This is a major milestone. Since we brought the little one home after New Years it’s been nothing but cat fighting. Last night Amsterdam (the big one) started licking Tigerlily (the little one), and though it was sorta rough licking, she seemed to like it and they both fell asleep.

I am realizing that Jad and I have become the kind of couple who talk about our cats. It used to be that we’d talk about our cats just amongst ourselves, but now we find it seeping out into our conversations in public. I am mortally embarrassed by this but can’t seem to stop. I guess things like this happen to people of our advanced age.

In this post I will refrain from telling you how beautifully stripey and wonderful my cats are. I will also refrain from telling you about all of their adorable antics, but if you met me in a bar, I wouldn’t be able to resist.

If I concentrate really hard on being detached I know it’s boring to others, but I’m quickly losing my objectivity. Now I know why people go on and on about how smart their toddlers are, or they talk about their boat too much, or they won’t stop yapping about sports to people who don’t care.

Months ago my friend Cindy asked me to help her research musical gift for her husband Dan (who sometimes plays bass in my band). After much thought and surreptitious questioning of Dan I came up with the idea that he might like a nice, expensive multipurpose studio mic. I did lots of research and questioning of my gear head friends and we came up with this beauty called a Mojave MA-200. You should be so lucky to have your wife give you this gift.

So far so good, right? Here’s the thing: Cindy and Dan have been away at language school in Guatemala and I’m supposed to purchase it and have it ready by the time they get back on Dan’s birthday (which, by the way, is today). So, thinking that  I can take a leisurely stroll down to Guitar Center on Friday and take care of it, right? Unfortunately, there are no MA-200s at Guitar Center — none in the whole entire city of Gotham for sale. Mail order only.

Last night, feeling like I’m letting Cindy down, I came up with Plan B. What if I wrap up one of my nice mic boxes with a crocheted mic inside and a promise to order the Mojave ASAP? That way he’d have something to unwrap and I wouldn’t feel like such a jerk for derailing the process. And a crocheted microphone would be funny, no?

No.

A crocheted microphone looks like an adult toy made of yarn. I’m providing you with a picture here because it makes me laugh. I ended up stitching a cartiod pattern on the front just so there would be some idea that it’s to sing into, not to “play with.”

AKG 1000 S

In the case it actually doesn’t look that dirty. But wait till you see it by itself:

If I had any question whether this object did or did not look like an adult appliance, my hunch was confirmed by Jad who said “how come you knitted a dildo?” as soon as he saw it.

Totally not going to work in a party setting. Especially since it’s at a public place. Maybe if everyone at the restaurant knew what an assortment of mics look like, but probably not even then. It’s just asking for an awkward record scratch moment.

Ah, well.

If you fold well enough your dollar gains in value on the origami market.

I found this picture here.

from oh joy!

I forgot to mention (in my last list) that one of my New Year’s resolutions is to give my apartment an overhaul. It’ a real ugly, disorganized mess. My New Year’s hope is that one day my home will look like a real adult female lives there (plus one adult male), and not a platoon of unemployed bachelors.

All that to say; I want a new rug. But I am wanting one that no one seems to sell, except for with the help of some serious cash. So why not make a rug? How does one do such a thing? Is this realistic without heavy machinery or slave labor?

It’s 2009, and I am coming out of my East Coast midwinter depression to begin again. Here is my first new skill of the new year.  Or, let’s call it my first baby try at painting.

I kind of look like I have liver disease — my color mixing is not so hot yet. My neice Caralie is very good at this skill and tried to teach me a few things. I’m going to learn!