Four...Four...Four...Four...

I was discussing past trips I've taken with a co-worker of mine, and I noticed a pattern. Besides London and a couple of days trips (or the times in my childhood when I spent weeks upstate,) everywhere I've been to I've spent just about four days there. Really. PR, Jamaica, Montreal (if you add the two weekend trips,) Ireland, Scotland, Toulon....there's probably more than that but off the top of my head, that pretty much covers it. And it's all been 4 days/3 nights, or 3 days/4 nights. So odd. Actually I don't really like admitting 4 days to some of these places. For instance, I tell someone I've been to Peru. First they look slightly impressed, but then they ask me for how long. Then it's "oh, you really can't get the real feeling of a place that way, etc." How deflating. Maybe I should re-visit these places, gain some street cred or something.

OK, I was in Florida 5 days, but who's counting?

In My Head

For over a week I've had the same song in my head, no matter what else I listen to in order to cram it out. The song is "White Queen" from, you guessed it, Queen, in 1974. It's a pretty song, kind of airy-fairy, but it's like a formerly welcomed guest that now refuses to leave! A few nights ago I was rudely awakened by a pathetic moan-inducing upset stomach that kept me close to the bathroom for a few hours (you don't need to visualize this, please). When I'm in this predicament, I get all Peter Pan, saying to myself "think happy thoughts!" whilst trying to avoid anything in the subject of food. Instead, White Queen pounded insistently in my nauseous mind. So sad...

I'm feeling better now, for the most part, but the White Queen continues her procession in my head. So I thought I'd share a picture of its singer convalescing with his kitties, sort of the way I was a few hours after my ordeal. Except Sino and Zeno are not quite that close yet.

Zeno and Sino

It's been interesting to watch my two cats of differing ages try to live in the same apartment. The whole scene is almost the opposite of what happened ten years ago when I brought Duforth home. She was already past the kitten age, and was used to having her own life, a rhinestone studded collar, and her own very private litterbox. Next thing she knew she was living with a flashlight beam-chasing, food-hogging, active litterbox user who was pretty happy being the only one of his species in his world. They clashed straightaway. Then they slowly learned to get along, in their own cautious way. He even seemed to miss her after she was gone.

Now Zenobia, though resembling Duforth, is the flying puffball at home. They have separate litterboxes but are not afraid of exploring. Sino must be cut off from the kitten dry food because his stomach is so sensitive now. Zeno, however, is not afraid of sampling his delicacies. His only revenge is to drink her water, which doesn't seem to faze her at all. He sees her bat things around and run back and forth all day but doesn't join in. Instead, he watches in a hunched stance, like a feline Walter Matthau.

Occasionally he takes a swipe at her, but she usually runs away. Someday she may fight back, the way Duforth did, causing him to squint and cringe whenever he saw her. Till then, she seems to be the cautious one, trying not to get in his path. Why can't everyone just get along?

Just Ducky

I went to the New York Botanical Gardens last week, sans my Rebel 2000. I had to make do with my camera phone. It took me a while to make friends with the first duck, who sunned himself as I tried to call to him. It's worse than getting a cat to look at you! Then I remembered I had bread. As soon as I started unwrapping it, he made a beeline for my hand. Next thing I knew his girlfriend was getting in on the action. I took the second picture right as she tried to eat my shoe! Such a peaceful way to spend an afternoon.

Junkie

I've been sick this week. Compared to January, it wasn't so bad, just bronchitis. Still, I had to go on antibiotics which I dislike and I had some migraine prescriptions to fill. By the time I was able to drop everything off at Eckerd, I had 5 prescriptions! What am I loading into my system? I'm surprised I'm able to walk down the street with all the crazy chemicals in my body. And people wonder why I rarely wear heels.....

As a result (I think) I had some odd vivid dreams last night. Apparently my Book Study group took a road trip to New Orleans and we stayed at the home of someone I knew many years ago from out west. Huh?