What I'm Loving Wednesday

It's Wednesday and I haven't participated in ANY bloggy link up in I don't know how long, so I figure I'd take a minute to reflect on the things I'm loving this week!  Go ahead and visit Jamie to link up and play along!

I'm loving Crystal Light's water bottle mixes.  The Pure line in Tropical Blend in particular.  I don't normally go for these kind of things because they just remind me of flavored water (which I don't like at all), but I bought these on a whim and I'm glad I did!  It smells like cotton candy when you pour them and it tastes delicious when you drink it!

I'm loving my new camera!  I purchased a Sony Cybershot camera, and although it didn't quite have all the specifications I was looking for, I'm glad I made the purchase.  How else could I get these super cute pictures of my Preston??

I'm loving that I've got a three day weekend coming up!  However I'm a little bummed that I don't have anything exciting planned...

I'm loving that my friend Vanessa is helping me out and creating a new blog layout for me!  I'm having so much fun planning and shooting ideas at her (I'm also looking to change my blog title!) and she's been so patient with me, which is a feat because I'm pretty indecisive!

And lastly, I'm loving Pinterest.  It took me a while to get it, but now that I've got it - it kills so much time at work!  I could pin all day!!  PS: If I don't get to your blog or respond to your e-mails promptly, it's because I'm pinning... ;)

(I'm also loving how it's giving me a crafting itch...I want to try doing some of these!)

Source: etsy.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: naturemoms.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: littlekatieontheprairie.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

What are YOU loving this week??

And then it was done...

I don't normally post on weekends, but I couldn't help but to simply announce that I have survived Hurricane Irene!  Or should I say...Tropical Storm Irene?  No power loss, no damage...just a lot of rain and a lot of wind.

I won't lie, I was kind of hoping for no power, but alas...the one time I seek the adventure, it doesn't happen.

Some good news?  I got the kitty last night!  It was put in the carrier and taken off by my mom's friend Nancy around 9:00 last night and I know he's in great care right now.  She's taking him to the vet tomorrow and we're all relieved he didn't have to be out in the storm alone and with nowhere to go.

Yesterday we had a successful hiking trip and I will post more about that tomorrow!

I hope everyone else lucked out with Irene as well as we did, sending my positive vibes out to those of you on the southern coast who had a bit of a rougher time.

Enjoy what's left of the weekend - here's a pic of Preston that I captured with the burst setting on my new camera. :)

A hurricane is a'coming, a hurricane is a'coming!!

So in case if you haven't heard.  There was an earthquake here on the east coast a few days ago.  The epicenter was in VA and we felt some rumbling all the way up here in Upstate NY!  Crazy, right?

Ok, so I didn't actually feel it, but I saw my computer monitor shaking and was wondering what was causing it.  I shrugged it off only to have someone seconds later ask me if I felt "that".  Of course it was then giant news for everyone in the office and the rest of the world for about a day and a half.

That is until Hurricane Irene came into the picture.  Hurricanes don't come around here, not this far north, not this far into the coast.  As some of you already know, I hate thunderstorms.  I kind of shrugged it off because well, the weathermen haven't been on the money lately and really, how bad could it be?  HURRICANES DON'T COME HERE!!!

But it's bad.

It's so bad that all I heard on the news this morning was that we need fill our gas tanks, get food, get batteries, make ice, have water...etc. etc.  Oh and the DEC advised ALL backpackers to stay out of the backcountry Sunday and Monday.  We were supposed to hike again on Sunday, we've since moved it to tomorrow.  I won't re-mark this map (I already closed MS Paint...that extra click to reopen it is hard work) but you can see it's effects are right over us, some projected paths show it going DIRECTLY OVER my county!  Eeep!

I kind of wonder, are people in Florida or Louisiana laughing at us?  Laughing at how ridiculous we're behaving over a currently Category 1 storm?  I know we laugh at all of you southerners acting like an inch of snow is the end of the world and 70 degrees is "cold".

But I digress...

The storm is coming, I'm not prepared.  I'm going to go buy a flashlight tonight because I lose power at the slightest gust of wind.  I'm also going to make sure my laptop is fully charged so I can still watch DVDs and play Minecraft.  I might fill my gas to half a tank.  Priorities people.

In other news, my body is super achey today.  I just can't get comfortable in my desk chair.  Does that ever happen to anyone else out there?  Any suggestions on how to fix it??  I'm thinking that going home might be the best option...

I know some of you are probably looking for an update about our visitor.  Well, he pretty much comes and goes whenever he wants to.  When my mom and Nancy came to get him Friday morning he was MIA.  They checked back THREE times that day, BOTH my mom and Nancy check by every time they're in the area and the little stinker is never around.  I actually went from Saturday night to Tuesday night without having seen him, I thought for sure he had just moved on in life, but nope.  He was hungry Tuesday night so he came back.  He ate, stuck around for about an hour and then took off again.  I haven't seen him since.  Next time he comes around he's going in the carrier no matter what and I'm hoping that will be sometime today or tomorrow.  I don't want him out in these storms, but I worry he's hiding because it's been so rainy here the past couple of days and won't come out.  I have since decided if he does come back and gets a clean bill of health, he will be taking up residence in my apartment and Preston will have a new friend.

Big Brother really excited me last night.  ****SPOILER ALERT**** Dani got evicted, which although I wasn't a fan of hers, I was a fan of anyone BUT the two main couple winning so I was bummed, but saw it coming.  What I DID'T see coming (because I guess I don't pay attention well enough) was a SPEED episode and a second eviction!  The eviction of JEFF!  Dani was right, everyone there putting their feelings in front of playing the game was writing a check for Jeff and Jordan.  I'm glad she said that and I'm GLAD it stuck with some people.  Those of us just watching on CBS last saw Jordan and Rachel sobbing, because essentially the game is over for them.  Too bad, so sad.

Oh and did you SEE Bachelor Pad???  Did you see how they went all Sopranos on us and just shut it all down when it was announced the final rose??  I'm suspecting an awesome fist fight and war of words next Monday - THEY DIDN'T EVEN SHOW PREVIEWS!

Hiking tomorrow, home bound Sunday.  Sounds like a good weekend on the books!  Happy Friday everyone!!!

What do you do to get ready for hazardous weather??

This week in TV...

Have you been watching TV lately?  Of course you know I have!  No wonder why I don't get anything done, I get fully absorbed in these ridiculous shows.

For example, Bachelor Pad.  What a hot mess Bachelor Pad is!  Vienne and Kasey were up to their usual "antics", Vienna cried and whined about how much she hated that Jake is there and how uncomfortable it made EVERYONE.  Chris Harrison basically said, "Quit your whining, you're here because you want to be, not because we're making you.  If you want to go, there's the door."

I think he might've used more words than that.

Kasey also said, "Let's go" but drama mama Vienna said she didn't want to leave and eventually succumbed to Jake's request to talk to her.  Only to basically tell him to suck it.

Poor Erica (the tiara girl) was basically told (not to her face mind you) by all the of the guys that she was the most unattractive person there.  I felt bad for her until she said that some other girl who was "bigger than her" and thus more unattractive.

I can't get enough of this nonsense.

In other news, Big Brother has been on it's usual days and has also had it's usual drama.  Daniele was HOH this week and had a hard time deciding who to put up for eviction.  Since she didn't want to have Rachel and Brendon come after her she threw up two floaters Adam and Shellie.  Luckily, Adam won POV and Dani choose to backdoor Brendon.  She also took the time to call him a zombie, which I got a chuckle out of.  Of course he had some kind of lame ass comeback, but it was so lame I can't remember it.

So much for Excalibur Rachel.

There's some debate on if Shellie is a liar or not.  I can't decide...what do you think??

Also, USA Gymnastics coverage started this week with the airing of the Cover Girl Classic which was actually last week.  Thursday started the Visa Championships and boy are these girls NERVOUS.  Falling off beams, letting go of bars and tumbling on the floor.  A lot of Bejing girls are competing and making "comebacks" but are down at the bottom of the standings as of right now.  Everyone is talking about Chellsie Memmel because she's "ancient" but still kicks ass and she currently sits in third place (the competition continues tonight and into the weekend).  It should be interesting, I hope that they put on some better performances though, in all honesty I didn't see ANY Olympic contenders out there, or at least not ones that will bring us the gold in 2012.  The good news is it's the beginning of the season and they're all nerves when it comes to competition.

There are some noobs out there too, one of which is this little 15 year old, Gabrielle Douglas who does amazing on the uneven bars but makes rookie mistakes elsewhere.  She also has this weird ass patch thing on her butt that shows through her leotard and I can't help but be totally distracted by it every time she's on the screen.  Defending champ Rebecca Bross is currently in fourth, and looks as miserable as ever.  In fact the commentators kept saying, "If looks could kill, America would be in trouble right now!"  har har har.  


Also Alexandra Raisman reminds me of Kaylie in MIBI (Brandy will get that).

As Kristine would say, "I love watching those limber freaks!"

I probably could've found some pictures to include instead of my wall of text, but sometimes that's just too much work!

This weekend I'll be going to the Painted Pony Rodeo and climbing my first Adirondack High Peak (TWO actually) - it should be a great weekend with lots of pictures to make up for my lack of pictures today.

For those of you wanting an update on my visitor, it was due to go to the vet today, but wasn't around when my mom and Nancy showed up for him.  Hopefully he's around when I get home (they'll come get him then) so he can spend the weekend getting checked out and get some rest.

Hopefully you all have a great weekend - happy Friday!!!

We have a visitor...

This morning I woke up with my bear (Preston the cat) at the corner of my bed per usual.  He's as loyal as any dog and probably smarter.  He greets me at the door everyday when I come home from work (and even talks to me from the window as I'm walking up to the porch).

He plays fetch with his favorite toy mouse.

He hangs out in his house.

And he's the best snuggler ever.

He's my bear.  I've told this story before, but my mom found him four years ago as a newborn in someone's lawn by himself when she was going for a walk.  At the time I worked right in town and each day on my lunch break I would come home and check on him to bottle feed him, change out his hot water bottles and make sure he was able to go potty (newborn kittens can't "go" on their own, they need help by having their mother lick their belly, or in this case have a wet cotton ball on their belly).  He IS my baby.  As my friend Ashley said in her post today, I'm not his owner, I'm his momma.  I've had a lot of furbabies (mostly cats, throw in a hamster here or there in college) in my life, all of which I've loved dearly.  The Human Society commercials make me cry and I think there needs to be way more people like the man who runs Caboodle Ranch in the world.

Anyway, Preston came with me when I moved out of my mom's house and left behind his buddies.  I personally think he's fine with being "king of the house" but sometimes I go back and forth on if I should get him a friend.  I don't believe my landlady would have an issue with me getting another cat because well...I'm a good tenant, I pay my rent and Preston doesn't dig at the carpets or walls (just my cheap Craigslist couch).  However, I've never taken the plunge for a few reasons.  For example, two cats is more litter box scooping, more cat food purchases and another cat to have to worry about and ensure is not digging at the apartment.  Life is cozy for me and Preston as it is.

Until today.

Preston and I were going about our usual morning routine (yes, he has a morning routine) and while I was microwaving my Canadian Bacon for my faux Egg McMuffin I hear meowing, crazy meowing!

I peeked out the window and a small cat, about 6 months old was wandering around the apartment porch crying.  Preston jumped into the window to check things out and as a naturally passive cat he just kind of watched and sort of batted at the screen while the smaller cat kept reaching up to the window.

I was speechless.

Where did this cat come from?  Was it lost?  How come I hadn't seen it before and why this porch?  What led this cat here?

In an effort to feed the cat, but not wanting to give it some of Preston's food as I didn't think it would stick around - I cut up some bologna and put it on a plate for him.  He was super thin and SUPER hungry.  He also tried to come into my apartment!  Talk about aggressive!

I left to go to work hoping that he would move on because, what was I going to do with him if he didn't?  I really don't want another cat and I don't know anyone who is in the market for a cat.

I came home and I could see him running on the porch before I even got out of my car.  I didn't know what to do, so I got on the phone with my mom.  One of my mom's good friends is a crazy cat lady.  Literally.  She has 40+ cats, all that have been rescued.  Since all of my mom's cats have also been rescued, Nancy (the crazy cat lady) takes the cats to have them checked out, fixed and takes care of any vet expenses.  She will do ANYTHING for cats and ANYTHING for anyone who has a soft spot in their heart for them.  Nancy said, "Give him food, water and a place to sleep, but don't let him inside.  We'll take him to the vet tomorrow if he's still there"

I had a difficult time getting a picture of him (her?) because every time I would go out it would circle my ankles or run over to its food but here is one from inside, after it having a full and happy belly:

And while eating....

Don't hate me because I had leftover styrofoam plates that I use in situations just like this. ;)

Anyway, I'm concerned for this kitty.  It looks sick, it looks like it belonged to someone at some point (it has indentation on it's neck where a collar would be and came running to the door when it heard food hit Preston's dish) and it bothers me that he just randomly showed up.  Did someone just drop him off?  If so, why is it already so skinny and sickly - and who could do that?  If it was lost, why did it find THIS porch to come to?

As much as I want to say I can't take this cat in, I can't help but think it arrived on my porch for a reason but I definitely can't turn it away.  So for now it's just visiting, laying on the table on my porch (even though I gave it a super cozy box and blanket to sleep in!) and content to have some food and a bowl of water.

I'll be sure to keep you posted on any updates as they happen!