Happy Birthday Birthday Girl!

Today Riley is 10! That's hard to believe. As usual she was hard to photograph because she likes to be as close to me as possible but I was able to distract her with this tiny box. She and Bailey both fancy themselves Maru lately with this box.

Fantastic Floor

Yesterday dad and I installed the kitchen floor. It took all day, and I'm not sure we quite got the hang of how to snap the pieces together. The first two rows took the longest to get started, but then we made faster progress. Because the kitchen isn't very big, there were very few full pieces, so lots of cutting. But it is done and I love it, and so does Riley! She spends a lot of time laying on it. (In this photo, you can also see my shiny new trash can that replaces the one I bought when I was a junior in college.)


Here is a closer up shot that better shows the cabinets. The dishwasher is also back in the kitchen awaiting plumbing. Hopefully any day now the counters will be ready and then the sink can go back in, returning the kitchen to a useful status.

Cabinet Baby Steps, and a Unique Feature

There have been a few delays in the installation, but most of the cabinets are now in. It is hard to take a picture because the fridge is smack in the middle of the kitchen, but this gives you an idea of how they look.



These cabinets also came with a unique feature.


Luckily they seem to have passed the feline inspection, which is pretty rigorous and thorough. Hopefully today I'll be able to get some good pics.

I Am Ungrateful for this Gift

Well folks, it's been awhile since something happened worth reporting, but now it has! I have the day off today, and I enjoyed sleeping in a little bit. I woke up at my usual time when it was still dark and then fell back to sleep. When I woke up later after the sun was up, I noticed I had been sleeping next to a dead mouse. I was horrified and ran downstairs until I could figure out what to do with it.

While I was standing in the kitchen cogitating, I look out the window and see a deer wandering around the yard. As you do.

I went back upstairs and Riley was sitting on the floor next to the bed. I worked it so I could wrap up the whole comforter, take it outside, and leave it there (the mouse, not the comforter). When I came back in, both Bailey and Riley were wandering around the bed, presumably looking for the mouse.

I guess I should be thankful it wasn't worse (like something even more disgusting) and though it is the season of thanks, I am not thankful for this gift.

Happy Birthday Riley!

Today I am featuring Riley, and things Riley does, because it is her birthday!

Taking Woolly Mammoth to New Levels

We have always joked that Bailey is a woolly mammoth because of how furry she is. Today she led her band of merry siblings in an adventure that caused her to be even more woolly than usual. Today's project was to work on installing a new exhaust fan and light. Dad was up in the attic trying to get above the bathroom ceiling. I went to pick up lunch. When I came back, he was going outside to brush himself off. Then we ate lunch.


After lunch we went upstairs and Bailey was just exiting the attic porthole. A few years ago, I had 16 inches of new insulation blown in, and Bailey had about six inches of it stuck in her fur. Then I looked in the hole and Riley was still in there. I got Bailey cleaned up, but Riley didn't want to come out. Here she is back in the attic, nearly up to her neck in insulation.


Eventually she came out and I had to wash her off with a washcloth.

In other news, the bath tub is in and I can shower! I was a little nervous that we weren't going to get the tub through the door, and then I wasn't sure how we were going to get it laid down. But it worked!