September 24, 2004
Nature Photograpurr!
Some of you may remember the Pseudo-Adopted Cat who started visiting my house last year. A few months after he started coming around, and well after I had started giving him liberal handfuls of Kitty Krunchies, I noticed, to my horror, that written on his collar in teeny-tiny letters were the words, “I am diabetic.” Urk. I stopped feeding him snacks instantly, and was sure that he would start showing up less often as a result, but, no, to this day, regular as clockwork, he’s outside my door in the morning and waiting by the same door when I come home at night. If he isn't in my yard when I get home, when he hears my car, he will come tearing over from wherever he is in the neighborhood and lead my car up the driveway. So, what do I have that he still wants? Simple—trickling water. The PAC is addicted to trickling water. In fact, if I turn on the sprinkler, he will come racing over from the opposite end of the yard to partake, making that funny sound cats make when they’re excited and running at the same time, you know, the meow that is long and drawn out yet very staccato because his feet are trotting so furiously across the ground. Long story short, although I can’t give him Kitty Krunchies, I do go out of my way to make sure he gets all the trickling water he wants. See?
Oh, if you only knew what it took to get a photo of le wee pink tongue! As anyone who owns cats knows, cats don’t just drink. How plebeian, how ordinary, they say! Instead, they lap, lap, lap, swallow; lap, lap, lap, swallow; lap, lap, lap, swallow. Ergo, my challenge was to take the photograph during “lap, lap, lap” (wee pink tongue out) and not during “swallow” (wee pink tongue in). My first five attempts? Swallow. Swallow. Swallow. Swallow. Swallow. Then I tried some rapid-fire photography like a fashion photographer. Give it to me, baybee! Love the camera, baybee! DO it, baybee! But, again, nothin’. So then I went the animal behaviorist’s route, trying to get inside his tiny kitty brain and understand and internalize his drinking tempo. Soon I found myself bouncing, toe-tapping and shimmying to his drinking rhythm, even chanting, out loud, “Lap, lap, lap, swallow! Lap, lap, lap, swallow!” I mean, I was gittin’ doooooown to the funky kitty music. Then, during the one nanosecond between a swallow and a lap, I stopped the dancing, stopped the chanting, and snapped the winning photo. Success! Of course, I felt like I complete dork but, hey, the only one there to see me make an ass out of myself was the cat.
My reward for the trickling water (and for forgetting to turn it off so my water bills have taken a small spike in the last few months)? Hours and hours of this, by my side:
Knitting Knews
Lisa's and my "Faina-Together" is progressing well. It's my first "knitalong" of any kind and I'm enjoying it immensely, especially now that I've found out that Lisa is making exactly the same mistakes I did... What? Isn't that the point of a knitalong, to make sure you're all equally confused and frustrated? It isn't?
Here is a picture of the scarf from a few days ago. The scarf is much more delicate and the design is much more defined than this picture would have you believe but, hey, I was all worn out from playing fashion photographer and animal behaviorist...
Remember the VEST conversation? Heh...well...I want to do a vest knitalong with you and maybe Mary B who wants me to do a shawl knitalong (from Folk Shawls, the Himalyn birds pee pee shawl or something like that). I think the Mtn. Artisons vest from Green Mountain Spinnery would look good on both of us "busty" types. Wanna give it a try? Then you could do a twin version for TMK and then a Frankie version - all for a family picture. Any interest? Let me down easy if not.....
L
Posted by: Linda "K" on September 24, 2004 11:52 AMWow what a gorgeous cat! What does Frankie think of MSKnits' brief turn to what a Wendyknits reader once insulted as "excessive cat sentimentality"? More PAC!!
Caroline and kittyBridget
Now, Ryan, you must hear this from me: I am not exactly a cat person (stop hitting me, everybody) but that post and that cat and that trickling water just might make me change my mind. But I only said that because I'm jonsein' for that tomato red scarf. KIDDING, I'm only KIDDING, for pete's sake. Stop HITTING me!!!!
Posted by: Norma on September 24, 2004 01:22 PMawwww, kitty bliss! what a gorgeous cat-
our cats assume that anytime i am seated i *need* warm furry bodies pressed as close as possible- the dog just assumes it is time to sit on my feet thus assuring himself that i will trip over him when i get up- then i get the 'you are a truly clumsy human' stare by what can only be a doggie smile-
i do like that scarf and if you hadn't written that it had something like 8 million lines of instructions i might be convinced to try one- as it is, i will enjoy yours! (and lisa's if she posts a pic)-
stay happy-
Posted by: barb in texas on September 24, 2004 01:22 PMDestiny holds you in awe for attracting such a lovely beast to your side. She says that she thinks you are pretty awesome for sharing water.
On my end, What a great picture! You are patient!
Posted by: Rebecca on September 24, 2004 01:23 PMCuz, I hate to be the bearer, but my pretty extensive kitty experience sez that when they're prone to excessive water drinking, it's an indicator of either a thyroid imbalance or kidney problems. Not sure if it could be related to the diabetes.
Posted by: Cuzzin Tom on September 24, 2004 01:29 PMWhile I only pretend to be a doctor with my kids I concur with Dr. Cuzzin Tom on excessive thirst and also contribute my minor opinion that it is related to the diabetes. This is certainly a valid symptom of human diabetics.
That said, he seems glossy, sounds lively...I wouldn't get too stressed out about it.
As I wrote this, part of my comment kept coming out as 'playing doctor..' but it is late on Friday for me and if I thought it could have been funny I would have ran with it....but I suspect I just would have sounded slutty and lame. Sigh. Slutty is one thing. Lame is another. Slutty AND lame...well, I'm not going there.
Home soon to work on Faina in the quiet moments before the storm of children congregate.....
Posted by: Lisa in Oregon on September 24, 2004 01:55 PMCuzz, fret not; I know this is not a well cat and probably not long for this world, especially since, when he drinks, he literally drinks for 15 minutes at time. I can start the water for him, go to the kitchen and do some dishes, come back out again, and he will still be drinking. (Although maybe when I turn on the water to do the dishes the water pressure drops so much that he hasn't actually been drinking, he's been waiting.) But he very much belongs to other people, they live two doors down, in fact, so there's nothing I can do for him except give him water and make sure "his" yellow binky is waiting for him.
And for those of you who think he is a pretty cat (Caroline, Barb, Rebecca), er, he's not. In fact, he looks very much like the Bill the Cat (http://alcyone.cc.uch.gr/~kosmas/ACK.html, for picture of Bill).
Norma, if you're jonesin' for the scarf based on that ugly photo, I don't even WANT to know what you would do if you could see the real thing. It's an amazing pattern with amazing results. (Are you listening, Barb? Even though it does, indeed, have 423 rows, since the scarf is only based on 61 stitches, since the pattern provides so much variety, and since the wrong side is just a simple "purl across," it goes really quickly. I've only knit on it an hour here or there, and I'm already on row 138 or something. Why, Barb, I could have a copy of the pattern on its way to you tomorrow. Psssst, Lisa! Back me up! Let's get Barb on the Faina bandwagon!)
Posted by: Ryan on September 24, 2004 02:00 PMLindaK, I'll let you down as easily as I can--I disagree that vests will downplay our bodacious ta-tas. In fact, I think vests scream, "Hey, everybody, look over here! Bodacious ta-tas!" But I am determined at some point to knit a sweater or something similar so I'll be tracking you down when the time comes.
In the meantime, inquiring minds want to know what the hell is a "Himalayan bird pee pee shawl?"
Posted by: Ryan on September 24, 2004 02:15 PMHey Barb...go for it!! If I can do this, I am sure you can....I am really enjoying it as a matter of fact...come on Barb....whine....you gotta take the pressure off me as the only other Faina together member...You know that ryan...pressure pressure....
That's a joke Ryan, a joke. ;-D
Posted by: Lisa in Oregon on September 24, 2004 02:51 PMRegarding the kitty, if he does indeed drink that much when given the chance, his diabetes is probably not in good control. If you are at all friendly with the owners you might want to casually mention it. Hopefully they've got him on insulin shots and they'll take him to the vet for a check and a likely increase in dose. (I assume that they are interested since they went to the trouble of getting him a little kitty diabetic collar.) No, I'm not a vet--merely a diabetic cat lover (my kitties, thankfully, have happy pancreases) who has a couple of friends with diabetic cats.
Gorgeous scarf and remarkable kitty photo, by the way!
Posted by: Kristen on September 24, 2004 02:51 PMI honestly don't know which made me laugh harder. Ms. Ryan's Kitty Lap Dance *snort* (ok that sent me off again. sorry) or LindaK's Himalayan bird pee pee shawl. We could never ever ever have a Mossy Cottage knit together. Nothing would get done. There would just be laughter and tears and broken ribs from the laughter. This group is too much.
Oh, and the scarf is divine, Blog Mistress.
Hope everyone has a great day!!!
Kristen, unfortunately, I have never even met the owners. I know where they live but that's it. The only thing that gives me hope that they care about their kitty is that they always write their address on his collar (which he is constantly losing so they get him a new one, which is also a good sign), and, as you said, they took the time to write "I am diabetic" on the collar so people won't do what I did, which was feed him poisonous, to him, Kitty Krunchies. But other than that, they leave him outside at all hours when he obviously prefers to be in, and I don't think they give him enough water. And rumor has it, they are going to have a baby soon. I think I will be seeing more and more of the PAC.
BTW, I looked up the Himalayan Bird Pee Pee Shawl and apparently it's actually the Himalayan Bird's Nest Shawl. Wow, you had us all going there for a while, Linda K!
Posted by: Ryan on September 24, 2004 03:04 PMThat "wee pink tongue" piture is amazing! Notice the water droplets, as well as the pink tongue. And you are truely an amazing photographer if he really looks like Bill, both pictures make him look really adorable. That Faina scarf is so tempting, such a beautiful design. And I really want to join your commune . . .
Posted by: Joan in Reno on September 24, 2004 04:58 PMSaturday....Well, I proved my point about myself Mizz Ryan. I tried to knit on Faina while just *one* of my children were home. I was somewhere around row 24...I thought, "I can get away with this...I really want to surprise Ryan by how far I've gotten over the weekend...It will be fine..." Well, the third time I had to rip that row, I dropped a couple of stitches..broke out quite literally in a cold sweat..muttered a few obscenities under my breath.."what sweetheart? Um, no I wasn't saying any thing to you honey...never mind...NEVER MIND!" Lost stitches were recaptured...I painstakingly re-knit the row again...whew, right number of stitches again. I'm now on row 50! I got up at 5:30 a.m., unable to sleep due to the silence in the house and whispers in my brain of Faina.....L
love the wee pink tongue
Posted by: vanessa on September 26, 2004 11:05 AMWell, for all of those who DON'T have bodacious ta-tas, I think a Himalayan bird pee pee shawl would have been just the ticket. Although a bird's nest shawl might do as well. Where does one find that pattern, oh ye of the bodacious ta-ta people? (Are we going to have to have separate meetings of the commune between the larges, and the hardly-barely-theres?)
Posted by: joan on September 26, 2004 09:45 PMI love your Faina! I've been lusting after that particular pattern for quite a while. I got to thinking that perhaps it was beyond my abilities. Maybe I'll just go for it later this year.
Posted by: deb on October 1, 2004 11:49 PM