Gone, Kitty, Gone.

Well friends, my cat seems to have taken off. At least, I'm hoping she took off on a walkabout- type adventure as opposed to came to a violent end. Or was kidnapped by hippies. Let's just work with the theory that she is catting about somewhere. Being a gangster in a new neighborhood. It's possible she's tired of whipping cat butt around here and decided to wreck havoc on the other side of town. She'll come back when she's satisfied that she's the toughest cat in town. I'm pretty sure.
I feel awful though. The cat has been annoying the crap out of me since the baby came along. It's like I never noticed how whiny and needy she is until I had two creatures pawing at me. If we're being honest I will admit I've flung a few shoes at her in the last few months. I've also put her out of the house for  being relentlessly affectionate or noisy when I'm trying to feed the baby. Kitty has become the redheaded stepchild and she knows it. Between baby and kitty  the baby always wins, of course. It's got to be hard on a cat who was spoiled and doted on as only childless people can for so many years.

Raimunda-  in happier days as an only child. 

Ceci- younger, cuter and much less likely so piss on my shoes or hack up a furball.

How to be a Hippie

OK people. I'll be honest. I'm suffering tonight because the Oscars are on and I can't watch them. Why not, you say? Well folks, it's because I went and cancelled the goddamn cable.
And why would I do something so incredibly anti-American? Well, because I had a real problem with the TV. Especially reality TV. If you put Bret Michaels, a posse of strippers, Dr. Drew, and Tyra in a blender and hit "puree" there you would have my fantasy show.
Before I had Ceci I watched an embarrassing amount of TV. Matthew and I went through a phase where we were parked next to one another on the couch, surfing channels and the Internet all night long.
I grew up watching TV. My parents both worked full time when I was a kid. Laverne and Shirley were my babysitters. And guess what? I turned out fine. I can read. I play nicely with others. I share. I make it through the day without behavior modifying medications ( I'm secretly very proud of this).
I cancelled cable because I like it too much. I can easily fall into a trance watching the tube and lose four or five hours at a time.
I started to worry, before Ceci came, that I was leading a digital life. I blogged. I facebooked. I watched TV. I spent a lot of time looking at screens, thinking about other people's lives, instead of living my own.
These days, we read cookbooks and novels and magazines. We clean. We cook. We talk. Sometimes we watch Netflix movies. Overall, I'm glad we watch less TV. I feel more awake.
There are a lot of anti- TV hippie enthusiasts in our town, and I'm not really a part of that camp yet. I'm bummed I'm missing the Oscars. But until I can control my intake, I'm going to avoid cable. No TV until I crave Masterpiece Theater instead of I Love Money. I naturally gravitate toward the tacky and the trashy, so that day may never come.
Anyway, tomorrow I will re-attempt the Pavlova cake. Wish me luck!

Ceci feigning interest in a toy.