Tales

1) Recently we got Sundance a scratching box. Cassidy is good about sharpening her claws and shedding the old ones by shredding the deck, but Sundance needed some encouragement. This thing [not the "As Seen On TV" version] has catnip in it, and the other day she managed to overturn it while rubbing her head all over it. (It's for claws, Silly Cat, not heads!) This dumped a quantity of catnip onto the floor near the dining table and she now rolls over where it was and runs around like a Tasmanian devil, occasionally slamming into furniture or Cassidy. I assume the odor and effect will eventually disappear.

2) Cathy and Laura at the library were talking about beginning a diet program next Monday. I told them how well Cynthia has been doing with her treadmill exercises. Cathy smiled and asked, "But Michael, if I walk on my treadmill, where am I supposed to hang my clothes?"

3) It got down to 10 below (-23.3 C) last night and is still only minus 8 (-22.2 C) at 8:40. I knew it was REALLY cold when I cleaned out the kitty litter boxes, which were way full of kitty poop, etc. The cats use the boxes, but even in the snow and rain they go outside if they can. Only a frigid night would have made them do all of their business indoors. On the bright side: hurrah for litter boxes and the cats that use them!

UPDATE: I am getting ready to go to work at 11:00 and it is still not quite up to zero (-17.7 C). I will work at the main library for a few hours, but the bookmobile goes out to a grade school for a couple of hours this afternoon. I don't know if they will even let the kids come out to get books, to be honest. Wisconsin kids wear warmer clothes and lots of them, but even so -- this is facial-frostbite weather. We'll see. I may wind up just sitting in the heated van reading a book all afternoon.