back into town last night (he had been visiting his family).  The cat was most appreciative.  I was less so because he came home with a bad cold and ended up passing out before 10 pm,  poor guy.  At least I was able to watch three episodes of True Blood (Season 3) before going to bed.

You would think that I completely ignore the cat when he’s not around.  This is simply not true.  I don’t know why she likes him better.  Maybe I come across as too needy and desperate?

Last Tuesday of teaching for several weeks.  I am excited for vacation!

Sarah posted this on my facebook this morning: (from Pusheen the cute cat)

I thought it was GREAT.  Except…

Yes.  That’s what I wrote.  "I would add a top hat, but otherwise fantastic."

(Warning:  This post started out nice and relaxed, and then things got out of control.  There may be cute overload further down the page.  Reader beware!)

I know I post cat pictures more often than not.  But whatever, it’s CATURDAY!  (Actually, full disclosure.  I’m writing this on Friday night.  We had an outdoor wedding, temperature 102, followed by dinner at Riverbend and perhaps a few too many raspberry vodka tonics, but I deserved it, dammit!  IT’S CATURDAY SOMEWHERE!)

That’s Shrimp and Crawfish Etouffee.  I imagine a cat would enjoy it, hence it’s relevance here.

Her favorite seat:  next to Chris on the papasan chair.  Side note:  we got a new couch and chair today for the new place, and we may not really be using the papasan so much.  Personally I haven’t really sat in the papasan in about 5 years or more, but Chris loves it.  I guess he’s looking forward to the new furniture though.

Pretty cool, right?  It’s a mullet type couch.  Leather on the bottom, some other softer material on the top.  And we got a matching chair as well.

I’m sure the fatness will like that!  Or the dog.  Chris wants to get a dog.  I guess compromise is part of marriage, huh? 

Okay, next.  I know I shared this yesterday but I’m sharing again because I love it.

So soft and furry.  SO soft and furry.

Fatness in the window. 

Oh, quick FYI, if you didn’t know.  Officially her name is Oistrakh.  I had another cat named Heifetz, and then I got the Fatness (who was a tiny, 5 week old kitty) and named her Oistrakh, who is another amazing violinist like Heifetz, but that was too hefty of a name for a tiny kitty.  So we called her "little kitty" until one day we realized she wasn’t little any more.  For awhile we called her fatty, but she was so entitled we started calling her "her royal fatness" and then also "the fat ham" because of that Family Guy episode where Chris is accused of having a ham under his shirt…anyway, that transitioned into simply "the Fatness". 

Heifetz and "Little Kitty"

Heifetz, my first cat.  SO beautiful she was. And sweet.  She loved the violin, unlike the Fatness.

I think her head is still the same size?  (Seriously, I just can’t with this picture.  It’s ridiculous.  I don’t even know.)

And this one. SO FREAKING CUTE I THINK I’M GOING TO CRY.

(Okay, seriously, how ugly was my couch? And how cute is that adorable creature??)

Okay, back to the present day.  You can see that while her size has changed, her personality hasn’t.

 

Sometimes I’m frightened of how much I love the Fatness.  I’m scared that I’ll come home one day and she’ll be gone.  That happened with Heifetz…she was just in the closet…dead…and the Fatness was freaking out.  I still get teary when I think about it.  And I know that someday the Fatness will die too, as my friend Alex said, pets are little tragedies…

But until then.  As much as I get annoyed at her in the morning when she tries to wake up me up (by slowly moving things around like my glasses or my phone)…I love her fiercely and with abandon.

Leslie (right) and I have always been cat lovers.  And tan.