Stella, Ginger and Maud

Happy New Year everyone! I trust everyone had a good Christmas and that Santa Yarn was generous this year?

Here's to a happy, safe and prosperous 2012! I have only good vibes about this upcoming year. After all, 2011 won't be going down in the books as my most stellar year...2012 can only be better and brighter!!!

"Are we going to wish everyone a happy 2012?"

"Gandalf's in my spot."

"Yeah, well Malcolm's in mine."

"I'm just trying to exit gracefully...boys are such dweebs..."

"...they be hatin'..."

I actually made it to midnight this year. Probably because I had company.

Ms. Sasha!

And Little Miss Bella!

Mr. Gandalf was a rather ungracious host. Hissing at poor Bella...

"What? I can't come on too strong with Bella just yet."

Malcolm kind of growled at her, but when she'd get closer to investigate, he'd take off and hide. Mae was completely disinterested. Too many people, too many animals, and the girl needed her beauty sleep. Atticus couldn't have cared less, as long as the young whippersnapper didn't play with his tail, call him Mr. Poppin' Fresh (which Sasha's Dad did...hee hee), or otherwise be too loud and excitable.

So! As the title suggests, I have a few introductions to make!

(No. Not a kitten. Why do I always feel I have to include that statement? Oh right. My past history with homeless kittens.)

First of all, meet Stella!

Stella is my second hand "Leclerc Bergere" hybrid loom! Yay! I bought her second hand off of Kijiji. I've been wanting to learn how to weave for a long, long time now. I was actually looking for a second hand sewing machine when I came across Stella. It's missing one or two accessories - nothing too costly - but all of the main parts are there. The woman who owned it before tweaked the original Bergere loom to suit her needs, but it works perfectly. It suits my needs - I'm not going to be weaving reproductions of 12th century tapestries after all.

I now understand and better appreciate anyone who takes up knitting or any other craft, and how daunting it must be when faced with a slew of new terms, charts and equipment. I did pick up a good book on learning to weave, and just reading the section on loom terms gave me a headache. I haven't been able to sit down and put some of the basics into practice yet (like threading the warp...don't ask), but now that the holidays are over, I should be able to soon! I'm so excited!

And meet Ginger!

Ginger is my new cane! Sad? NO! It's actually making my life much easier. My right hip/groin/lower back area were always aching because of my limping and hobbling. Using the cane has pretty much eliminated those pains, and my right arthritic knee isn't as sore by the end of the day. I found out from the Orthopedic Surgeon that most of that secondary pain is due to my leg not being able to straighten out properly because of the arthritis in the knee. In effect, my whole right side is shorter than the left. Limping made it worse. I never realized that my leg no longer straightened out while standing to the same degree as my left one until he explained it to me.

I'm guessing this was clincher in his decision to perform TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY ON MY RIGHT KNEE!!!! (Yes, I'm yelling! Because this makes me so happy!!!!!) Finally. Some GOOD news. I saw him just before Christmas. My x-rays showed more growths and that my knee cap was just floating in a mass of messy ick, and that it had shifted over to the left and had somehow managed to turn itself almost completely on its side. Fun!

Can you tell how happy this makes me?!! Sure. They're going to saw my bones apart, stuff screws and glue in my leg bones, leave me with an 8" scar, and I'll be using a walker/crutches/then a cane for weeks afterwards, but I don't care! I'm just so stoked at the prospect of being pain-free, and getting my mobility (and life) back. It was the perfect Christmas present.

As for the when, I don't know yet. The office is closed until later this week, so I should find out soon. I'm also going to put myself on the cancellation list, so if someone cancels their surgery, I could get in sooner.

*wiping away tears of joy*

With all of these going-ons of late, I'm amazed I've been able to concentrate long enough to knit anything! But, since finding out that I will be having the surgery, a big weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, and I'm finding that my ability to focus has returned.

Meet Maud!

Maud is one of the newest designs offered by my beloved Virtual Yarns. I've started the cowl, and once that has been completed, I'll move on to the gloves. Which should be interesting for a few reasons:

1. Although I've knit quite a few pairs of mittens in my time, I've never knit gloves.
2. Gloves + Canadian Winter = Stupid
3. ((((2 colours + small DP needles) x 5 per glove) + (Brigitte + low patience)) x 4 curious cats) x 2 = Should be really interesting...

Maybe I'll just move on to the hat once the cowl's been completed.

That I get any knitting done some days is pretty amazing. Good thing I have another comfortable chair in the living room...

It's The Little Things

Has it been that long? I hadn't thought so. It seems at times that the weeks just zip by, and at other times the days drag. Remember when you were a kid, and the time between now and Christmas, or your birthday seemed to take forever?

I've been keeping a low profile of late mainly because I just haven't been feeling that great. I haven't had a reoccurance of the gout (thankfully, oy), but the fatigue is taking it's toll. Plus, it seems my liver is now causing me problems, so it's been an endless round of biopsies, blood tests, doctor visits and the inevitable stress that I really can't afford to allow myself to be under. It's all just a bit overwhelming at times. I'm rarely able to handle a full day without going through a lot of fatigue, usually I have to have a nap at least every 6 hours or so. Some days are better than others; and I'm really hoping that they can figure out how to treat this now that I'm having liver problems. Because I can't imagine that at 42, this is going to be the rest of my life. Work is also a huge stress, due to the push to get things done by the end of the calendar year. Which is nothing new - I've been doing IT stuff for years now - the work stress is a good 90% generated from my wingnut boss, who's trying to change the world by alienating everyone in the process. But - fortunately for me, I work at home 4 days out of 5, and she's easy enough to avoid.

So - one day at a time. I remember all the good in my life, and remind myself that I do have so much to be thankful for. I just need to be patient (not my strongest asset).

Hey! Speaking of kids. For the first time, Malcolm got a reminder in the mail for his annual checkup. I guess that means he's somewhere in the kitty teenaged years now.

"Go 'way, I'm EMO today...my life sucks...hate school...just gonna lie here, and listen to EMO music and read EMO books about vampires. At least they understand me."

Who needs PetSmart when you have really cool boxes to lie around in. The highly coveted item made its debut when I decided to work on this -

That somewhat blurry picture is Donegal. (I'm not one to deny myself the pleasure of something new.) Before I finally settled on this project, I'd gone through a yarn shop's worth of startitis, abandoning projects sometimes after just one evening. *sigh* When I did find something I liked, I'd end up not having enough yarn, or not liking the colours, etc. Or, being disheartened because I'd made a mistake, and just not liking it enough to rip back. I even messed up a pair of Noro Kureyon socks because it seems that a) I forget at times how to read, and b) I'm a weenie. *sigh*

So, Donegal it is. And I'm happy! Happy enough that I picked out/ripped back 8 rounds when I noticed I'd messed up the pattern in the ribbing section. I'm also working on "Stornoway", from Fisherman's Sweaters. There's not much to show for that right now, I'm still working on 3" of ribbing on 2.75mm needles. It could be awhile. But, at least it keeps me happy. And when I'm too tired or feeling clumsy, I just work on socks. I have enough of that kind of yarn to last me a few life times...

And! Just because -

I'm making a pair of those flappy top mittens for my friend Brian (Sasha's Dad). He works outside a lot, and he'd mentioned awhile back that he used to have a pair that he loved. Plus he uh, plays for the other team, so he'll actually notice the quality of the yarn (I'm using leftover 3-ply Hebridean from VY), the variations in colour, will hand wash them when I tell him too, AND make me a cup of tea when I bring them over to him. Can't go wrong there.

Sasha often creeps at my door, wanting to come in for a visit.

"Cats aren't so bad! They sniff butt just like dogs do."

"Don't appreciate you gettin' fresh, Sasha, you're taking liberties and it's not cool!"

The guys are getting used to it. They're not too sure about Sasha's sister Roxy though.

"I smell kitties! I wanna play with the kitties! Kitties kitties kitties!!! KITTIES!!"

They're really not impressed with Roxy scarfing back they're food.

"Talk about bad manners..."

And as if having 2 dogs invade their space wasn't enough.

"Who the hell are you?"

That would be Mimi. Well, that's what I've christened her anyway. No, I haven't gone and adopted a 5th cat. One night, I was getting ready for bed, and I opened the back door to go and unplug my outside string of lights. As soon as I opened the door, this little grey cat came tearing into the house before I even realized she was there (note to self - may be a good idea to look before opening door). She must belong to someone, as she was perfectly comfortable around me, and the guys. She headed straight for their bedtime snack, much to Malcolm's dismay.

"Who the hell are you?"

She then eyed "the box".

"Whoa, whoa there missy. You just keep on eating over there...just keep on eating."

And when I opened the door, she walked out. I've seen her a few more times at the back door. She wasn't scruffy or wild looking at all, which leads me to believe she belongs to someone.

"We shouldn't have let her leave, Malcolm."

"Well, she was eating our food and stuff."

"Yeah well, what do you think's gonna happen now, huh? She's gonna tell all the outdoor cats that some Crazy Cat Lady lives here, and that she's a sucker for any hungry outdoor kitty with a hard luck story. Man, now they're all gonna show up at the door. If it's not dogs, it's cats. What's next? Elephants escape from the zoo and show up here? Geez..."

"That'd be awesome!"

So, despite everything else, things always do manage to remain interesting around here. I will get a picture of Brian's mittens before I pass them on to him, and who knows - by next week, I may have progress to show you. I'm crossing my fingers that the progress I do end up showing you is of the WIPs I've mentioned today. You never know (neither do I, for that matter).

Hi Everybody!

It's me!

Malcolm, silly.

"Hi!"

I'm hijacking Mom's blog! She's not feeling well today; something about gout in her big toe. I'm not sure what that is, but it's making her crabby! And she's limping and swearing and stuff. I think it has something to do with her polycythemia. Just something she has to get used to now, I guess. I said to her - Mom, why don't you go lie down, put your foot up, pop some pills and let me take over! She just kept dragging her foot and swearing so I figured, why not. I'll take it as a yes.

Guess who came over for a visit this week!?

Sasha! She came over with her Dad Brian, and Leika's big brother James. Leika's this big honkin' German Sheppard who lives next door. But she's really nice and sweet and all, and Gandalf has a crush on her.

"Hi Sasha!"

"Hi Gandalf! Hi Malcolm! Thanks for having me over! It's really raining outside."

"You wanna stay for some noms?"

"OK! Oh, wait, I think my Dad is gonna give me noms when we get home."

"How's your little sister doing?!"

"Roxy? Oh, she's a big pain in the butt. But, she's OK I guess."

Oh! I didn't tell you! One day, a couple of weeks ago, Sasha and her Dad were coming home from the park when this puppy just came out of nowhere, and followed them home! She didn't have a collar, or a microchip either (whatever that is). Mom says it's probably because she has some pitbull in her, and you're not allowed to breed pitbulls in the city of Toronto. So, whoever got her got her off of someone who bred them, and that's not supposed to happen. No one came looking for her, and no one put signs up or anything. But, that's OK. She's also got some Lab in her, and boy, does Mom ever think she's cute! Everyone does! I mean, I look at her from my side of the window, and she's always wagging her tail. Sasha says she's a spaz and a 'tard, but I think she really likes having a little sister. Anyway. Her name is Roxy now. I'll try to get a picture next time. But she's always running around, so sometimes it's hard you know. Everytime I see her outside, I have to remember to go and get the camera and that's kinda hard with no opposable thumbs.

"What did you buy at the store, Sasha?"

"Oh, I don't know. My Dad bought some people food. Is that your food? Kitty food?"

"Uh huh. I think it's Salmon. Help yourself!"

Mae's all - whatever. I think she secretly likes having Sasha over because it means there's another girl around. Ew.

"Don't you be eating my food, dog. I didn't invite you over. Dweeb brothers..."

Mom has been knitting. Honest! I mean, she'd start stuff, and then be all - meh. Then she'd unravel it and start again. But, now she's making these Fair Isle mittens from some Fair Isle book by some lady in Scotland. It's supposed to be the be all to end all! She's liking them. I think she's going to rip them out though, and start over again, because she doesn't like the way the ribbing looks. Humans are so weird. Something about the purl bumps looking messy because of the colour changes. It's not like she has a lot to rip back, she only just started them. And, she's going to use up a bunch of leftover Hebridean 2 ply yarn from that same lady in Scotland! Coooool... And she's also making this red sweater with some Fleece Artist yarn she forgot she even had. I dunno. I remember ALL my toys, so I really don't get how she can forget some yarn she has. Anyway, it's really nice and stuff, so she's making this easy sweater. She's doing it in one big circle, and then when she gets to the underarm, she's gonna slip some stitches on a holder or something, and then go do the sleeves later. Oh, but before she makes the sleeves, she makes the upper part of the sweater. I dunno. I guess I've been watching Mom knit for way too long now. Don't ask how I even know that! She works on that when she's watching stuff on TV.

Guess what else Mom's been doing? And it's been keeping her really busy too. She's been reading these books by some guy named Stieg Larsson. One's about a girl with a dragon tattoo, and in the other one Mom's reading now the girl plays with fire. Oh, and there's another one too that Mom hasn't starting reading yet about the same girl who kicks a hornet's nest. I dunno. Sounds pretty meh to me. But Mom can't get over how good they are. And she reads a lot of books. Whatever. I don't read.

"...stupid books...cuttin' back on my Mom time...bad enough with the knitting all the time...oh, and that work thing..."

OK, I think I'm gonna go now. I'm kinda tired, and I think Mom's gonna go take some Aleve or something for her gout. She's still kinda crabby.

"Take care of Mom, entertain guests when they come over... Eat your dinner Gandalf! Sit on my lap Gandalf! Have a snack Gandalf! It never ends! I'm so busy all the time! I need some me time."

Hey! Wait a sec! Who put that picture up there! (That's my new favourite nap spot. It's the top part from a big paper box! Neat, huh?!)

Anyways! Bye everyone! Thanks for dropping by! And Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends out there. Today is Thanksgiving in Canada, and I know I'm thankful for a lot of things.

Atticus is gonna show Gandalf and I how to get the ice pack out of the freezer for Mom now. Bye! Again!

Well Hello Again!

It's been awhile! And I hadn't planned on being absent from the blogging world for a few weeks. But, such is life.

It's not that I've been terribly busy, just preoccupied. I've had a lot to deal with - work, for one (ick). And my health. I've had to come to grips with a diagnosis I was given a few weeks ago; and dealing with the heavy-duty meds I'm now on for life.

For years (well, since at least 2006), my doctor has been a tad concerned about some of my blood results. Namely, my red blood cells have been high, and showing increases every 6 months. When my white blood cells and platelets started inching up, she decided to send me to see a haematologist to figure out what was going on. A few weeks ago, he diagnosed me with a bone marrow disorder called polycythemia vera. What it means is that my bone marrow has gone a bit spazy, and is producing too many red and white blood cells, and platelets. As a result, my blood is thicker, which could lead to blood clots (thrombosis), heart attack, and stroke. There are a host of other lovely symptoms as well - fatigue, itching (which is, let me tell you, pretty annoying...), dizziness, headaches, and in my case - vision disturbances, sensitivity to heat and light, and numbness in the extremities. It's a rare genetic mutation apparently. So, in my case, the only way to control the over-production is to take some pretty strong chemotherapy drugs, which I'll be on the rest of my life. Even if my levels go back to normal, I'll still need to take them, otherwise my levels will start increasing. It's a chronic disorder, so it's not something that can be "cured".

Anyway, the medication - called Hydroxyurea - has it's own set of side effects. Nausea, other gastro issues, fatigue in the early stages, loss of appetite, hair loss (it is a chemo drug, after all), and other less pleasant ones I won't get into. I also have to take one low-dose aspirin a day to help with the blood clotting.

So, I'm just trying to wrap my head around it all. I'm lucky that I have an excellent haematologist. He tells me things as they are, and doesn't sugar-coat anything. He thinks I've been dealing with this for at least 6 years, and had I not been diagnosed when I was, the chances would have been pretty good that I would have had a stroke or heart attack within the next couple of years. He doesn't deny either that I could develop leukemia later in life, but also said that it's just a few %'s higher than other high risk groups. But - the good thing is they caught it when they did, and I'm being treated.

I'm going to try not to dwell on it too much. One day at a time. Besides. One positive from all of this? Mosquitoes stay clear of me. They just don't seem to like my blood.

"You know, I was going to start wearing a nurse's uniform so I could make sure Mom took her meds, but then I thought - nah, I'd have to be all nice and have a good bed-side manner and stuff and really. I'm not about to change at my age."

Well, it hasn't all been doom and gloom around here. There has been knitting! Yay!

"...about time she sticks to one project...geez. If I had a bowl of food for everything she started and ripped out in the past few weeks, I'd look like Atticus..."

"I heard that!"

Look!

I purchased "Hat Trick" from Virtual Yarns awhile ago, and decided it would be the perfect little project. I've been itching to do some stranded work. I've started working on Dahlia, and it's moving along quite nicely. Once you get past the corrugated rib on DPN's, that is *grumble*. But, the effect is worth it. There's enough yarn to work all 3 hats in the pattern card. I haven't decided which one I'll work next.

I don't know why I keep starting projects that I know just aren't "me". After all these years, I know the type of knitting I like - traditional - and I always end up ditching those projects that don't fall into that category. I'm not saying it's the only type I'll knit, but it is a hard sell to get me to work on something that doesn't use those techniques. Oh, c'mon. Let's face it. I'm a knitting snob, and I know it. So be it.

Hey! Look who also have come out to say hi!

"Thanks for the salad bar, Nice Human Girl. If your Human Friend Who Likes Rabbits comes for a visit, make sure she brings us some vegetables. Or apples. Those are good too."

They're getting so big! And, they no longer run and hide from me. They'll actually come and greet me when I approach their pen. Or, it could just be they think I'll have food for them. And man - can those bunnies EAT. They can go through a whole head of lettuce in 30 minutes flat. And chow down a carrot or two for good measure while they're at it.

I keep wanting to get a picture of Sasha (my neighbour Brian's dog), but I usually remember when I'm back inside the house. The guys no longer seem bothered by her staring at them through the french doors. Gandalf in particular seems intrigued by her. He was after all the one who napped with his cousin Finnegan once, and loves the long, lingering looks he shares with Leika, my other neighbour's (the house next to ours) German Sheppard. Leika will sit on their deck, and watch Gandalf. And he'll look through the glass at her...

"You like Girl Dogs!"

"I do not, shut up."

"Yes you do, I've seen you looking at Leika. AND Sasha."

"I do not like girls, OK! Stop it, or I'll punch you out!"

"...Gandalf likes girls...Gandalf likes girls...Gandalf and Leika, sitting in tree..."

"Really Malcolm."

OK, off to get some breakfast. I have to keep my meals regular, and healthy. So what I'd like to have (waffles with oodles of butter and syrup) will probably end up being a blueberry/banana smoothie with probiotics. *sigh*

Have a great week everyone!

Summertime Fun

"The last time Mom took the fan out, Auntie Chris was visiting. And I was a little squirt. So, we all got our hopes up that maybe this meant that she was coming for a visit again!"

"But, that wasn't the case. Which really bummed me out! And then Mom put the fan away, which I didn't understand 'cause it was really, really hot out. Instead, she put this funny box in the window."

"And it's awesome! I'm not hot! I'm...cool...and Mom is too, which is good. Because Atticus 'n' Mae 'n' Gandalf all say that Mom is really crabby when it's hot out. I may not be able to look out the window as much, but that's OK. This thing is neat-O."

"Dude... this is how I should live all the time. Oh wait. I do."

"Gandalf, do you want to play Star Trek? You can be Kirk, and I'll be Scotty."

"OK. What about Mae?"

"Um, she can be...how 'bout Chekov?"

"No, she's a girl! She can't be Chekov! She can be Uhura."

"Cool, ok! And Atticus can be Spock!"

"Yeah, I'll be Spock! Right on!"

"...so not playing with you geeks...I need a sister."

Once the air conditioner went in, and the place started cooling down, the guys would returned to their crazy selves. The heat had a way of weighing even Malcolm down. And of course, once I turned the unit on, the wrestling and running at top speeds resumed. It also seemed to quiet them down that much quicker as well. I think it's the "white noise" of the unit running. Regardless, having the A/C in makes for a content bunch of cats, and makes me all the more happy.

I have never claimed to be a "summer" person. To be blunt, I hate the heat. Yes. LOATHE. I usually break out in a heat rash, I sweat, my sunglasses bother me, and I burn in record time. *sigh* I know, bitch bitch bitch. But! With the A/C in? I'm not so cranky. Knowing that once I'm inside I don't have to be uncomfortable makes all the difference, and I can actually enjoy the blistering heat and humidity. (Yes, bitch bitch bitch.)

AND, best of all? I can actually knit with wool, without it felting in my hands from the heat.

My Dunadd throw. I'm on the 3rd of 5 cable sections. And I just love it. Having the air conditioner on means that I'll actually be able to work on this throughout the summer, and maybe be able to finish it. Unlike most of the other WIPs huddling in my office.

We had a great week off. And, the guys were especially happy to see their Auntie Lorraine last Thursday.

"It's always a good day when Auntie Lorraine comes for a visit. She always brings me treats..."

"They're for all of us, tubby!"

"Well, I share with the others, even though they have way too much sass and really don't deserve them. And I'm not tubby Gandalf!"

She also brought along some treats for me, including an amazing pair of Alice in Wonderland earrings - one with a picture of Alice, and the other the Cheshire Cat. They are just so beautiful! But, I cannot for the life of me remember how to take close ups with my camera, so I'll have to try again for next week. >:(

"Are you a girl cat? 'Cause if you are, you can come on in. My brothers are dorks."

While the outside cat has his ears flattened and looks annoyed, Mae doesn't seem to be the least bit bothered by the fact a strange cat is on her deck. Right after I snapped this picture, she turned around and went to lie down.

Well, it's back to work tomorrow, *sigh*. It was nice having a week off to rest and relax, but back to business tomorrow... It's supposed to be hot, in the upper 30C range, but that's just fine, I have my air conditioner now and it's all good.

"Let's watch Animal Planet, Gandalf. They've got a show on sharks! Which is what I think I want to be when I grow up. Or a whale. I haven't decided."

WIPs Gone Wild!

Never underestimate the power of caffeine.

Oh coffee. How I love you...

For the past few months, a certain black kitty has learned to tell the time. He knows exactly when it is 3:02am, and he's so proud of himself, he insists on telling me.

"Not just another pretty face, you know."

Not only does he sit outside my bedroom door meowing while the others egg him on in the background, he actually will fiddle with the door handle, and has succeeded in opening the door on a few occasions.

"You'd think she'd be happy to see me. It was kind of a letdown, let me tell you."

"I would have thought she'd be happy to see us too. And she wonders where Malcolm gets his potty mouth from..."

So, as the title suggests, I've been suffering from a serious lack of focus these days.

I'll admit to the following:

A great big mess.

I'm not going to give a count. Let's just say, there are...a few. A lot of what I end up doing is trying something out. Curiosity. But at the end of the day, I do know a few things. I always go back to the stuff I love working on - colourwork, and cables. And there's very little in between. I will knit some lace, and yes, I'm getting better at it. But, any time I venture into a different knitting territory, I usually end up getting bored, and lose interest very quickly. I guess I've earned the right to be one-track minded when it comes to my knitting.

I'm slow getting to some parties sometimes. I do work on socks a couple times a week, and I've determined that top down work best for me. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get the toe on the toe-ups right, and I had a hard time casting off the leg loosely enough.

I like what I have on the go right now. The old faithfuls - Fulmar, Delores, Lorraine's Dorset Down, Dunadd and Princess Line. I have a pair of socks, and I work on the endless stocking stitch body of Norfolk when I can't focus. So, I guess it'll all get done when it gets done.

It makes for some yawn pictures, but hey. It's my knitting.

Meanwhile...

Comfy Atticus?

"I'm good, thanks."

The Old Man has received a reprieve of sorts. His regular vet is away, so he's not booked for another few weeks for his yearly exam. I don't know if you can tell, but the King has his head resting on the side of the little swing table, while reclining on a pillow. It's all good to him.

But, we did have our first thunderstorm of the year a couple weeks ago.

At nearly 12 years old, Atticus is still a bit scared of the thunder and heavy rain.

"A bit?? I'm hiding behind girly baskets in shelving unit. It's more than a bit, Einstein."

And this is what Gandalf and Malcolm think of storms.

"No, I wanna be Batman!"

"No way! You're Robin! I'm Batman."

"You're always Batman! That's not fair!"

"Yeah, well I'm older than you!"

"Fine, but next time I'm going to be Superman, and YOU can be Supergirl for once."

And in "This Week in What's New Malcolm?".

Bumblebees.

"Awesome! They're like, huge! Not bird huge, or Atticus huge, but...wow. Hmmm... I wonder if Mom would mind if one came into the house so I could chase it around?"

He is fascinated by them. Last week was the orange tuxie from a few doors down that loves coming right up to the back door to harass them. This week it's bumblebees. Next week? Who knows.

"I'm watching you, lady. If need be, I can be lightning fast. Ninja Atticus! I can strike hard and fast, you won't even see me coming. So, don't try any funny business with the carrier and stuff. The others are weak, and I know your plan. So I hope I instill fear into you. Oh yeah."