Name That Cat!

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, or George or Bill Bailey -
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter -
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum -
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover -
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

I love this poem. And I dare any of you Andrew Lloyd Webber fans to read this without falling into the cadance used in "Cats".
So we need a name for our kitten. I'm open to ideas, but it can't be any of the following:

Top 30 Male Cat Names

1. MAX
2. TIGGER
3. TIGER
4. SMOKEY
5. OLIVER
6. SIMBA
7. SHADOW
8. BUDDY
9. SAM
10. SAMMY
11. CHARLIE
12. SIMON
13. OSCAR
14. LUCKY
15. JAKE
16. SEBASTIAN
17. JACK
18. GEORGE
19. ROCKY
20. BAILEY
21. TOBY
22. MILO
23. BUSTER
24. LEO
25. RUSTY
26. OREO
27. GIZMO
28. FELIX
29. CHESTER
30. HARLEY

These are the top male cat names, I guess. He also can't be called:

Boots
Socks
Pumpkin
Ginger
Marmalade
Tom
Gary (Sorry, Leah. Greg vetoed that one. He knows a guy named Gary that he really doesn't like).
Any name already taken by a cat I know.

I will consider creative and unusual names for this little guy. Our last naming scheme has been Egyptian, but he is too little to name after a Pharoah and I just can't think of an egyptian god that would work. He may have the presence some day, but not quite yet when he's chasing his tail around the table legs.

Okay, I know that Felix is number 28 on my "nope" list, but wouldn't Felix Felicis be a cute name?

Okay, sports fans, send in your suggestions NOW!

The Experience

It’s been over week since the big Harry Potter excitement. Amazing how long it took the day to get here and how quickly it was gone. I promised that I would fill you in on my experiences and thoughts and haven’t gotten around to doing it until today. So here it is, late, as usual. That’s the story of my life.

I met my mom & dad at the Clackamas Town Center Barnes & Noble about 5:45 on Friday night. The parking lot was already packed. I wasn’t able to find a handicapped parking place near the store, so after circling the lot with a bunch of other people finally had to settle for one waaaaay away from the store. Luckily, my dad saw me pull in to the spot, so he was able to swing his car over and pick me up. Even that early in the evening (the party was scheduled to start at 8 p.m.), I could see through the window that the store was packed. So we went off to Red Robin to have dinner. Then we went back to my parents’ house to count down the time until we could get our books. We should have gone to see the movie, I think.

Finally we left to go wait at the store for our books. We got there about 11:00 or so. The store had lots of events going on that started at 8:00, so the place was totally packed. We stood near the door waiting for my dad who had to park the car out in the back forty, and Channel 6 News came out to film the madness. There was a huge crowd of people around the camera shouting “Har-ry Potter! Har-ry Potter!” at incredibly high volume. If I can find the video clip of it, I’ll attach the link here. You can actually see my mom for just a second in it.

So we hung out at the store for an hour or so. My dad summoned up a chair for me (no, he didn’t say accio chair, he just asked someone if they were using it) and I sat and watched the people while my mom went and got in line. It was very enjoyable. There were a lot of kids there, of course. Most of them were high school age I would say. A few smaller kidlets, a couple in strollers, but the majority were teenagers. There was even the occasional adult with no children attached. Lots of folks were dressed up. There was one family that had two identical twin teenaged red-headed boys with “F” and “G” on their sweaters who were the spitting image of my idea of Fred & George. Their little sister had long red hair and perfectly fit with my mental picture of Ginny before she was old enough to go to Hogwarts. Another lady had a big floppy hat with a stuffed vulture on it. One guy looked like Sirius Black after he got out of Azkabahn, but I don’t think he was actually dressed up. People are so clever. I didn’t think of it until it was too late, but I should have worn my dementor costume. Dang!

About 11:30 the employees shooed everyone out of the store and in to the mall. Earlier in the day they started giving out wrist bands that were color coded and alphabetical to assign places in line. Everyone moved to their assigned letter while I moved to a different chair near the entrance. My dad was taking pictures (which he hasn’t sent to me yet) of the chaos, and said that the line reached halfway down the mall. There were lots of announcements and cheering. There was a couple that came straight from their wedding reception to get their Harry Potter book, and the store gave them first place in line as a wedding present. Isn’t that cute? We asked one of the store employees and he said he estimated there were between two and three thousand people there.

I enjoyed watching all the people come out of the store clutching their brand-spanking new copy of the book. Everyone was so happy and excited. It did my heart good to see so many young people so very excited about reading!

My mom made it to the front of the line about 12:30 and by 12:45 she was out clutching her brand-spanking new copy of the book and mine too. Of course I snatched my copy, sped home and started reading. I got home about 1:30 read until about 3:30, slept until 8:30, and read until I finished it about 3:00. Around 1:30 on Saturday afternoon, just when things were getting really exciting in the book my friend Melanie called. I knew it was her from the caller ID, so I answered the phone, “What?? I’m reading!” knowing perfectly well she was calling to see if I was done yet.

All in all it was an enjoyable evening and something I’ll never get to do again. I’m glad I went.

As for the book…

It was fabulous. Her best ever. I laughed. I cried. I immediately started re-reading it as soon as I read the last word of the epilogue (which was not “scar” as JKR had originally said, but “well”). I’m so sad that she won’t write another one because I love the characters and the world she has created and would love to read more of their adventures. Still, I understand her reasons. I can always hope she decides to write the adventures of the next generation of witches and wizards in the story. But I won’t beg. I’ll just be happy with whatever she comes up with next.

Since some of my blog readers may not have finished the book yet (*cough*Christine*cough*) I won’t tell more of my reactions to what happened to the characters.

Look What I Have!

Eek!

So I got my cast changed yesterday. The old one was getting kind of icky, so I asked them to change it.

After my cast was taken off, I snuck in some pictures. Again, these are with my camera phone, so they aren't the greatest.

WARNING - WARNING - WARNING - WARNING - WARNING - WARNING

Ugly hairy leg ahead!






Oh my GOD! I look like a gorilla! I had no idea the hair on my legs could grow so long. Ugh! I think that stuff is like an inch and a half long!

Well, at least I was able to clean it up a little with a hand wipe and put some lotion on it.

So here is all the ugliness covered up in a nice, new, clean cast. Pretty color, huh?

Done!

Man oh man oh man oh man. That was an awesome book.

Wow.

More comments to come later.

P.S. I updated my predictions post with the answers. Scroll down if you dare!

Less Than One Day!

This is the moment!
This is the day,
When I send all my doubts and demons
On their way!

Every endeavor,
I have made - ever -
Is coming into play,
Is here and now - today!

This is the moment,
This is the time,
When the momentum and the moment
Are in rhyme!

Give me this moment -
This precious chance -
I'll gather up my past
And make some sense at last!

This is the moment,
When all I've done -
All the dreaming,
Scheming and screaming,
Become one!

This is the day -
See it sparkle and shine,
When all I've lived for
Becomes mine!

For all these years,
I've faced the world alone,
And now the time has come
To prove to them
I've made it on my own!

This is the moment -
My final test -
Destiny beckoned,
I never reckoned,
Second Best!

I won't look down,
I must not fall!
This is the moment,
The sweetest moment of them all!

This is the moment!
Damn all the odds!
This day, or never,
I'll sit forever
With the gods!

When I look back,
I will always recall,
Moment for moment,
This was the moment,
The greatest moment
Of them all!

Okay, the lyrics from "This is the Moment" from Jekyll & Hyde might be a bit much for the release of a kids book, but I am SO very excited about this! I promise only a couple more Harry Potter posts. But I just have to point out that I will have my hands on the book in 16 hours!!

I did see a few pages from the leaked Deathly Hallows stuff that hit the internet, but I didn't read much of it. Just a few lines. I want to experience the whole thing from start to finish.

Counting down....

Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who?

You should be worrying about U-No-POO. The constipation sensation that’s gripping the nation.

I'm sorry. I'm listening to Half-Blood Prince right now and I just love this part. U-No-Poo. Snort.

Five Days Left!

It is less than a week until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is released. Have I mentioned how excited I am to read this book? I can't wait to see how JKR ties it all up in a neat little package and puts a bow on it for us.

In the spirit of fun I am going to make my predictions of what will happen in Deathly Hallows, or should I say what I HOPE to have happen in Deathly Hallows.


Is Dumbledore really dead?
I was right on this one, but he does make appearances in the book
Yes, he is really dead. JKR has said so in many an interview. That's not to say that Dumbledore won't help Harry in book 7, but he is definately dead.

Is Sirius really dead?
I was right on this one too, but he does make appearances in the book.
Ahhh, now this is a good question. As far as I know JKR hasn't said difinitively. But, in my humble opinion, he is. Unfortunatley.

Will Harry & Ginny get back together?
Of course they did!
Get back together? They never broke up! Harry may have told her they should, but Ginny certainly didn't agree, and she's not going to give him up without a fight.

Who is R.A.B.?
Of course he was Sirius's brother!
Regulus Black, Sirius's brother, of course. It's too late in the series for JKR to start introducing new major characters.

Whose side is Snape truly on?
WRONG!!!
I have gone back and forth on this one so many times. Snape is on Snape's side. But whichever side he is on, I think in the end he will end up helping Harry kill Voldemort.

Is Harry a Horcrux?
Wrong!!!
Nope. Not a Horcrux.

Who will die?
Ahhh. Another good question. I predict that it will some or all of the following characters that we care about:

Hagrid - Nope
Remus Lupin - Sadly, yes
Draco Malfoy - Nope
Neville Longbottom - Nope

Harry, Ron, & Hermoine will make out alive. Killing one of them off would be like killing off Luke, Han, or Princess Leia. You just don't do that!

In fact, something I read compared Harry Potter to Star Wars and I thought it was a great analogy. Here is a link to one of the articles.

So there you have it. My HP predictions. Let's hear what you think.

Ewwww

Remember that picture I posted a few days ago and asked you to tell me what you thought it was? Well, here is the full picture.



When we were camping the other weekend, I was trying to tidy up the trailer without moving from the couch. There were several shopping bags on the couch that I was going through and I ran across this one. It USED to be 3 bananas and a bowl of dog food. I had thrown them in a bag on our last camping trip (the one memorialized in the Kris & Greg's Not-So-Excellent-Adventure posts back in May) when I thought we were cleaning out the trailer in a hurry to leave it to be fixed and somehow it never got thrown away.

So in case you ever wondered what happens when you leave 3 bananas and a bowl of dog food in the trailer for two months, here is your photographic result.

Ewwww.

A Sad Day for Romance

Kathleen Woodiwiss died yesterday. Her book Shanna was the first real romance book I ever read. She wasn't the most prolific of romance authors, but for ages and ages she was one of my favorites. A Rose in Winter is still up there in my top 10 favorite books of all time.

There isn't a lot of information on the web about her. All the information I did find though, agrees that her novels were the foundation for the modern day romance.

I think I'll have to re-read A Rose In Winter in tribute.

Who Thinks of These Things?

I went to throw away my empty Kleenex box yesterday and found this on the bottom:

Page Number 8

I just completed page number 8 for my scrapbooking challenge. I found a couple of templates I really like. Today after lunch Michele showed me the magic key...ctl-G. My life will never be the same! Thanks Michele, I bow down before you. It's so much more fun this way! I just love having a scrapbooking support group. Wait, I didn't mean like AA is a support group, I just meant it's great having friends who scrap too and share ideas and tips. Since all the gals in my group now have their own blog to post their pages on, maybe we really do need a support group!

Okay, so this page will face the page I posted earlier. What do you think?

What is This?

Okay this is my last post for the day. I promise.

Can you tell me what this picture is of? Prizes to the person that can tell me exactly what this is!

Camping

Way back in December we made plans with Bryan & Lynn to go camping the weekend before the Fourth of July. We decided to go to Seaquest State Park in Washington and made our (non-refundable) reservations a long time ago. After I broke my ankle, we figured we would cancel our reservation or change it for another date. We found out that we couldn't do either without a hefty fee that would practically equal the whole amount we paid. No amount of pleading or offers of doctor excuses would get us out of it.

After much discussion Greg & I decided we might as well go. Poor Greg had to do everything himself. Hooking up, shopping, laundry, packing, loading, making the bed, unhooking, setting up...everything. It totally sucked for him.

So we toodled off to the park, which is up near Mt. St. Helens. It was great to camp with Bryan & Lynn and the kids. We went up to see the mountain, had meals together, and generally relaxed around the campsite. I was useless. I did not get the off-road wheelchair, so it was difficult to get around. Andrew & Chelsea were great about pushing me around, though. Lynn & Bryan kept us fed and watered. About all we did was bring some cake. We couldn't have done it without them.

Anyway, in case any of you were wondering, camping with a broken leg pretty much sucks overall.

Here are some pictures for you:

There was a Cobra club up at Coldwater Creek Visitor's Center. I didn't get to see them in person, but they are so cool looking. That's my nephew Andrew drooling on the cars.


The view from Coldwater Creek V.C. (That's Lynn's finger there in case you wondered).


Carmen & Sophie looking adorable as usual.


Greg and Sophie relaxing at the camp site.


Greg & Carmen relaxing at the camp site.


Mt. St. Helens showing her stuff.


Naptime! My youngest niece Chelsea loved that Carmen & Sophie cuddled up with her for a nap.



Gimpy. That's pretty much what I did the whole time.


Sophie & her football.


Playing in the empty camp area.


Aside from having to do all the work, Greg got munched by mosquitos really badly. He's highly allergic to them anyway, and they seem to love his blood, despite all the Off he used. So he's been really miserable.

We'll try camping again when my ankle heals. It's way too much work with one leg!

Quiz

Deb posted this Harry Potter quiz on her site today. I have to copy her and put a link on my blog for all you readers to try it.

Here's what my quiz said at the end:

You answered 109 items out of 113 correctly.

Your score is 96%. Great job!

There were two questions I didn't know the answer to, one question that I just answered wrong even though I knew the right answer, and one that was just WRONG!

The question that had the wrong answer was who was the first person to escape from Azkaban? The choices included Sirius Black and Bartemius Crouch and a couple of other people I don't remember. Of course we all know the first person to escape from Azkaban was not Bartemius Crouch…it was Bartemius Crouch, JUNIOR (see Goblet of Fire). Idiots. Trying to trick me with that question. And I fell for it!

Deb says I need to get a life. She might be right. I'll try...after July 21st!

Falling Behind

I feel like I'm falling way behind on our scrapbooking challenge. You'd think with all this time I've had sitting on my butt because of this stupid ankle that I would be turning out the pages like my cousin Deb. Somehow it's not happening that way. I did do another page today. There is something about it that doesn't make me go whee, but I don't know what it is exactly. I'll post it so you can all critique it.



I'm getting kind of frustrated with this scrapbooking thing. I don't know what it is exactly, but it seems so hard. And everyone's pages look better than mine. Oh, well. I guess it's just growing pains. I'll get better!

Close Up

I had a complaint that some people couldn't find the break in my x-ray. I tried to crop & blow up the picture I have, but it really pixelated, since it was a scan of a print out. I circled the break here.



If you look really closely, you can tell the bones aren't totally aligned. Trust me, that's not a mark on the film.

X-Rays

Before I get in to the details of the check up on my ankle, I'd like to offer a few small suggestions to those of you who, in the near future, may be planning to build a medical office building.

1. Don't put the casting room as far from the waiting room as possible. What kind of sick torture device is that? Believe me, if I'm there because something is broken, I hurt enough without crutching a quarter of a mile to the stupid room to have a cast put on.

2. Don't put tile/marble floors in the bathroom. Um, wet floor, crutches? Need I say more?

3. In recent years, there have been amazing advancements in the development of bathroom doors. Some places, like movie theaters and airports, did away with outside bathroom doors a looong time ago. If, for some stupid-ass reason, you decide that having outside doors to the restroom is a must, please consider using ones that open with a button. Don't ever use the kind that have the hydrolic closing thingy. A person on crutches may have a difficult time getting the door open and getting through it before the door shuts on them again.

4. When measuring the size of the bathroom, please consider the extra room needed for a person with crutches to walk. Crutches go out at an angle from a person's body and if there is not enough room for them to walk between the stalls and the wall that person may very well have trouble navagating the very small aisle.

Okay, with that said, here comes the fun stuff.

This is the side view of my ankle taking on June 19th. Can you see the break way down on the slender bone(ha! I have a slender bone!)? And BTW, my leg is in the cast in the June 19th pictures. My legs are fat, but not that fat!


And the front view, June 19:


Front view July 2. See my little toenails?



Side view July 2. You can see the break the best on this one.


Don't I have cute bones?

I went in today for my 2-week check up. I found out that my ankle is still broken. Ha ha. They took off my pretty purple cast to get a good look at my hairy leg. Oh, and I suppose to look at the ankle, too. It didn't look too bad, but I didn't take the camera in to take a picture, sorry. I wanted to, but I thought that would be just a little weird (and I didn't have my cell phone with me). When the cast guy was cutting it off with the cast-cutter-thingy it was fine. When he yanked and twisted the two pieces of the cast trying to get it to tear off it hurt like hell. Sheesh. You'd think the guy would realize twisting a broken ankle is a bad idea. Madame Pomfrey he was not.

So I breathed heavily for a while trying not to barf on the lady that came to take me to x-ray. I asked her for a wheelchair because I was seeing black spots before my eyes and knew if I crutched it, I'd end up on the floor.

After x-rays, I came back and saw Doctor MacGough (pronounced, I kid you not, Magoo). He said more to his little memo machine than he did to me, but essentially the ankle is doing fine. They put me in a walking cast but I am to keep weight off the ankle for another two weeks and then I can start walking on it a little. I can't wait! In case you were all wondering, it totally sucks to have a broken ankle.

Then another casting guy put the new cast on. Like it? It looked very festive with my red pants earlier. I'm supposed to wear this one for 6 more weeks.



Okay, so that's the new cast story. I'll tell all about my camping trip in my next post.