Leo

So, I see you've been holding your comments hostage until I post the long-promised pictures of the new cat, Leo, up. Fine. I give up, you win.

This is Leo. He is a oddly colored ginger tabby. His little stripes are more white than orange and his dark stripes are more red than orange. I should get a picture of him next to a normal ginger tabby so you can compare.

He was my Christmas present from Paul. We got him just after the holidays from the Humane Society. I thought he would be a good match for Piper since he came from a home with lots of cats and I felt sorry for him since he was supposed to be adopted with his brother, but his brother was missing. He had an kitty cold and ear mites, but a visit to the vet cleared both up. He hated his antibiotics, but I am a skilled cat wrangler.

Miss Piper hated the interloper with a passion, but she has slowly warmed up. They will now chase each other around the house and tolerate each other within six inches. Leo keeps trying to play wrestle with Piper, but she has not taken kindly to his advances so far.

Christmas Part II: Make Up Your Own Witty Title, I'm Tired

Here is the exciting conclusion to Christmas. After we returned from Disneyland, we went in search of a tree. I had looked before we left but Walmart and Target were sold out. (Who know that was even possible?) We prefer real trees anyway, but that wasn't working either. I had finally given up and resigned myself to a paper tree stuck to a wall, when we went to Trader Joe's for last-minute snacks. What were they selling? Miniature pine trees? Why, yes they were. I also remembered that this is what we did for a Christmas tree last year too. We decked it out in lights, but the ornaments I bought were apparently extra decorative because they didn't have any place to attach a ribbon! Christmas Eve, we ate delicious Turkey and Wild Rice Soup and snuggled up to watch many a Christmas special on TV. I don't know about you, but I love all the old stop animation specials. It's just not Christmas without Charlie Brown and his little tree. (Which can be purchased from retailers for $29.99, Linus' blanket is extra. Yes, my head exploded when I saw it too.) With visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads, we went to sleep.

And awoke to many presents! It was a nice blend of surprises and wished-for gifts. Paul got books, video games, and CDs; while I got clothes, jewelry, and the most beautiful cordless drill and bit set. It's so lovely, I'm a little hesitant to use it. (Just kidding, it's because the second bedroom is a mess. What is it about the holidays that makes houses extra messy?) I also got a second cat for Christmas, but he'll get his own post in a few days. Apparently, there have been requests for pictures. Here's a picture of Paul looking enthusiastic.

Christmas dinner was standard fare: pork steaks, vegetable tray, rolls, and holiday punch. We ate pretty late, but the sad truth of being a grown-up is that there is nothing inherently special about Christmas. Christmas only feels special if you do something to make it special. (This probably doesn't apply if you have kids. Though you're still the one doing all the decorating, gift-wrapping, and cooking. Oh, and the clean up. Man, what is the upside of being an adult again?)

Anyway, we had a very happy Christmas and hope all of you did too.

Christmas Part I: The First Part

For a few days before Christmas, we went to Disneyland with Paul's family. It was very bad weather, but it made the lines very short so it was okay. We only had to wait ten minutes for Indiana Jones! I'm pretty sure we spent more time walking into rides than we did waiting. Here's Paul and I outside of Small World. It's extra fun in at Christmas with all the lights!

At night we went to Medieval Times. It's a tournament of knights/medieval feast extravaganza. There were a surprising amount of horses involved. It was very cheesy but fun and the little kids in the audience really seemed to enjoy it. (I noticed a lot of birthdays in the 7 to 10 range.)

Day 2 was mostly California Adventure. Paul, Nick, and Dan rode the big rollercoaster three times in a row because the line was so short. I watched and rode the carousel. (There's never a line for that.) We also did Soaring over California, which was nice but also a little scary. (You're swooped up and forward into the screen. You're probably only five or ten feet off the ground, but it feels like more.)

Paul's family left and Day 3 was just Paul and me. This was a special gift and it was wonderful! It was so nice to have a day to do just the rides I wanted. Paul's family is good sports, but I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who wants to ride Winnie the Pooh. We did all of Fantasyland (except Alice and the Teacups which were closed due to inclement weather) and rode the Matterhorn and the carousel and lots of other fun rides.

Overall, if you can visit Disneyland when it's raining, you should! Especially when it's been raining for days and people have become soggy and discouraged. Just bring ponchos. And extra shoes. You're going to go through a lot of shoes.